Avalanche
- Slab Width
- 15 m
- Weak Layer
- Wet grains
- Trigger Type
- Skier
- Vertical Fall
- 107 m
- Avalanche Type
- Wet Loose
- Slab Thickness
- 15 cm
- Trigger Detail
- Intentionally Triggered
- Start Zone Aspect
- Southeast
- Avalanche Problem
- Wet Snow
- Start Zone Elevation
- 3109 m
At 1:00 pm there were three separate Natural Loose Snow Wet Avalanches that were initiated by daytime heating and direct sunshine on the SE aspect of the Highway to Heaven. No one was in the vicinity when they ran. The two on looker's right appeared to descend almost at the same time and the combined width of these two slides was approximately 125 feet. This slide began in the upper cliff bands below the peak and as they cascaded over the lower cliffs it widened out and entrained even more snow and debris. The slide on looker's left was approximately 50 feet wide. Forecasters note: these were intentionally ski cut by Solitude Patrol during avalanche mitigation.