Avalanche

Avalanche: Hanks Canyon

Morgan ErcanbrackProvo
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Avalanche

Slab Width
53 m
Trigger Type
Natural
Vertical Fall
381 m
Start Zone Aspect
Northeast
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Start Zone Elevation
2652 m

I did not attempt to get to the crown to assess the depth. We felt it was too dangerous. There were 2 additional avalanches in Hanks Canyon that probably occurred on Saturday night. This slide ran 2810 ft based on an estimated release point. When we discovered the slide, it was covered by 5 to 8 inches of new snow. About 2/3 the way down from the crown, there was a pine tree in the middle of the avalanche path that had limbs broken by the avalanche that were 20 feet above the level of the current snow pack. The attached picture shows a pine tree on the very edge of the avalanche that shows the depth of the avalanche to be about 12 feet. (Flagging and snow packed against the trunk of the tree.)