Quick report
After finding little reactivity in the snowpack two days in a row. We had switched aspects and terrain features on our last run to exit out of Paulina for the day. Snow seemed to be bonding well on other test slopes and pit tests showed that new snow was bonding well to the old snow interface. When we decided to ski the north facing chutes we discounted the amplified wind loading taking place off the ridge line compared to all the other slopes we had ridden thus far. Cornice stomping/ dropping produced no results. The first rider dropped into the chute and triggered a wind slab 300 ft into the run. The slab broke 300 feet above and at-least 300 feet below the rider. The slab was cohesive and carried substantial energy. The rider was caught and carried but able to self arrest halfway down the slide path. Crown. 10cm to 30cm 4-8 in deep and up to a foot in deepest spots. The slide slid 1000’ to the base of the slope.
Avalanche
- Size
- D2
- Aspect
- N
- Trigger
- AR
- Elevation
- 7800 ft
After finding little reactivity in the snowpack two days in a row. We had switched aspects and terrain features on our last run to exit out of Paulina for the day. Snow seemed to be bonding well on other test slopes and pit tests showed that new snow was bonding well to the old snow interface. When we decided to ski the north facing chutes we discounted the amplified wind loading taking place off the ridge line compared to all the other slopes we had ridden thus far. Cornice stomping/ dropping produced no results. The first rider dropped into the chute and triggered a wind slab 300 ft into the run. The slab broke 300 feet above and at-least 300 feet below the rider. The slab was cohesive and carried substantial energy. The rider was caught and carried but able to self arrest halfway down the slide path. Crown. 10cm to 30cm 4-8 in deep and up to a foot in deepest spots. The slide slid 1000’ to the base of the slope.