Avalanche
- Slab Width
- 15 m
- Trigger Type
- Skier
- Avalanche Type
- Soft Slab
- Slab Thickness
- 51 cm
- Start Zone Aspect
- Southeast
- Avalanche Problem
- New Snow
- Start Zone Elevation
- 2073 m
Went for an afternoon tour. Found no instability on the windward south facing ascent but quite the opposite just off the ridgeline from 7000 down to 6500 ft where the wind has transported and loaded the S/SE leeward ridgeline. Knowing the instability, we descended the ridgeline and found a good test slope. As soon as I stepped onto it a crack propagated and the slope released. No pop, not a lot of energy, but it could have carried and buried a skier if it had room to run and entrain more snow. Snow broke on soft fist hard rain crust from earlier in the storm.
With this event we chose to ski dense pines on N facing slope. Found no additional instability.