Incident

Avalanche: Naomi Peak Area

Jon M.Logan
View on map

Avalanche

Slab Width
30 m
Weak Layer
New Snow/Old Snow Interface
Trigger Type
Snowmobiler
Vertical Fall
24 m
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Slab Thickness
20 cm
Trigger Detail
Unintentionally Triggered
Start Zone Aspect
North
Avalanche Problem
Wind Slab
Start Zone Elevation
2804 m

We pulled up on a snowmobiler digging out his snowmobile with help from his friend. I'm not super familiar with the area but according to the map it appears to be below Mt. Naomi in a very popular bowl with lots of tracks. The rider said he swam during the Avalanche and was buried waste deep as well as his snowmobile. Took about 20 minutes to dig them out.

Incident

Number Caught
1
Number Carried
1
Weather Summary
<p>In the morning of 1-17-15, the 8400' Tony Grove Snotel reported 4 inches of heavy new snow containing 0.8 inches of water in the previous 24 hours. There was 61 inches of total snow at the site containing 119% of average water for the date, and it was 19 degrees. Northwest winds were fairly strong overnight and the UDOT Hwy 89 Logan Summit weather station reported winds averaging in the mid-twenties, with gusts in the forties. Westerly winds were likely much stronger on the exposed ridges, and I noticed significant drifting from southwest winds on 1-16.</p>
Number Partly Buried
1

On Saturday, 1-17-15, a rider was caught, carried, and partly buried by a small avalanche near Naomi Peak. A party riding nearby was able to help his partner excavate the rider and sled, and everyone is okay.