Avalanche

Avalanche: South Monitor Bowl

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Quick report

Slope Angle
37°

Avalanche

Slab Width
30 m
Weak Layer
New Snow/Old Snow Interface
Trigger Type
Skier
Vertical Fall
122 m
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Slab Thickness
30 cm
Trigger Detail
Intentionally Triggered
Start Zone Aspect
Northeast
Avalanche Problem
Wind Slab
Start Zone Elevation
2987 m

Wasn't really expecting it to slide but I'm calling it intentional because I always slide into the Bowl slowly with caution and don't just dive in. The slide released as soon as I entered the bowl basically right at my feet and propagated in both directions. The first slide was about 70ft wide and ran about 300ft. We skied the flank and climbed back out, then put a ski cut in from the ridge to the safety of the old bed surface of the previous slide and released another 50ft wide windslab running about the same distance and skied the flank again. The windslabs were only reactive just off the ridgeline where the wind had loaded the slope. The wind slabs were still reactive on our third climb out as we triggered another wind slab right next to the others and decided it was time to leave. These wind slabs could've knocked you off your feet and taken you for a ride but not bury you, the crowns all averaged about a foot deep and ran down to lower angle terrain.