Avalanche
- Slab Width
- 183 m
- Weak Layer
- Facets
- Trigger Type
- Natural
- Vertical Fall
- 46 m
- Avalanche Type
- Soft Slab
- Slab Thickness
- 36 cm
- Start Zone Aspect
- Northeast
- Avalanche Problem
- Persistent Weak Layer
- Start Zone Elevation
- 2896 m
I spotted this natural avalanche as I was driving by on State Road 31. I was able to get down onto the bed surface and debris to take a closer look. The avalanche didn't run very far because of a bench just below the starting zone. It was impressively wide. I measured it on a topo map and estimated it between 600 and 700 feet wide.
There was a separate, smaller pocket that looked like it released at the same time as the larger slide. This was about 50 feet east of the main avalanche. It was very easy to identify the old, weak facets in the bed surface as well as in the flanks and crown face.
As I was prowling around near the debris pile in undisturbed snow, I experienced at least one large collapse that startled me. The old layers of weak faceted snow from December and January are active, no doubt about that.