Avalanche

Avalanche: Humpy Creek

Ted ScrogginUintas
View on map

Quick report

Slope Angle
37°

Avalanche

Slab Width
122 m
Weak Layer
Facets
Trigger Type
Snowmobiler
Vertical Fall
183 m
Avalanche Type
Hard Slab
Slab Thickness
91 cm
Start Zone Aspect
Northeast
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Start Zone Elevation
3261 m

Checked out this sled triggered slide in the Humpy Basin area. Even though the terrain was broken into small sub ridges this slide propagated around a few corners and was quite connected. It was possibly triggered somewhere lower on the slope.

The lookers right flank of the slide was around 3' deep, while up near the ridge line the crown was closer to 5-6' deep. This hard slab avalanche failed on sugary faceted snow that formed earlier in the month. This area as seen from some of the photos is a steep, cold, shady northeast aspect with weak sugary faceted snow and a dense hard slab sitting on top. All it takes is a person to find the shallow weak spot, collapse the slope releasing a scary avalanche. Glad to hear no one was caught in this one.