Avalanche

Avalanche: Cardiff Fork

MikeSalt Lake
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Avalanche

Slab Width
15 m
Trigger Type
Snowboarder
Slab Thickness
25 cm
Start Zone Aspect
West
Start Zone Elevation
2987 m

Our party of three dropped into Hole Mole this morning around 9:30AM. Snow on the upper NW facing aspect rode well with no signs of current instability. After dropping into the dogleg that heads W, the first snowboarder dropped and half was down the line a 10" crown broke wall to wall and ran out onto the Toledo Chute apron. The snowboarder was able to ride riders left to a safe zone in the trees below. The second rider triggered a bit of hang fire, and the third skier another round of hangfire after that. It felt like an appeared to be wind slab. [Forecaster Comment - It is possible this slide was wind-loaded, and although faced west (which is windward), was cross-loaded due to terrain features along the ridgeline between Cardiff Peak and Flagstaff]