Avalanche

Avalanche: Gold Basin

Garcia, RobertsonMoab
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Quick report

Slope Angle
45°

Avalanche

Slab Width
8 m
Weak Layer
Facets
Trigger Type
Skier
Vertical Fall
21 m
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Slab Thickness
61 cm
Trigger Detail
Unintentionally Triggered
Start Zone Aspect
West
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Start Zone Elevation
3231 m

Skied over a steep west facing roll and triggered a small avalanche. The slope angle at crown is 45 degrees, but the slope angle quickly mellows out. The avalanche was very slow moving and I was able to ski out well ahead of it. The slab was fist to four finger on top of buried facets. The way this slide broke out is a good illustration of the distribution of the weak layer. You can see how it follows the shadows and the crown propagated to the skiers left into the shade of the large trees. The sunny slope to the lookers left was unreactive. This slope is between Gold Miners and Showoff on the ski out of Gold Basin.