Avalanche

Avalanche: Reids Peak

Staples, Richards, Davis, RyanUintas
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Avalanche

Slab Width
61 m
Trigger Type
Natural
Vertical Fall
107 m
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Slab Thickness
61 cm
Start Zone Aspect
North
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Start Zone Elevation
3414 m

Found this natural avalanche on the north side of the saddle between Bald Mountain and Reids Peak. Second photo is of a smaller avalanche just a little to the east.

We experienced widespread collapsing riding in the trees underneath this slide. How do you feel a collapse while riding a sled? You can feel the track drop a little. Seeing small saplings shake 20-40' away is confirmation.

To be clear - collapsing told me that if we had gotten onto a steep slope, we would have triggered an avalanche. A collapse is everything that happens in an avalanche, except you're not on slope steep enough to slide.