Avalanche
- Slab Width
- 46 m
- Weak Layer
- Ground Interface
- Trigger Type
- Natural
- Vertical Fall
- 305 m
- Avalanche Type
- Hard Slab
- Slab Thickness
- 305 cm
- Start Zone Aspect
- Northeast
- Avalanche Problem
- Gliding Snow
- Start Zone Elevation
- 2926 m
I reported some glide avalanches on Thursday 2/22, but noticed that nobody else submitted a report on this slide so I'm submitting a separate report mainly to emphasize the increasing danger of glide avalanches as the snowpack gets deeper and we move into the spring part of the season. I walked up Broads Fork Thursday afternoon to do some recon on conditions before a big day skiing lines off SLC Twins on Friday. I noticed two large glide avalanches that had run earlier in the week on Diving Board and Blue Ice and submitted a report that night. The next morning, 2/23, I and my partner started very early to head up to Twin Peaks via Broads. In the bright moonlight, we could see everything once we got to Bonkers and there was no fresh avalanche activity overnight. I should mention it was very cold above 8500', less than 15 degrees. We skied the East Face and NW Couloir of Twin, then climbed back up to the ridge above Diving Board, where we saw that a fresh glide avalanche(10' deep, ran 1000' vertical) had run within 2 hours of us walking past that morning. I was particularly surprised because the temperatures were still quite cold. After ski cutting a 8" slab(150' wide, ran 1000') at the top of Diving Board, we were uncomfortable skiing Diving Board and ended up climbing back up to the summit of Twins and skiing the East Face again to exit into Broads. A friend told me that a glide avalanche had run later that night in Bonkers as well.
I haven't heard of glide cracks yet in Stairs, but considering how active Broads Fork has been the past few weeks, I won't be surprised if Stairs starts to become active in the next couple weeks, especially with all the snow in the forecast.