Avalanche

Avalanche: Wolverine Cirque

ZLSalt Lake
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Quick report

Slope Angle
40°

Avalanche

Slab Width
30 m
Weak Layer
Facets
Trigger Type
Skier
Vertical Fall
152 m
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Slab Thickness
61 cm
Trigger Detail
Remotely Triggered
Start Zone Aspect
East
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Start Zone Elevation
3139 m

SS-ASr-D2-R1.5. The initial avalanche was a small windslab, triggered remotely by our party from the ridge. The initial slab was 2.5' deep and no more than 10' wide. It failed at the ground, entraining all available snow in the couloir. It triggered a larger avalanche (photo 2) on the apron below and ran full track. Both avalanches appear to have failed on the same layer of weak faceted grains at the base of the snowpack, demonstrating a capability for large, full-depth avalanches to be triggered remotely from a distance, and/or by smaller avalanches which may be more sensitive to human trigger.