Quick report
- Slope Angle
- 40°
Avalanche
- Slab Width
- 9 m
- Weak Layer
- New Snow/Old Snow Interface
- Trigger Type
- Snowboarder
- Vertical Fall
- 30 m
- Avalanche Type
- Soft Slab
- Slab Thickness
- 41 cm
- Trigger Detail
- Intentionally Triggered
- Avalanche Problem
- New Snow
- Start Zone Elevation
- 2682 m
We rode in the Tony Grove area today and found sensitive storm slabs on steep slopes. Riding was excellent on all aspects with the exception of areas where the winds had stripped away the light powder. There was significant wind loading in somewhat unexpected areas with what looked to be a direct north wind. We found that the sensitive storm slabs did not bond well to the ices subsurface and would easily slide on steep slopes. Throughout the day the slab seemed to be gaining strength and was much more difficult to get to slide later in the day.
We had four separate storm slabs fracture on us while riding short test slopes. All slabs were on north through East facing slopes between 8500 and 9000 feet. The slabs were generally in the 30 foot wide and and encompassed all 14-16 inches of new snow leaving an icy bed surface exposed.
The winds were persistent most of the day and, in certain areas along ridgelines, filled in tracks pretty quickly. The boor bonding with the subsurface, significant wind loading and sensitive storm slabs kept us off of bigger slopes that we had intended on riding.