Avalanche

Avalanche: No Name Bowl

Mark WhiteSalt Lake
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Quick report

Slope Angle
38°

Avalanche

Slab Width
15 m
Weak Layer
Facets
Trigger Type
Skier
Vertical Fall
91 m
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Slab Thickness
25 cm
Trigger Detail
Intentionally Triggered
Start Zone Aspect
Northeast
Avalanche Problem
Wind Slab
Start Zone Elevation
2896 m

My buddy Jim triggered this windslab off the top of No Name Bowl. He new it would probably crack out seeing that there was a fairly distinct wind slab sitting on top of the steepest line in the bowl, and we new there was faceted snow under it because there is always facets in this N facing protected location. There were two choices, ski cut it and let it run and mess up the line or ski it fast and outrun it. The amount of new snow was not enough to pose much harm except maybe knock you down, and the run out was clean so he went for the outrun choice, which worked out fine seeing that the slide did not move very fast. The wind slab released on facets that were formed before the storm, then stepped down to the underlying crust, but petered out about 300 vertical feet down the slope when angle eased up.

photos: crown, facets beneath the wind slab, and the run out