Avalanche: Gobblers

Debated whether to submit this, it’s such a minor event it’s basically a non-event. Hesitate to say the amount of snow involved rises to class 1 avalanche, maybe class 0.50 or class 0.25, a middling sluff. Did get knocked off my feet and carried downhill in a pile of moving snow.

Crown was about 20 feet wide, averaging about 4 inches deep, ran about 50 vertical feet.

Sluff occurred skiers left bottom of benign line on Gobblers Knob in Porter Fork, steep rollover.

End of day, discussed exit options w my partner and concluded the rollover might sluff but it would be manageable.

Entered the rollover w a couple of ski cuts. Nothing moving, started to ski noticed the ski cut had started to move as I was knocked off my feet, moving downhill sitting in snow w skis under me. Carried about 10 feet as I slid sideways out of the sluff.

First photo is crown at my ski cut, varies from a foot to 2 or 3 inches. Looking closely the snow is damp and sun effected.

Second photo is debris pile, maybe 1 foot deep.

Though the run is generally northwest, the sluff occurred in a west/southwest fold, forecast to have moderate hazard “due to loose wet avalanches.”

In consequential terrain this could have been a bad deal.