Avalanche
View on mapAvalanche: McDonald Draw
M Dawson with investigation the following day by Bruce TremperSalt Lake
Quick report
- Slope Angle
- 40°
Avalanche
- Slab Width
- 30 m
- Weak Layer
- Facets
- Trigger Type
- Skier
- Vertical Fall
- 122 m
- Avalanche Type
- Hard Slab
- Slab Thickness
- 61 cm
- Trigger Detail
- Sympathetic Release
- Start Zone Aspect
- Northeast
- Avalanche Problem
- Wind Slab
- Start Zone Elevation
- 2957 m
Comments from the reporting party: Prior to the event, party of three experienced some collapsing during the ascent and evidence of natural sluffing. Due to wind loading on the ridge, Party decided to descend a low angle slope adjacent to, and to the North of, the culprit slope. The slide released sympathetically after the third skier descended. The start zone approached 40 degrees, and the slide ran over 400 feet vertical and well into the normal slope run-out zone.
Video of the snow profile by Bruce Tremper and Trent Meisenheimer.