Observer Name
Coyne
Observation Date
Saturday, December 22, 2018
Avalanche Date
Saturday, December 22, 2018
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Reynolds Pk » Reynolds East Face
Location Name or Route
Reynolds East Face
Elevation
9,400'
Aspect
East
Trigger
Skier
Avalanche Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Weak Layer
Graupel
Depth
2'
Width
80'
Carried
1
Snow Profile Comments
Hard wind slab on top of graupel
Comments
Set off this slide ski cutting the East Face of Reynolds. Upon entering the slope for a ski cut, I quickly realized the slab was a lot stiffer than I had expected. The slab broke out and I was carried approx 60ft down slope. Thankfully I was able to carry my momentum from my ski cut across the slope and exited off the top of the slab at the classic 45d angle.
Comments
Additional photo from P. Diegel who found this slide late in the afternoon. This photo shows wind erosion and subsequent deposition where the avalanche released. The way to tell wind direction is that the "scallops" tend to point into the wind.
