Avalanche: Big Baldy, Southwest Shoulder 3/12/2011

Observer Name:

Toby

Observation Date:

03/13/2011

Occurrence Date:

03/12/2011

Occurrence Time:

Unknown

Region:

Big Baldy, Southwest Shoulder
Big Baldy
Providence Canyon
Logan

Location Name:

Big Baldy, Southwest Shoulder

Location

41° 40' 27.444" N, 111° 45' 23.832" W

Avalanche Characteristics

Elevation:

8400'

Aspect:

West

Slope Angle:

Unknown

Trigger:

Natural

Avalanche Type:

Hard Slab

Depth (avg):

4.5'

Width:

200'

Width Range:

150' to

200'

Vertical:

700'

General Comments

Dimensions are estimates as viewed from below in Cache Valley.... Solar warming likely had something to do with this scary midday natural release...... From a distance it appears to have stepped down into deeply buried January weak layers......

Still unsure about the timing of this... First seen and reported on 3-13-2011.

General Comments 2

From John Hubbard 3-13-2011:

Off the summit of Big Baldy, Providence Canyon, UT
Off the ridge leading SW from 8800 ft

noticed that off the SW shoulder -looking out toward the NW - avalanched
pretty well yesterday (3-12-2011) = no photo to offer but i can see it
well from the house- ca. 300 S 300 N Providence.
fell several hundred feet i think. i can't estimate the break but it is
visible from miles away.

been watching this hill for 22 yr and i cannot recall seeing this area
avalanche-
looks like the cornice (that usually forms) fell (because of the higher
than usual snowpack)- set it off

From Mark Fels 3-14-2011:

I was up on big baldy on Saturday 12th, went up the northern ridge looking at that exact slope from the north side

at about 2:30 pm. No sign of slide.

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