Avalanche: Cardiac Ridge 4/22/2011

Observer Name: 
McCurdy, Groves, Kemp
Observation Date: 
04/22/2011
Occurrence Date: 
04/22/2011
Occurrence Time: 
10:30am
Region: 
Salt Lake
Big Cottonwood Canyon
Cardiff Fork
Cardiac Ridge
Location Name: 
Cardiff Fork, Cardiac Ridge
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Location

40° 36' 17.028" N, 111° 40' 2.1756" W
Avalanche Characteristics
Elevation: 
10600'
Aspect: 
East
Slope Angle: 
35
Avalanche Type: 
Soft Slab
Weak Layer: 
New Snow/Old Snow Interface
Depth (avg): 
unknown
Width: 
Unknown
Vertical: 
1000'
General Comments

After gaining Cardiac Ridge in the usual spot, the 3 of us began booting up to the higher point on the ridge. I was in the front and felt I was trending to the climbers right and away from the cornices when 75' of cornice pounded the slope below. We were 14-16' away from the edge before the cornice broke and probably 6-8' from the new edge after the cornice broke. From the pics you can see how far back on the flats and even down slope (towards Mineral) slightly that it cracked. We all agreed that this was a close call, not so much for our positioning but for others that could have easily been below us. Fortunately its April 22nd and there were very few skiers in sight. We were the only 3 on the ridge today when earlier in the season there could easily be a dozen.

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