Avalanche: Gobblers Knob 4/22/2011

Observer Name: 
Steven Clark
Observation Date: 
04/22/2011
Occurrence Date: 
04/22/2011
Occurrence Time: 
Unknown
Region: 
Salt Lake
Big Cottonwood Canyon
Gobblers Knob
Location Name: 
Gobblers Knob
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Location

40° 40' 11.8632" N, 111° 40' 59.646" W
Avalanche Characteristics
Elevation: 
10000'
Aspect: 
East
Southeast
Slope Angle: 
38
Trigger: 
Natural
Trigger: additional info: 
Cornice Triggered
Avalanche Type: 
Hard Slab
Weak Layer: 
Facets
Depth (avg): 
4'
Width: 
100'
Vertical: 
800'
General Comments

 We Saw this large natural avalanche off of gobblers knob back into alexander basin. The slide seemed to be triggered from a cornice fall above to upper pocket of the slide and then sympatheicly released the lower larger portion of the slide which had a crown of around 5-6 feet. I was able to dig a pit while on belay above the upper pocket of the slide. It seemed that the weak layer was buried  depth hoar and large facets <3mm. There was alot of grauple in the area from the past storms and in my pit I also found a buried layer of grauple about 40cm below the surface and two thin rain/rime crusts one about 60cm below and the other about 100cm below the surface.

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General Comments 2

 After we were done looking at the slide in alexander we headed over toward the main run off of gobblers. I had to boot of the ridge and I was walking in the skin track that another person had just made 15 minutes earlier and it was about 15-20 feet away from the edge when the cornice broke right under my feet. I dropped about 8 feet straight down instantly and landed on my feet. The Huge cornice went down the slope and iniated a good size avalanche consisting of mostly new snow.

I feel like everyone can learn from my mistake and remeber that cornices can break WAY further back much than expected.

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