Avalanche: Little Superior 4/27/2011

Observer Name: 
Derek
Observation Date: 
04/29/2011
Occurrence Date: 
04/27/2011
Occurrence Time: 
12:30pm
Region: 
Salt Lake
Little Cottonwood Canyon
Little Superior
Location Name: 
Little Superior
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Location

40° 35' 33.6264" N, 111° 39' 41.3244" W
Avalanche Characteristics
Elevation: 
10200'
Aspect: 
South
Slope Angle: 
43
Trigger: 
Skier
Avalanche Type: 
Soft Slab
Weak Layer: 
New Snow/Old Snow Interface
Depth (avg): 
18"
Width: 
500'
Vertical: 
2500'
Snow Profile
Snow Profile Comments: 

Stout melt/freeze bed surface. Significant graupel in the two days prior storms.

General Comments

Correction to Bruce Tremper's report about the 2nd slide on Superior on April 27th. We skied Holy Toledo then traversed to the regular ridge approach up Superior, at the saddle well west of Little Superior. We skied the north face of Superior, then skinned back to the ridge via our existing skin track. We then traversed east to the Black Knob with the intention of skiing north aspects into Cardiff, and exiting Pole Line. As we skinned east (not booting west, as Bruce wrote), we stayed on the north aspect of the ridge. As we approached our descent location for the north aspect of The Black Knob, one of use peered over the south face. There was literally no more than 6" of ski on the ridge crest when the slide broke out directly from the top of the crest. There was no cornice in this area. We had no intention of being on the south face this day, especially at noon after watching other skier triggered slides two hours prior. The south face certainly changed dramatically with daytime heating. This soft slab acted like it was sitting on top of Teflon, and was essentially remotely triggered with no skier on the slope when it broke. Photo#1 Skier triggered slide/slides Photo#2 Photo showing slide coming right up to ridge crest Photo#3 Eastern view of crown Photo#4-8 Slide Path

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