Avalanche: Mary Lake Ridge 12/29/2010

Observer Name: 
brandondodge
Observation Date: 
12/29/2010
Occurrence Date: 
12/29/2010
Occurrence Time: 
9:00am
Region: 
Salt Lake
Big Cottonwood Canyon
Brighton Perimeter
Mary Lake Ridge
Location Name: 
Mary Lake Ridge outside Brighton Mary's gate
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Location

40° 35' 25.7712" N, 111° 35' 36.4416" W
Avalanche Characteristics
Elevation: 
9700'
Aspect: 
East
Southeast
Trigger: 
Skier
Trigger: additional info: 
Unintentionally Triggered
Avalanche Type: 
Soft Slab
Weak Layer: 
Density Change
Depth (avg): 
3'
Width: 
200'
Vertical: 
250'
General Comments

This slope is just outside (100ft) the Mary's gate South of Milly Bowl. Craig Gordon and I dug a pit on this very slope, in search of the rime crust, on Christmas eve. We found quality 1 shears with CT's about 18" below the snow surface in a density inversion. I believe this is the same weak layer this slid on. This was triggered from the usual traverse in 26 degree terrain. Crown face showed new wind deposited snow, stepping down about 10" into old snow. This would add up with settling and the warmth of the last few days to be the weak layer noted above.

The first two images are of the crown. Slide pulled out low angle terrain in the viewers left of the second photo, all the way to the tree line (flank is visible)

 

IMG_20101229_105159.jpg
IMG_20101229_105251.jpg
General Comments 2

Very impressive debris for the length of slide.

IMG_20101229_105421.jpg
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