Avalanche: Uintas 1/25/2012

Observer Name: 
Ted Scroggin
Observation Date: 
01/28/2012
Occurrence Date: 
01/25/2012
Occurrence Time: 
Unknown
Region: 
Uintas
Location Name: 
north side of Elizabeth Pass
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Location

40° 56' 49.8012" N, 110° 40' 5.5236" W
Avalanche Characteristics
Elevation: 
10200'
Aspect: 
East
Slope Angle: 
35
Trigger: 
Snowmobiler
Trigger: additional info: 
Unintentionally Triggered
Avalanche Type: 
Hard Slab
Weak Layer: 
Depth Hoar
Depth (avg): 
3'
Width: 
500'
Vertical: 
200'
General Comments

This slide was already reported to Craig Gordon with a nice video by the party involved. The area is east facing with many acres of flat terrain where the winds can grab lots of snow on deposit it onto this east facing slope. The snow pack in this area is typically thinner and weaker the further east you go from the Mirror Lake Highway.

IMG_2049.JPG
General Comments 2

This hard slab avalanche was possibly triggered lower on the slope where the slab was thinner. Once the weak snow collapsed, it pulled-out into the deeper part of the slab just off the ridgeline.

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General Comments 3

I observed this other slide just to the south of the bigger avalanche on a similar aspect.

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General Comments 4

The general snow pack set-up in the Elizabeth Pass area, 10,000' in elevation.

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