Avalanche: Pioneer Ridge 3/20/2011

Observer Name: 
Brian Muller
Observation Date: 
03/20/2011
Occurrence Date: 
03/20/2011
Occurrence Time: 
9:30am
Region: 
Salt Lake
Big Cottonwood Canyon
Pioneer Ridge
Location Name: 
Pioneer
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Location

40° 35' 0.7836" N, 111° 34' 38.9712" W
Avalanche Characteristics
Elevation: 
10100'
and below
Aspect: 
Northeast
and steeper
Slope Angle: 
34
Trigger: 
Snowboarder
Trigger: additional info: 
Unintentionally Triggered
Avalanche Type: 
Soft Slab
Weak Layer: 
New Snow/Old Snow Interface
Depth (avg): 
10"
Width: 
60'
Vertical: 
100'
People Involved
Caught: 
1
General Comments

 Snowboarder hiked out of the gate at the top of Crest, towards Pioneer Peak, dropped in one of the shots back into Brighton, ontop of the cattrack, and about 10 feet in triggered this slide.  He was knocked off balance a little bit, but rode out of it, and was not really carried by the slide.  Averaged about 10" deep, maybe up to a foot, and it was only the top 80-100' below the ridgeline.  

General Comments 2

 Other comments from the day, cracking and collapsing was easily initiated around ridgelines, and in steep rollovers, with winds remaining in the 40 mph range probably gusting to about 60 throughout the day.  It began snowing hard again at Brighton around 2 or 2:30 pm, and really picked up around 4.  I expect windslabs and softslabs to be easily initiated again tomorrow with the forecast, and for danger to even possibly go up to considerable with pockets of high.

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