Avalanche: Chablis 1/22/2012

Observer Name:

Patterson

Observation Date:

01/22/2012

Occurrence Date:

01/22/2012

Occurrence Time:

9:30am

Region:

Provo Canyon
Provo
Chablis

Location Name:

Timpanogos-Chablis Ridge, Runaway Cliff area

Location

40° 22' 9.2604" N, 111° 36' 26.19" W

Avalanche Characteristics

Elevation:

9100'

Aspect:

Northeast

Slope Angle:

Trigger:

Skier

Trigger: additional info:

Unintentionally Triggered

Remotely Triggered

Avalanche Type:

Hard Slab

Weak Layer:

Depth Hoar

Depth (avg):

2.5'

Width:

400'

Vertical:

400'

Snow Profile

Snow Profile Comments:

HS-ASr-R2-D2-O at 9150', NE, 40 deg, triggered remotely from 400' away. Slab was 87cm thick wind slab failing on 3mm+ striated chains below early Jan. snow. Left 28cm of dry 3-4mm cups on the ground that could potentially reload and repeat.

General Comments

Walking up Chablis Ridge of Timp. collapsed and cracked slope on flat ridge at 8800'. Crack shot up ridge and window paned attached slope, shooting snow up through the open cracks.

General Comments 2

Didn't know that we had produced an avalanche until we followed the shooting cracks and got to the slope below Runaway Cliff at 9150' and saw a 100' wide pocket, avg. depth ~1m, that had released. Later we realized that we had pulled out a much larger pocket well below the ridge we were walking. Much of this terrain produced avalanches during the natural cycle mid day on 1/21. This snow had enough of a bridge over the faceted snow to support a larger slab which was waiting for a trigger.

General Comments 3

General Comments 4

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