Avalanche: Slader Ridge 3/8/2011

Observer Name:

Gordon, Scroggin, Gorsage

Observation Date:

03/09/2011

Occurrence Date:

03/08/2011

Occurrence Time:

4:30pm

Region:

Upper Weber Canyon
Uintas
Slader Ridge

Location Name:

Slater Ridge

Location

40° 46' 32.1672" N, 111° 3' 50.2812" W

Avalanche Characteristics

Elevation:

9900'

Aspect:

West

Northwest

Slope Angle:

Trigger:

Skier

Trigger: additional info:

Unintentionally Triggered

Remotely Triggered

Sympathetic Release

Avalanche Type:

Hard Slab

Weak Layer:

Surface Hoar

Depth (avg):

2.5'

Depth Range:

2' to

Width:

Unknown

Width Range:

350' to

600'

Vertical:

Unknown

Vertical Range:

300' to

450'

Snow Profile

Snow Profile Comments:

Much like the crown profile near Area 51, this avalanche broke below the raincrust on facets and decomposing surface hoar.

General Comments

We visited the site where two very experienced, avy savvy local skiers remotely triggered this large slide near Slader Ridge in Upper Weber Canyon. The initial slide sympathetically released a large avalanche a couple hundred feet away to the south.

General Comments 2

Unlike most hard slab avalanches, rather than shattering like a pane of glass, the raincrust allows the snow to remain intact as one cohesive piece of snow. It finally breaks up as it slams into trees, piling up huge amounts of bone crushing debris.

General Comments 3

The raincrust has provided the perfect protecting layer, essentially allowing the surface hoar/facet to combo to remain intact. Each time it snows or the wind blows, this notoriously tricky, persistent weakness will react and we'll see tricky avalanche conditions.

General Comments 4

Brian stands next to a lower portion of the crown which broke nearly four feet deep.

Javascript is required to view this map.