Avalanche: West Willow 2/25/2010

Observer Name:

Anna Keeling

Observation Date:

02/25/2010

Occurrence Date:

02/25/2010

Occurrence Time:

Unknown

Region:

Salt Lake
Big Cottonwood Canyon
Willows
West Willow

Avalanche Characteristics

Elevation:

Unknown

Aspect:

Northwest

Slope Angle:

Trigger:

Skier

Trigger: additional info:

Unintentionally Triggered

Avalanche Type:

Hard Slab

Weak Layer:

Surface Hoar

Depth (avg):

18"

Width:

60'

Vertical:

400'

General Comments

USA Bowl-Willow- out Bear Trap
mix of sun and cloud, occasional snow flurries

Skier remote trigger on NW aspect in West bowl of Willow. We were standing on a 31 degree slope but the slide ran on 38 degree slope about 200 feet from skier. Crown 1.5 feet on buried SH, 60 feet wide, ran approx 400 feet into trees

Amazing amount of collapsing on south facing aspects all day. We found multiple crusts with facets between, beneath approx 10 inches of new snow. We probably had 15 collapses all day on low angle slopes but saw no cracking associated with this collapsing

New snow is quite dense