UDOT PLANNED AVALANCHE CLOSURES!!

Accident: Dugway

Observer Name
Eden Dupont, Mark Fels, Ron Stagg.....
Observation Date
Friday, March 5, 2010
Avalanche Date
Friday, March 5, 2010
Region
Logan » Logan Canyon » Dugway
Location Name or Route
Elevation
6,400'
Aspect
West
Slope Angle
40°
Trigger
Natural
Avalanche Type
Wet Loose
Weak Layer
Facets
Depth
18"
Width
Unknown
Vertical
Unknown
Accident and Rescue Summary

A series of three wet avalanches hit, crossed, and closed Hwy 89 in Logan Canyon at mile marker 475 just after 4:00 pm on Friday 3-5-10...

The situation became dangerous after a fairly large wet avalanche crossed both lanes of the scenic highway in a steep narrow section of the road known as the Dugway, dumping a deep pile of very heavy debris on the road.... Traffic was completely blocked, and vehicles pulled right up to the avalanche, both up-canyon and down canyon of the slide. People got out of their cars and walked right up to the fresh pile of snow in the road... A couple people dug into their trunks or backpacks and retrieved shovels and started to dig.

In Sherwood Hirshi's photo, published in the 3-6-10 Herald Journal, at least 10 people are visible milling around, talking, digging, and taking pictures shortly after the first avalanche occurrence. The photo is taken from the down canyon side of the avalanche and beyond the person-high wall of snow crossing the highway, 3 vehicles in the downhill lane have pulled right up to the debris, and people are out of their vehicles.

The second avalanche fell up-canyon of the first, and luckily the bystanders were able to escape the wet debris as it dribbled like melted wax across the road, floating a van into a Subaru and trapping the 3 vehicles that had pulled up to the first slide....

A third smaller avalanche added to the work UDOT crews were presented with shorty after the road crew arrived on scene...

Comments
Logan Canyon re-opens to traffic after snow slides

By Cache Valley Daily

Logan Canyon has been re-opened to traffic after three minor snow slides shut U.S. Highway 89 down for about 90 minutes Friday afternoon. The slides happened around 5 p.m. One-lane of traffic re-opened just before 6:30 p.m. as crews worked to remove the rest of the snow that covered the upper portion of the dugway. After 7, both lanes were re-opened to traffic. Two of the slides happened before 5 p.m., but a third slide came down while crews were in the process of clearing the snow. There were no injuries as a result of the slides. Not able to travel through the canyon included hundreds of patrons at Beaver Mountain trying to return home after a day skiing, but also at the mountain were the fifth grade classes at Wilson Elementary School. Mark Lunt, a parent of a student at Wilson, said he was at the Wilson Elementary parking lot Friday night waiting for his child when he heard about the slides. "The parking lot is full with probably like 45 cars waiting for kids to get down the canyon," Lunt said. Reports from Beaver Mountain indicated that many people who were stranded at the top of the canyon decided to return to the ski resort and continue skiing. The cafe area at the Beaver Mountain Ski Lodge reportedly also remained open to cater to those who couldn't get home. Below is video from Blake Altom of the aftermath:
Comments

Photo taken by Eden Dupont waiting in traffic up-canyon of the avalanche.

Video
Coordinates