Avalanche: South Fork Lake Canyon

Observer Name
Craig Gordn/Trent Meisenheimer
Observation Date
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Avalanche Date
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Region
Skyline » Huntington Canyon » Left Fork Huntington Canyon » Lake Canyon » South Fork Lake Canyon
Location Name or Route
Right Fork Huntington Creek
Elevation
10,000'
Aspect
North
Slope Angle
37°
Trigger
Unknown
Avalanche Type
Hard Slab
Weak Layer
Depth Hoar
Depth
3'
Width
125'
Vertical
200'
Comments
So much of the steep, north facing terrain surrounding the Skyline avalanched during the big storm two weeks ago. Slopes that didn't avalanche wait for a trigger.
Comments
We spotted this slide which broke to the ground and decided to investigate further.
Comments
Steep, upper elevation, windloaded, north-facing.... no surprise
Comments
It's pretty straightforward and clearly defined in this snowpit. Trent points to this years problem child.... early season snow that has grown weak and sugary overtime. While the surface snow feels solid and strong, this mess near the ground isn't going away anytime soon and this weekend it'll be possible to trigger slides that break to the ground.
Coordinates