Observer Name
Snowbasin Snowsafety
Observation Date
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Avalanche Date
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Region
Ogden » Snowbasin Backcountry
Location Name or Route
Hell's Canyon
Elevation
9,000'
Aspect
Northeast
Trigger
Skier
Trigger: additional info
Unintentionally Triggered
Avalanche Type
Hard Slab
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Weak Layer
Facets
Depth
3.5'
Width
175'
Vertical
2,000'
Comments
Skier triggered avalanche in Hell's Canyon. Skier made two turns into the slope. On second turn slab was triggered. The skier was near the crown line, he acted quickly and was able to get off the slab and land on the bed surface. Large R3D3 avalanche 150' wide 3' deep traveling 2000 feet into a terrain trap. Nearly an unsurvivable avalanche if caught due to the steepness, length and the numerous trees and rocks in the path. Debris pile up to 25' deep and near 75 yards long. Skier did report the avalanche to ski patrol and reported that no one else was known to be caught, making it much easier to manage the scene.