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Avalanche: Twin Lakes Pass

Observer Name
Jeremy Jensen
Observation Date
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Avalanche Date
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Twin Lakes Pass
Location Name or Route
Patsy Marley
Elevation
9,400'
Aspect
North
Slope Angle
38°
Trigger
Natural
Trigger: additional info
Remotely Triggered
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
New Snow
Weak Layer
New Snow
Depth
12"
Width
80'
Vertical
150'
Comments

Remotely triggered the relatively small slide while hiking the ridgeline. The wind drifts we were hiking near collapsed and dropped a few inches - audibly as well as physically. We peaked over the ridge to a heavily cross-loaded zone and noticed large shooting cracks at the top and noticed fresh debris gathered lower in the bowl. It only ran 100-150 feet, maybe 80-100ft wide. Difficult to see well in the stormy and windy conditions and unable to snap a clear photo. The area was unsafe to take a closer look at it. I noticed a handful of other slides throughout the day that had happened throughout the morning. Most looked to be remote triggers from hikers on the ridge of Twin Lakes Pass and one that may have failed naturally early in the morning before hiking traffic started in steep N facing terrain in Patsy Marley.