Observer Name
Jon M.
Observation Date
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Avalanche Date
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Region
Logan » Logan River » Bullen Basin » Naomi Peak Area
Location Name or Route
Tony Grove, Naomi Peak Area
Elevation
9,200'
Aspect
North
Slope Angle
Unknown
Trigger
Snowmobiler
Trigger: additional info
Unintentionally Triggered
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Weak Layer
New Snow/Old Snow Interface
Depth
8"
Width
100'
Vertical
80'
Caught
1
Carried
1
Buried - Partly
1
Accident and Rescue Summary
On Saturday, 1-17-15, a rider was caught, carried, and partly buried by a small avalanche near Naomi Peak. A party riding nearby was able to help his partner excavate the rider and sled, and everyone is okay.
Weather Conditions and History
In the morning of 1-17-15, the 8400' Tony Grove Snotel reported 4 inches of heavy new snow containing 0.8 inches of water in the previous 24 hours. There was 61 inches of total snow at the site containing 119% of average water for the date, and it was 19 degrees. Northwest winds were fairly strong overnight and the UDOT Hwy 89 Logan Summit weather station reported winds averaging in the mid-twenties, with gusts in the forties. Westerly winds were likely much stronger on the exposed ridges, and I noticed significant drifting from southwest winds on 1-16.
Snow Profile Comments
Profile from an observer on Steam Mill Peak, a couple miles northeast of Naomi Peak.
Comments
We pulled up on a snowmobiler digging out his snowmobile with help from his friend. I'm not super familiar with the area but according to the map it appears to be below Mt. Naomi in a very popular bowl with lots of tracks. The rider said he swam during the Avalanche and was buried waste deep as well as his snowmobile. Took about 20 minutes to dig them out.
Coordinates
