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Avalanche: Murdock Peak

Observer Name
Brayden
Observation Date
Monday, January 19, 2015
Avalanche Date
Monday, January 19, 2015
Region
Salt Lake » Park City Ridgeline » Murdock Peak
Location Name or Route
Murdock peak
Elevation
9,500'
Aspect
Northeast
Slope Angle
37°
Trigger
Skier
Trigger: additional info
Intentionally Triggered
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Weak Layer
Ground Interface
Depth
14"
Width
25'
Vertical
100'
Comments
Ski cut across the top of Murdock peak triggered a soft slab about five feet below the ski cut. Wind slab felt really punchy and the slide pulled out a relatively soft hollow wind slab to exposed rock beneath. The slide never really gained much momentum after it broke away from the ridge and sluffed out as it entered the pine trees below. The slide conditions were consistent with the UAC advisory. After skiing yesterday and today in the PC area it appeared that there were two types of wind slabs on the ridges that we observed. The super set up solid ones that felt like concrete and then on the other hand a few punchy wind slabs. Sorry no photo, didn't have a great location that we felt good about getting a shot.
Comments

The spot where this slide occurred is the only spot in Todd's besides the far-east side of the bowl that hasn't slid.

The three slides were:

  1. Dec 22
    • http://utahavalanchecenter.org/avalanches/22555
    • The google map spot is wrong as well as description - should be slightly looker's right of the Jan 19 avi and the failure reported by me was incorrect - should be facets instead of graupal.
  2. Jan 6
  3. Jan 19
    1. http://utahavalanchecenter.org/avalanches/23126

I found it encouraging that yesterday's slide, which is the small pie that has not slid yet, did not break into the facets that slides 1 and 2 failed on. That's good news.

Just a laymen's observation.

Cheers,

Paul

Paul Daugherty photo, comments -

Coordinates