Observer Name
Ryan Emery
Observation Date
Saturday, February 21, 2026
Avalanche Date
Saturday, February 21, 2026
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Mill D North » Powder Park
Location Name or Route
Standard Approach to Powder Park III
Elevation
8,300'
Aspect
North
Trigger
Skier
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Weak Layer
Facets
Depth
2"
Width
60'
Vertical
30'
Comments
Today, while teaching an avalanche education course, my students and I came across a suspected recent avalanche (no newly wind drifted snow on the bed surface or near the crown like we saw on avalanches nearby of similar elevation and aspect). This was observed in the terrain trap (gully) on the standard approach to Powder Park III. While we're seeing a lot of large scale avalanches, this is a great reminder that our smaller pieces of avalanche terrain also possess instability. Even a small slide (D1) combined with a terrain trap can have serious consequences. The crown was 1-2' feet deep and approximately 60' wide, and it ran on faceted snow (1.5-2mm buried NSF) from our January drought. Unknown trigger - I assume skier triggered or remotely triggered considering the tracks nearby. It appeared as if someone then skied over the crown and onto the bed surface.
