TyeDyeTwins

Salt Lake » Park City Ridgeline » Monitors » West Monitor

West Monitor

9,500'

Northeast

Unknown

Skier

Cornice Triggered

Dry Loose

Cornice

Unknown

Unknown

500'

Decided to post up this small avalanche to bring attention to the issue of not dropping cornices on people below you. Forecaster Note: This...and skiing/riding above others below is warranting increasing attention these days in the crowded Wasatch. Hardesty Our group consisted of 2 skiers and 2 splitboarders. We found a section of West Monitor safe enough snowpack wise for a decent. Out of the way of the main runout zone we put on our skins to head back up to the PC ridge. While starting to skin up we noticed a cornice falling, with a skier on the ridge. The slide that followed was far less menacing than it appears in the photos below. When we reached the PC ridge we ran into the group of 2 skiers that started the avalanche. They were both from The Canyons Ski Resort. When I layed into them the importance of never dropping a cornice on top of a touring group, they claimed that it was an unintentional trigger and that it almost took one of them off the ridge. It should be mentioned that they did appologize for the incident. Photo 1- The avalanche starting up high near the cliffs on West Monitor. Photo 2- The avalanche taking shape and picking up speed. Photo 3- The avalanche at its most menacing moment. Photo 4- The avalanche on West Monitor.

Emailed in this afternoon -

Body (comments or questions): I don't think I can amend any info on your avalanches, but concerning the avalanche caused by cornice fall on west monitor I was the one who made the cornice collapse happen. I discussed with the other parties in the area and didn't make an observation on your page, but that probably wasn't the best move. Anyway, I was about 7' from the edge, which I thought was enough but as history is telling us I needed more space. I felt and heard the collapse and was able to jump backward to avoid going with the roughly volkswagon beetle or bus sized block. At least 6 people witnessed the incident and we were all 100% sure no one was in the debris. I noticed the sensitivity of the cornices earlier that day on Big Mac and was being cautious, but alas now I will stay much further from the edge. I apologize for my delay, but I thought the more info the better once I saw the general lack of info on the report. Someone did take pictures from below but they were not part of my party.