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Avalanche: Days Fork

Observer Name
jonas d'andrea
Observation Date
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Avalanche Date
Friday, April 22, 2011
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Days Fork
Location Name or Route
Upper Days - Jaws
Elevation
10,200'
Aspect
North
Slope Angle
Unknown
Trigger
Skier
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Weak Layer
New Snow/Old Snow Interface
Depth
10"
Width
150'
Vertical
600'
Comments

Entered Jaws from looker's right to avoid the main cornice just before noon. There was a small cross loaded lip extending out from the main ridge there. Intentionally ski cut and stop right at the lip. Very sensitive. Soft wind slab broke right at skis extending down left and across right taking out entire top section. Slab was 8-12" deep runnning all the way to the bottom where the angle eased significantly and pulled out two more sections under the cliff bands looker's right. While Jaws faces mostly north, the top was also loaded from the SW and had formed a wind slab a bit down off the ridge. I had seen evidence of another wind slab on NE aspect in west Silver but didn't connect it to this trigger since the slope I wanted to ski faces more north and I thought it might be more sheltered. Lucky it triggered so easily.

Coordinates