Avalanche: West Monitor

Observer Name
Mark white
Observation Date
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Avalanche Date
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Region
Salt Lake » Park City Ridgeline » Monitors » West Monitor
Location Name or Route
West Monitor, PC ridgeline
Elevation
10,000'
Aspect
Northeast
Slope Angle
38°
Trigger
Natural
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Weak Layer
Facets
Depth
18"
Width
40'
Vertical
700'
Comments

Walked up to West Monitor to see what the new snow was doing. New snow was 5" of light density being blown into softslabs by the NE winds. Saw a slide that looked like it ran not long before we got there. Winds were cranking on the ridge line slabbing up the light density snow and crossloading the area where the slide occurred.

Comments

Close up of the crown and debris pile. I think the part of the slope that slid was crossloaded by the winds and it released on weak faceted snow under the rockband when the facets could hold no more weight. Snow is so weak and thin on that slope that it didn't take much to overload the starting zone. Gouged down into the facets and had a decent size debris pile at the bottom. Ran down to the transition zone where the slope angle decreases.

Comments

Cracking and collapsing noted on the slabbed up ridge line.

Coordinates