Avalanche: Claytons

Observer Name
Evelyn/Rick
Observation Date
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Avalanche Date
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Claytons
Location Name or Route
Claytons, Big Cottonwood Canyon
Elevation
10,500'
Aspect
Northeast
Trigger
Skier
Trigger: additional info
Intentionally Triggered
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Weak Layer
Facets
Depth
Unknown
Width
20'
Vertical
350'
Comments

Getting boring out there, so tested stability with some cornice drops. First, we had good visibility, and could see no one was below, or anywhere in site for that matter. Rather empty backcountry these days. Video is one of two avalanches we triggered by cutting off cornices with a knotted cord. Both slides seemed to run slowly, gouging and entraining snow as they went. Seemed like they might have broken out more snow going over the second break over. Debris looked deep. Second slide was slightly wider, up to 30' wide.

Confirmed for me that steep, northeasterly facing slopes can still be triggered by a person hitting the wrong spot - and it would probably be slightly off the ridge line so it could break out above you, on a steeper break over, not every slope, and not necessarily obviously wind loaded.

Comments

Looking at the second crown - weak layer...(drum roll)...facets! Slides were soft slabs, except where they pulled back into the hard wind drift along the ridge line.

Video
Coordinates