Observer Name
John Lemnotis
Observation Date
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Avalanche Date
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Region
Salt Lake » Mill Creek Canyon » Porter Fork
Location Name or Route
Main Porter Fork
Elevation
9,700'
Aspect
Northeast
Slope Angle
37°
Trigger
Snowboarder
Trigger: additional info
Remotely Triggered
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Weak Layer
Density Change
Depth
12"
Width
30'
Vertical
300'
Comments
Started the morning with a run in West Porter Fork then decided to ascend Main Porter for a second run. We felt one whumph on the ascent at about 9200' which kept us on a conservative up track. The crux of the ascent was a where our modest slope (about 32) met the ridge line (36-40). We had seen the cornices on the ridge line from a distance and decided it was best to stay far away from the steep slope they were growing on. As I put a ski onto an small roller adjacent to where the slide broke there was a shooting crack at my feet and the slope on the other side of the roller came undone. The crown was 6-12 inches. The slope was manageable but it carried enough snow to knock you down had someone been caught. The debris ran a few hundred feet on low angle terrain. Sorry for the poor picture, I thought we'd get a better view from the opposite side but that wasn't the case.
