Allan Young

Moab

Adjacent to Colorado Bowl

10,900'

North

36°

Snowboarder

Unintentionally Triggered

Hard Slab

Wind Drifted Snow

Density Change

11"

45'

70'

Decending off of Crucifix ridge adjacent to Colorado bowl directly North. Concerns for the day were a persistent weak layer at 8-11 inches along with wind slabs in exposed terrain. There were three of us two split boarders and a skier. We managed to highlight the concerns for the day. We took turns making the best of wind board at about 30-33 degrees for the upper part of the slope, the last pitch before we entered the trees was anywhere from 35-38 degrees with a small outcrop of rocks above the final open pitch. This slope turned out to be a wind slab up high and a transitioning softer consolidated slab below prior to entering the trees. Before entering the final pitch I set up on the right side, Michelle set up above and Brian on the left flank. Brian asked for eyes and proceeded to make three turns in which the slope proceeded to pop out. Brian recognized the fracturing snow around him along with the yells of his buddies and rode off the fractured slope into lower angled treed terrain off the right flank. The debris pile initially ran through some small trees and then built up to anywhere from 1-4 ft with the wind slab chunks.