Avalanche: Butler Basin

Observer Name
mark white
Observation Date
Monday, March 5, 2018
Avalanche Date
Sunday, March 4, 2018
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Butler Fork » Butler Basin
Location Name or Route
Swedish Corner, Butler Fork
Elevation
9,500'
Aspect
East
Slope Angle
36°
Trigger
Natural
Avalanche Type
Hard Slab
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Weak Layer
Facets
Depth
3'
Width
300'
Vertical
500'
Comments

Saw this natural avalanche that looked to run towards the end of the storm yesterday or last night, it looked pretty fresh. They call this Swedish Corner because a Swedish guy was killed in a avalanche here a bunch of years ago. The crown depth is a estimate but it appeared to be at least 3 to 4 feet deep going into old snow. I suspect it ran on facets and released in a thin rocky area under the rock band. This slide kinda goes along with the thinking that outside the upper Cottonwoods the snow pack is weak and thin and susceptible to persistent slab avalanches when stressed.

Forecaster Comment: More info on this slide can be found here. What Mark White is referring to in the Swedish Corner is from this accident report. The fatality site was actually up and around the corner to the north and someone reminded me that the victim was actually from Norway.