UDOT PLANNED AVALANCHE CLOSURES!!

Avalanche: Toledo Bowl

Observer Name
Eric Shmookler
Observation Date
Monday, April 9, 2018
Avalanche Date
Monday, April 9, 2018
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Toledo Bowl
Location Name or Route
Toledo Bowl
Elevation
9,700'
Aspect
Southeast
Slope Angle
27°
Trigger
Skier
Trigger: additional info
Unintentionally Triggered
Avalanche Type
Wet Loose
Avalanche Problem
Wet Snow
Weak Layer
New Snow/Old Snow Interface
Depth
4"
Width
30'
Vertical
600'
Comments
In the terrain traveled today, from about 9,900 feet to around 9,400 feet, we found an unusually stout and smooth rain crust under approximately 4 inches of high density settled snow that served as a pretty frictionless bed surface. This avalanche was triggered in lower angle terrain that I wouldn't normally consider an avalanche starting zone (approximately 27 degrees). The avalanche ran shockingly fast and far, moving more like a river than a wet avalanche. This small, low angle avalanche, that typically might have run a few feet ran over 600 vertical feet through the flats. See photo below showing trigger site and low angle avalanche track.
Coordinates