Avalanche: Moab

Observer Name
Jeff Arbon
Observation Date
Thursday, January 17, 2019
Avalanche Date
Thursday, January 17, 2019
Region
Moab
Location Name or Route
Upper 2-mile Road/Dark Canyon Road.
Elevation
8,500'
Trigger
Snowmobiler
Comments
Rode snowmobiles on the upper 2-mile road and Dark Canyon Road. We stayed on the roads and occasionally boondocked on low angle fields and the sides of the road. Saw numerous slides on both sides of the road, and witnessed one slide cut loose. Lots of propagating on steep angle slopes along the road. Typically, just the movement of the snowmobile on the road would create a slide or propogation cracks on steep slopes along side the road.; the sled didn't need to be on the slope. All the avalanches went to the ground, were isolated embankments, and were in sheltered areas. The hazard I see is snowmobilers staying on low angle terrain, but riding in terrain traps. Gullies, embankments, short steep slopes can easily slide and cause a partial buriel.