Avalanche: Two Dogs

Observer Name
Spencer D.
Observation Date
Saturday, January 19, 2019
Avalanche Date
Saturday, January 19, 2019
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Days Fork » Two Dogs
Location Name or Route
Two Dogs
Elevation
10,200'
Aspect
Northeast
Trigger
Skier
Depth
2'
Width
60'
Comments
I was out Friday/Saturday, and the interface between Thursday and Friday night's storm seems to have consolidated along with better bonding to the ice crust on Westerly to Southern aspects. We hiked up flagstaff shoulder today. Plenty of snow still moving around but the Easterly facing slopes were not as reactive as they were yesterday even with the continued windloading.
Knowing that there was not anyone in upper days we intentionally triggered a slab with a small cornice drop that occured on the steep rocky rollover about a third of the way down two dogs. Most of the Eastern edge of the slope sits on a steep rock slab so I was surprised by the fairly small area of propogation. There was no opportunity exam the pack on Two Dogs.
The avalanche event was what I would deem a "squeeky" avalanche. Meaning the snow seemed reluctant to run down the slope quickly and made more of squeeky resistive noise as the slope broke apart versus a slide with more punch that shatters with instensity, moves quickly, and makes a sound more like a rainstick being tilted on end.
All in all I would decribe the conditions on North - East facing slopes above 9500' as "spooky considereable." Fun and surfy snow elsewhere in low consequence terrain.