While looking for leftover powder across Snowbasin today, we were excited to hear that No Name was cleared for entry in the afternoon. Around 2:00, the three of us took the tram to Allen Peak. We immediately noted the strong W winds loading snow onto E slopes. All three of us carried beacons and rescue equipment. Deciding to keep it safe, we worked one at a time along the traverse and down into the trees just above Easter Bowl. At around 8700', I made a turn exactly where Jon and Joel had skied through and broke the small wind slab free shown in the photo. Fortunately, the slab did not slide far, and we were all unharmed. The terrain was roughly 30-35 degrees. We continued cautiously down the lowest angle terrain possible and notified a ski patroller of the incident.

The lesson here is that just because you are in a resort does not mean that you should let your guard down. Taos should be a prime example of this. There were more than a few solo riders traveling through this avalanche terrain today. And to make matters worse, we were all stuck inside a ping pong ball of a cloud with extremely flat light and limited visibility. Know the terrain you're skiing in and choose good partners both in and out of bounds. Be safe out there!

Forecaster note: some great points here - it's always good to have a partner, and keep them in sight, even at a resort. Though the slide wasn't large enough to harm someone, reporting it to the patrol was the right thing to do. And it's a really good example of how an increase in wind speed or change in wind direction can change the avalanche danger almost instantly. And yes, I too, wear my beacon and carry rescue gear most days I'm at a resort.