Avalanche: Diving Board

Observer Name
mark white
Observation Date
Friday, January 24, 2020
Avalanche Date
Friday, January 24, 2020
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Broads Fork » Diving Board
Location Name or Route
Diving Board, Broads Fork
Elevation
10,000'
Aspect
East
Slope Angle
Unknown
Trigger
Natural
Avalanche Type
Glide
Avalanche Problem
Gliding Snow
Weak Layer
Ground Interface
Depth
7'
Width
200'
Vertical
1,250'
Comments
Reported a smaller glide avalanche in the same area on Tuesday went back today to find a large glide avalanche that took out most of the Diving Board, it appeared to be recent, maybe last night or yesterday do to little or no new snow on the debris. This avalanche released on the rock slabs above the DB then went through the narrow funnel in the top of the run and fanned out on the main slope running down 3/4 of the path, there was also a separate glide avalanche skiers right on the DB. The slide ran over 1200ft taking rocks with it. The main slide buried part of my up track and one of my down tracks from Tuesday under 20ft of ice and snow in the deposition zone. Four plus days of warmer temperatures and humid wet air, not to mention 6 plus feet of snow in the last few weeks finally snapped the rubber band on these polished rock slabs and created a destructive and non-survivable rock, ice and snow avalanche. There are still many yawning glide cracks on Bonkers and the Blue Ice that have not released and need to be given respect until the temperature drops and these spring like conditions cease. photos: the main slide, a crown from a separate slide in the same area and a video of the debris field.
Video