Fall Auction is now live! Check it out now

Avalanche: Gobblers Knob

Observer Name
Grainger, Olafsen
Observation Date
Monday, February 17, 2020
Avalanche Date
Monday, February 17, 2020
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Gobblers Knob
Location Name or Route
Gobbler's Knob/Wilson
Elevation
9,800'
Aspect
East
Slope Angle
40°
Trigger
Natural
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
New Snow
Weak Layer
New Snow/Old Snow Interface
Depth
Unknown
Width
800'
Vertical
Unknown
Comments
Observed many examples of natural and some human-triggered activity across the Butler Basin, Wilson and Alexander Basin drainages. Human-triggered were much less connected and widespread than yesterday. Naturals most likely occurred yesterday during the early afternoon frontal pulse, failed on facets of light new snow on M/F crust and were part of the same natural cycle that was observed in the upper Cottonwoods. The largest was this in upper east-facing Alexander Basin, connecting from the East Bowl to near the Gobbler's peak. Similar activity in the area ran on the pre-storm crust and was very sensitive during the high PI and winds of Sunday mid-day.
It is important to note that the natural and remote-trigger sensitivities seen yesterday were significantly settled out on the BCC/Millcreek ridgeline today and ski cuts produced storm slab results isolated to steep slopes and not connecting wider than ski width.
The weekend's snow (only layer of concern) in much of this area consists of 5" of upside-down snow (pre-frontal) with a graupel layer then 5" of light-density snow, all on top of a F+ thermal crust from last week.
Sensitivities today were primarily seen on the graupel layer with isolated sections failing on the crust ~10" down.
Comments
Butler Basin activity (some of which previously observed) occurred on many steeper lee slopes.
Comments
Ski cuts failed primarily within the storm snow, isolated to ski width, soft and slow-running. Storm snow stabilizing progressively.
Coordinates