Sign Up for the Utah Snow and Avalanche Workshop (USAW) on December 7th!

Avalanche: Black Canyon

Observer Name
Osborne
Observation Date
Sunday, February 21, 2021
Avalanche Date
Sunday, February 21, 2021
Region
Skyline » Joes Valley » Black Canyon
Location Name or Route
Upper north fork of Black Canyon
Elevation
10,800'
Aspect
Northeast
Trigger
Snowmobiler
Trigger: additional info
Remotely Triggered
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Weak Layer
Facets
Depth
4'
Width
500'
Vertical
600'
Comments
A group of snowbikers were riding on Sunday. They were well aware of the dangerous avalanche conditions and were avoiding steep slopes. They crossed a flat meadow and regrouped at the far side. At this point their stomachs dropped when they saw that they triggered an avalanche that had run over the tracks they just made. This was a huge avalanche with a massive debris pile. It is easy to underestimate the distance in which you can trigger an avalanche and how far that avalanche might run.
Coordinates