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Accident: Hidden Canyon

Observer Name
josh
Observation Date
Wednesday, December 15, 2021
Avalanche Date
Wednesday, December 15, 2021
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Hidden Canyon
Location Name or Route
Hidden Canyon
Elevation
10,100'
Aspect
Northwest
Trigger
Skier
Trigger: additional info
Unintentionally Triggered
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Weak Layer
Facets
Depth
2'
Width
250'
Caught
1
Carried
1
Buried - Partly
1
Accident and Rescue Summary
self rescue
We hope to gather more information in the next day or so.
Comments
Skier comments: "never seen that area break ever in my life.... buried above the waist, over an hour to self evacuate... caught on far side very close to full burial"
Comments
Forecaster Comments: I went to investigate this close call with Brighton ski patrol. The avalanche occurred just outside of Brighton ski area in an areas called Hidden Canyon. The Great Western lift has yet open and so this terrain was accessed either via the Crest/Snake Creek lifts with a booter and/or skin access or by accessing this terrain via uphill travel/skins from the bottom. Hidden Canyon is steep, rocky, often wind loaded and generally holds early season weak faceted grains. Furthermore, avalanche victims are generally strained through trees and over rocky terrain. Photos below.
In this case, all of this held true for this avalanche incident. The avalanche broke 2' deep and 250' wide as a soft slab resting on a persistent weak layer and very similar to the scores of avalanches triggered in recent days. A few of the debris blocks could be considered hard slab as the avalanche propagated into much more heavily wind loaded terrain. The faceted grains were 2mm and exceedingly weak. Our party felt a collapse along the ridgeline while hunting this avalanche. This was a very close call.
Video
Coordinates