Observer Name
Kyle Evers
Observation Date
Saturday, December 18, 2021
Avalanche Date
Saturday, December 18, 2021
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Willows » West Willow
Location Name or Route
West Willows
Elevation
9,600'
Aspect
Northeast
Trigger
Skier
Trigger: additional info
Remotely Triggered
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Weak Layer
Facets
Depth
18"
Width
150'
Comments
Our level 2 course was touring along the West Willow ridge line when we remotely triggered two avalanches. There was loud whumpfing and shooting cracks as the weak layer collapsed. The crack propagated about 500 feet along the ridge line. The photo shows the most visible one, and lookers left of it, on the other side of the trees is the other slide.
D2-R3, 38 degree slope, slab around 18 inches thick, failed at the facet layer. Would have been an ugly ride as the snow piled up at the trees.
Our pit nearby showed a 55cm slab on 2-3mm facets. Hardness was fist on top, then to about 4 or 1 finger hardness, and fist hardness in the facet layer.
Comments
extra photo from 'Tom'
Coordinates