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Avalanche: Timpanogos

Observer Name
Dave Jarvis
Observation Date
Friday, December 31, 2021
Avalanche Date
Friday, December 31, 2021
Region
Provo » Timpanogos
Location Name or Route
Timpanogos Upper Dry Creek basin
Elevation
11,000'
Aspect
Southwest
Trigger
Natural
Depth
3'
Width
600'
Comments
The Crown Fracture looked over two hundred yards wide. Curving in an arc below the rocky section high in upper Dry Creek Basin. Crown Fracture height looked 2' to 3' with a couple short sections that may have been 4' to 5' in height. Downslope was swept broadly. I'm assuming this was all new storm snow in a soft slab or barely consolidated powder. It didn't appear to break lower than the crust layer from the last storm. The area affected was swept cleanly.
I wouldn't call this a 'repeat'. And, I didn't see anything that would suggest it was triggered by the Persistent Weak Layer.
There was a second Crown Fracture at 10,000' to 10200' (sympathetic?) that was partly near Everest Ridge. A half-circle
with a fracture height of 3' to 5'. Again, multi- hundred yards in length. This portion swept an area that is steeper. Joined the upper slide as it turned more to the West into the narrow section.
Both sections entrained a large amount of snow and carried it downslope. I could see sign that it made it past the narrows
just above the Great Western Trail. There might be a substantial pile of debris between Big and Little Baldies.
I saw two other Crown Fractures. One on the SE aspect of the peak to the north of Big Provo Cirque. It would have dropped into the Cirque. 11,000' approx.. The second was most of the way up Lost Creek. Angled sharply from 9000' to 10,000'. The Cirque fracture height about 5', Lost Creek about 2'.
I scanned what I could of the West side of Cascade. Saw no sign of movement. Did see a large Golden Eagle turning circles.
Coordinates