Observer Name
Bill Nalli
Observation Date
Friday, December 2, 2022
Avalanche Date
Friday, December 2, 2022
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Silver Fork
Location Name or Route
Silver Fork
Elevation
8,200'
Aspect
Northeast
Trigger
Skier
Trigger: additional info
Remotely Triggered
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Weak Layer
Facets
Depth
14"
Width
30'
Vertical
20'
Comments
Saw this avalanche that looked to have been remotely triggered by the party in front of us as they walked by on the normal skin track leading into the bottom of Silver Fork canyon. Fits the pattern of most of this cycle of mid elevation slopes facing N thur E that had the weakest old surface snow. Slab was 4F to F hard and failed on SH and NSF that formed during the Nov dry spell.
Comments
Of note is how this little slide propagated around a rock outcrop into the next slope to the left. Indicates the high propagation propensity of this weak layer. I get the sense that there's much more to come from this poor structure with each new load. Especially with the new strong hard slab resting in the starting zones of all the bigger exposed paths.
Coordinates