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Avalanche: Two Trees

Observer Name
J
Observation Date
Sunday, January 8, 2023
Avalanche Date
Sunday, January 8, 2023
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Two Trees
Location Name or Route
Two Trees
Elevation
9,600'
Aspect
South
Slope Angle
Unknown
Trigger
Skier
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Depth
12"
Width
40'
Vertical
Unknown
Carried
1
Comments
We traversed up pole line and over cardiff summit to traverse along the ridge towards Little Superior. Due to significant wind, we decided to drop in early and not continue furthur along the ridge. We skied down into the area just beyond Two Trees. The south facing wind loading was less concerning up top, but as we skied, we ended up in an area about halfway down with significantly more wind loading than we had expected. We stopped skiing and discussed our situation, choosing the way down with least hazard and exposing one skier at a time. When the first skier dropped into the area of concern, the wind slab broke. This skier was carried for a short distance before they could ski out and the slide continued down slope.
Coordinates