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Avalanche: Butler Fork

Observer Name
MWilliams
Observation Date
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
Avalanche Date
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Butler Fork
Location Name or Route
East Butler Fork
Elevation
8,500'
Aspect
West
Trigger
Skier
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
New Snow
Weak Layer
Density Change
Depth
2"
Width
5'
Comments
Went up for a quick evening tour hoping to ski a low angle, North-facing slope. The storm rolled in around 6 when the sun was setting, so I decided to turn around early. As a result, some cornices blocked my entry and made me descend the Western aspect I had climbed up instead.
It felt just barely steep enough to slide, and on the way up the snow varied from powder to solar crust to dust on crust with a bit of cracking. So, I cut the slope and a tiny (about 6x6, maybe 2 inches of new snow) soft storm slab slid from under my ski. Looking at FatMaps after, the angle was just barely above 30, so I'll be suspect of this new snow on anything with a solar crust tomorrow. There wasn't enough snow to carry a skier, but with a few more inches tonight it could become problematic in more consequential terrain.
Coordinates