Avalanche: Greaseball

Observer Name
ConnorNash
Observation Date
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Avalanche Date
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Kessler Peak » Greaseball
Location Name or Route
Greaseball
Elevation
10,000'
Aspect
Northwest
Trigger
Skier
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
New Snow
Weak Layer
Density Change
Depth
16"
Width
350'
Carried
1
Comments
Soft slab avalanche approx 10-16 inches deep and 300-400ft wide triggered as I skied over a convexity in the slope. Was able to hold a left-traversing turn and ski out of the slide, but was briefly carried downhill.
The slab was very soft and lacked cohseion. Upon breaking it almost immediately dissolved into loose, unconsolidated snow rather than maintaining any of it's shape. It slid on a very slick layer that we did not observe while poking around on the skin track, the cause of which we couldn't quite pinpoint. Whatever the cause, it seemed fairly localized to Greaseball. Whether that's due to aspect, wind exposure, or a bit of both is unclear.
In terms of decision making this morning, the signs we saw on our way up were pointing toward stability being generally decent. That being said, we were still skiing in active storm conditions and should have made a point to ski things more by the book. My partner was in a safe zone above the convexity, which is where I should have also stopped, regrouped, and reassessed in hindsight. But, I let the froth from great skiing conditions get the best of me and skied through, triggering this slide.