Observer Name
Hopkins / skier 2 / skier 3
Observation Date
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Avalanche Date
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Superior
Location Name or Route
Superior - skiers left of free ride face
Elevation
10,900'
Aspect
Southeast
Trigger
Skier
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Weak Layer
New Snow/Old Snow Interface
Depth
14"
Width
50'
Comments
Forecaster comment: Multiple observations submitted. Photos and notes combined into one.
Just before 10am, A member of my party remotely triggered a medium-sized avalanche that entrained more snow as it went, eventually running the entire length of Mt Superior.
Despite a very large number of people on Superior this morning, nobody was caught or carried in this avalanche. After the slide, we skied down with our beacons in search-mode until we caught up to people at the bottom who had already started skinning up to conduct a search. Helicopters were whirring above us and the road had already been shut down by the time we got to it, so we didn't call ski patrol.
You can see in the photo with text that we skied down just skier's right over the common cornice-free drop-in, down the ridge from the summit. The first skier skied down a ways, and then cut in right, where they triggered the slide from a distance. The skier was well above the slide path.
Our objective was Pinball Alley, and we all concluded that it would be very difficult to time a safe descent while also having quality snow. We will probably leave this one for true spring conditions, and/or opt to boot in from the bottom to avoid the thin sensitive slabs that you have to traverse from above.
Comments
Comments: J. Wright
Avalanche occured around 9:50 AM. Can't confirm but it may have been human-triggered. Occurred between Pinball Alley and Country Lane. There were strong winds out of the west so the slope was wind loaded prior to avalanching. Slide ran almost to the road, leaving large debris pile and resulting in road closure. A beacon search of the debris pile was performed and no signal was picked up.
My party skied Cardiac Chute and Little Superior and didn't observe any instabilities. Noteable wind transport today from NW winds moving snow to E and SE aspects.
Comments
Additional photos - UAC forecast staff
Coordinates