Avalanche: Claytons

Observer Name
x
Observation Date
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Avalanche Date
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Claytons
Location Name or Route
Clayton's Peak/Lackawaxen Side
Elevation
10,500'
Aspect
Northeast
Slope Angle
Unknown
Trigger
Snowboarder
Trigger: additional info
Intentionally Triggered
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Weak Layer
New Snow/Old Snow Interface
Depth
10"
Width
175'
Vertical
350'
Comments

From photo you can see the initial cornice/cut trigger that broke out piece of wind slab that was approximately 35 feet wide. It is visible in the upper right hand corner of the photo. Then as the first rider descended onto the slope he preformed a slope cut that initiated the larger/primary slide and or fracture. The fracture descended down slope right to left beneath the cliff band. The slope appeared to be cross loaded from the Northerly winds that were occurring overnight and into the morning hours. The rider was not caught. The debris ran to the flats and fanned out to be about 200 feet across; and it's depth was estimated by the rider to be about 1.5 feet deep.

Coordinates