Observer Name
Mike Nagle
Observation Date
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Avalanche Date
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Cardiff Pass
Location Name or Route
Alta To Cardiff Pass
Elevation
Unknown
Aspect
East
Slope Angle
37°
Trigger
Skier
Trigger: additional info
Unintentionally Triggered
Avalanche Type
Wet Slab
Avalanche Problem
New Snow
Weak Layer
Density Change
Depth
8"
Width
200'
Vertical
200'
Comments
Just to add to the reports from yesterday. We found very sensitive new-snow slab conditions, with a density inversion the weak layer. Weather was windy and snowing hard, just above freezing, with poor visibility. On way up to Cardiff Pass two Alta Ski Patrolmen skied by, and told us that they had just triggered east-facing Cardiff Peak. Continuing up, we passed a slide that was about 200 yards across, at a mid-slope rollover next to the trail, triggered by a skier. When we got within sight, the Cardiff Peak slide was wall-to-wall. These slides did not run very far over lower-angle terrain, nor pile up too deeply, but the snow was heavy and it would not have been fun to be caught by one of these, or end up in a gully (like the one under Toledo Bowl.) From Cardiff Pass we saw that the east side of the ridge that separates East and West Cardiff had slid, we believe naturally, again wall-to-wall. Two of us skied back to Alta, another two entered Cardiff Fork. Later they told us that Cardiac Ridge had slid wall-to-wall, as well as another steep slope along the ridge between the weather station and LSB. Sorry we got no photos, as light was very poor.
Coordinates