Observer Name
Hardesty and Wagner
Observation Date
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Avalanche Date
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Catherines
Location Name or Route
Elevation
9,500'
Aspect
North
Slope Angle
35°
Trigger
Skier
Trigger: additional info
Intentionally Triggered
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Weak Layer
Density Change
Depth
10"
Width
60'
Vertical
450'
Comments
Route was Alta to Dry Fork, Rocky Point, Tuscarora, Wolverine, Patsy Marley and out Grizzly Gulch.
Exceedingly active for ski cut
Comments
More ominous was a fracture line that looked like the top of a valentine. It failed, fractured, but didn't move. Northeast facing Patsy ridge into terrain above Twin Lakes. Slope angle perhaps just at or under 35 degrees. No buckling of stauchwall or flank fractures noticed, but the yawning crown that looked as deep as a crevasse. Likely to near the ground. Repeater territory.
Consider the commentary on triggering the new snow slides. Time to center-punch? Maybe not.
Video
Coordinates