UDOT PLANNED AVALANCHE CLOSURES!!

Avalanche: Neffs

Observer Name
John
Observation Date
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Avalanche Date
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Region
Salt Lake » Neffs
Location Name or Route
Elevation
8,100'
Aspect
North
Slope Angle
35°
Trigger
Unknown
Trigger: additional info
Unintentionally Triggered
Avalanche Type
Hard Slab
Weak Layer
Surface Hoar
Depth
18"
Width
200'
Vertical
Unknown
Comments

Thomas Fork, Neffs Canyon Light snow, no wind broken record: soft slab, N aspect, approx. 8100' to 7850', 35 degree+, 1'-1.5' depth, 200'+ wide, approx. 5 ft deposition at spots, surface hoar weak layer, 1 skier remotely triggered from uptrack. Also observed two other slides (likely naturals) further up Thomas Fork. from 7800' - 8200' (high as I went), multiple cracking & collapses no wind, wind transported snow issues observed Around 8000' in Neffs I've seen multiple pockets of surface hoar-caused slides & cracking in the last week. Up high in LCC/BCC haven't seen it. For several years I've wondered if one of the standard routes we use would be within the runout zone of the slide path that went today, and indeed it is - the toe of the slide covered nearly 100 ft of uptrack. Good lesson. Needless to say the chosen ski route out was very conservative.

Coordinates