Avalanche: West Ridge 1

Observer Name
Hardesty and Kobernik
Observation Date
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Avalanche Date
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » 10420 » West Ridge 1
Location Name or Route
Elevation
9,600'
Aspect
North
Trigger
Skier
Trigger: additional info
Remotely Triggered
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Weak Layer
Facets
Depth
2'
Width
80'
Vertical
Unknown
Comments

Some of the weaker snow we've seen across the range. Rime crust was intermittent at best with the three slides. Photo below examining the structure at the fracture line. We remotely triggered two slides while walking the ridgeline, with the second sympatheticing another slide to the west.

Comments

The photo below shows the sympathetic release on the slope further to the west. It has a bit more of an easterly component to it.

Comments

This ridgeline had it all - weak snow, lion's share of the southwesterly-flow snowfall with some windloading - though not a ton. The location of a fatality I believe in 1994? -

Coordinates