Avalanche: Mary Lake Ridge

Observer Name
brandondodge
Observation Date
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Avalanche Date
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Brighton Perimeter » Mary Lake Ridge
Location Name or Route
Mary Lake Ridge outside Brighton Mary's gate
Elevation
9,700'
Aspect
East
Trigger
Skier
Trigger: additional info
Unintentionally Triggered
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Weak Layer
Density Change
Depth
3'
Width
200'
Vertical
250'
Comments

This slope is just outside (100ft) the Mary's gate South of Milly Bowl. Craig Gordon and I dug a pit on this very slope, in search of the rime crust, on Christmas eve. We found quality 1 shears with CT's about 18" below the snow surface in a density inversion. I believe this is the same weak layer this slid on. This was triggered from the usual traverse in 26 degree terrain. Crown face showed new wind deposited snow, stepping down about 10" into old snow. This would add up with settling and the warmth of the last few days to be the weak layer noted above.

The first two images are of the crown. Slide pulled out low angle terrain in the viewers left of the second photo, all the way to the tree line (flank is visible)

Comments

Very impressive debris for the length of slide.

Coordinates