UDOT PLANNED AVALANCHE CLOSURES!!

Avalanche: Chablis

Observer Name
craigpatterson
Observation Date
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Avalanche Date
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Region
Provo » Provo Canyon » Chablis
Location Name or Route
Chablis Drainage-Timpanogos massif
Elevation
8,700'
Aspect
North
Slope Angle
37°
Trigger
Skier
Trigger: additional info
Remotely Triggered
Avalanche Type
Hard Slab
Weak Layer
Surface Hoar
Depth
7"
Width
45'
Vertical
300'
Comments

Easy to trigger shallow hard wind slabs while walking up the ridge separating Slide Canyon and Chablis. The avalanche below was remotely triggered from the ridge as I approached from about 20' away. Large surface hoar was the culprit, 5+mm in size. Could still see them laying down on the bed surface. Of note was that the bed surface was 1F hard or harder. This allowed the debris to accelerate quickly down slope and run further. We were also able to trigger more of these slabs as we continued up the ridge by dropping cornices and while stomping near the ridge line. Nalli was able to stomp one of these out on an E aspect adjacent to the remotely triggered slope. Above 9400' stopped seeing SH and it appeared that NSF's from 1/5 were more prevalent (bathtub ring effect?). These persistent layers are now capped in the area by a stout 1F+ to P hard wind slab with a solid 1F hard bed surface underneath. Likely that this will wind slab will hold a bigger slab before failing on the firm bed surface below. Not a sweet set up for once we see more snow and some wind.

Coordinates