Avalanche: Whitney Basin

Observer Name
Grant Helgeson / Ted Scroggin
Observation Date
Friday, January 21, 2011
Avalanche Date
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Region
Uintas » Bear River Ranger District » Whitney Basin
Location Name or Route
Double Hill, Super Bowl, Thousand Peaks
Elevation
Unknown
Aspect
Northeast
Slope Angle
33°
Trigger
Natural
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Weak Layer
New Snow/Old Snow Interface
Depth
10"
Width
Unknown
Vertical
Unknown
Comments

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Very early Wednesday morning we received about 8" of new snow accompanied by vigorous winds out of the W, sustained at 40 mph gusting as high as 60 mph. These winds quickly formed sensitive wind slabs which led to a natural avalanche cycle above treeline on E, SE & NE facing slopes shortly thereafter. Ted & I found three different avalanches associated with this cycle. Our investigation revealed that the slabs were running on the previous snow surface, the rain crust/rime combo. We were able to consistently indentify intact surface hoar a few inches below the bed surface. The surface hoar was not involved in this avalanche cycle.

Here Ted works his way up the Double Hill avalanche: Size 1.5, 200' x 200' x 8" Terminus: Mid track

Comments

Size 2, 500' x 600' x 1' Terminus: Top of Runout. Super Bowl area, just below Windy Peak.

Comments

E - SE pocket 100' x 200' x 8" Terminus: Upper Track.

Video
Coordinates