Avalanche: Davenport Hill

Observer Name
mark white
Observation Date
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Avalanche Date
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Silver Fork » Davenport Hill
Location Name or Route
Davenport Hill east
Elevation
10,000'
Aspect
North
Slope Angle
40°
Avalanche Type
Hard Slab
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Weak Layer
Facets
Depth
18"
Width
60'
Vertical
500'
Comments

While walking the Silver Fork ridge line notice an avalanche that must have occurred right after last weeks wind event. Couldn't tell for sure if it was a natural, or triggered remotely from some body walking the ridge. Weak layer appeared to be facets under the dirt layer which in this location is fairly near to the ground. Seems like the slope must have gotten cross loaded during the strong wind event and overloaded the buried facets, by the size of the chunks in the debris pile I am assuming it was a hard slab formed by the two days of ENE winds. Ran full track to the flats. Found it kind of interesting because it is the first non explosive cause avalanche that I have seen in the central Wasatch since the wind event. Photos, part of the crown, the flank of the slide, debris pile, and a bed surface of rocks that would have been an unpleasant ride.

FORECASTER NOTE: Due to lack of other natural avalanches during the east wind event and the presence of numerous old ski tracks near the crown this was likely triggered by someone on the ridge. Kobernik

Coordinates