Observer Name
Canyons Snow Safety
Observation Date
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Avalanche Date
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Region
Salt Lake » Park City Ridgeline » Squaretop » South Squaretop
Location Name or Route
South Squaretop
Elevation
9,000'
Aspect
East
Slope Angle
39°
Trigger
Skier
Trigger: additional info
Unintentionally Triggered
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Weak Layer
Facets
Depth
2'
Width
80'
Vertical
150'
Caught
1
Comments
Close call yesterday (Feb. 9th) outside of Canyons Resort boundary.
Investigated an unreported avalanche with significant debris. Although slope is relatively small it ends in a terrain trap with many trees.
Upon investigation looked as if a solo skier was traversing underneath a steep slope when he triggered a large slab that ran on the Jan. 10th rain crust. There was one track in and one track out so it look as if skier miraculously was able to ski off of the slab. If he had been caught a full burial would have been likely.
Of note, the skier triggered avalanche looks to be responsible for a sympathetic release around the corner off of the same ridge. The sympathetic avalanche was just as large and also ran on the rain crust on a more northeast aspect. A large area of undisturbed snow in between the two avalanches. More proof that the weak layer, slab, and bed surface (rain crust) is continuous and well connected.
1st picture below- slab that skier managed to ski off of
2nd picture- profile above crown of storm snow, facets, rain crust, facets
Coordinates