UDOT PLANNED AVALANCHE CLOSURES!!

Avalanche: Mineral Fork

Observer Name
Kobernik, Wheately, White
Observation Date
Friday, March 14, 2014
Avalanche Date
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Mineral Fork
Location Name or Route
Between the Room of Doom and Santiago
Elevation
10,100'
Aspect
North
Trigger
Skier
Trigger: additional info
Unintentionally Triggered
Comments

We all got a look at this avalanche from a number of different vantage points but not up close and personal. Judging from the depth and variable bed surface with rocks exposed, it does appear that it is a pocket that broke into older weak layers.

Two skiers were attempting to descend "Mongo No" when they triggered the slide. They were able to claw into the bed surface and were not carried. The debris took out tracks from another party that had skied below. This route below the slide is a popular route coming out of the "Room of Doom" which I will descend occasionally. It does point out that in the busy Wasatch, we need to pay attention to anyone who may be above us and think "what if someone is up above me monkeying around"?

This is what we refer to as "steep, radical terrain" and is just the type of location you'd anticipate an avalanche when most of the terrain has a LOW danger.

Photos: Wheatley

Coordinates