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Avalanche: East Kessler

Observer Name
Jim M
Observation Date
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Avalanche Date
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Cardiff Fork » East Kessler
Location Name or Route
Mill D South below Kessler
Elevation
Unknown
Aspect
East
Slope Angle
Unknown
Trigger
Natural
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
New Snow
Weak Layer
New Snow
Depth
12"
Width
100'
Vertical
Unknown
Comments

Walking up Mill D on the way to George's Bowl, one of the chutes of Kessler released naturally right in front of us. If my partner was 20 seconds faster, it would have hit him. Not a full track slide. I suspect it released from one of the lower steep sections of the drainage. Had enough force to at least knock down my partner. Pretty decent size powder cloud. Ran about 50 yards past the summer trail. This is an exposed area below Kessler my partners and I have always been concerned with in the right conditions. Usually spreading out when crossing it with partners we have often wondered; What are the chances? With high precip rates and things changing rapidly during the peak of the frontal passage, today was the day. Definitely an area to treat with caution with high west winds, high precip rates or both. I tried to enhanced photos to show debris and serious dumpage! Things settled down about an hour later.

FORECASTER NOTE: This avalanche actually released from high in the starting zone between The High Pockets and The Catcher's Mit. We were able to view it after the storm cleared. It ran around 1200' vertical distance. It is quite common for these paths to cross the road below and the road which is the route up to George's Bowl. Often people choose George's Bowl because it is low angled and generally safe but they fail to recognize the greater hazard that exists while traveling in or exiting underneath the east facing slopes of Mt Kessler. Kobernik

Coordinates