Avalanche: Back Bowls

Observer Name
B
Observation Date
Monday, January 25, 2016
Avalanche Date
Monday, January 25, 2016
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Brighton Perimeter » Back Bowls
Location Name or Route
Brighton Back Bowls: Stupid Chute through Old Reliable
Elevation
9,800'
Aspect
North
Slope Angle
45°
Trigger
Natural
Avalanche Type
Hard Slab
Avalanche Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Weak Layer
New Snow/Old Snow Interface
Depth
2.5'
Width
250'
Vertical
400'
Comments

Chute that is in between Stupid Chute and Old Reliable appeared to have released Naturally early in the morning on the 25th at the end of the Storm Event. The Slide then propagated from the Rider's left side of the Stupid Chute all the way to the left side of Old Reliable. There was one well defined small Wind Loaded pocket remaining on the Riders left side of Old Reliable that did not release. There was only one inch of Stellars on the Bed Surface. SW through NW Winds from the past few days appeared to have Loaded the Rider's Left Ridge that creates the upper/highest part of the Chute. This Chute originates high up in the Cliff Lines and in big years it is ridable from the Wolverine North Ridge. There were multiple high pockets in the Cliff Bands that released when the Chute went. Upon examining the Crown Profile, it appeared that the Slide ran on an old Knife Hard Wind Slab Bed Surface. The suspect Weak Layer would have been the light density snow from early in the Storm Event. Much of the Crown had been reloaded and blown in, yet conservative estimates of the size had it at least 4 feet deep at the apex and averaging 2.5 feet deep. Chunks in the debris were up to 3.5 feet thick. The debris pile was at least four feet deep.

Coordinates