Observer Name
Trace Carrillo
Observation Date
Friday, February 5, 2016
Avalanche Date
Friday, February 5, 2016
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Scotties Bowl
Location Name or Route
Scotties Bowl
Elevation
9,800'
Aspect
North
Slope Angle
Unknown
Trigger
Skier
Trigger: additional info
Intentionally Triggered
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
New Snow
Weak Layer
Density Change
Depth
5"
Width
35'
Vertical
20'
Snow Profile Comments
This pit was dug on the South-Southwest facing shoulder on Scotties bowl on Thursday evening (2/4/2016). About 7" of new right-side-up snow on top. Most pronounced concern was a stout melt-freeze crust below that, harboring facets above and below. CT15? Q3 on this crust. ECTx, no propagation. The snow from the Christmas cycle was well consolidated here, and the depth hoar from past was healing well.
On the opposite/northeast side of the ridge, cornices were growing yesterday afternoon but had been torn back up some by the southerly winds last night. Melt-freeze crust was not nearly as pronounced.
Comments
Went for a quick dawn patrol up Scotties. Kicked off a couple cornices (yes we checked down below) down the N/NE slopes once we were on the ridge and got nice small 4" soft slabs to crack and sluggishly slide their way down the ~34* runout. Maybe 20 or 30' wide and not much energy. Decided they were manageable and after clearing out the top of our line, dropped one the mellower shots into the bowl.
First skiier triggered a crack maybe 70' down the slope. Still looked fairly benign, consequences were low, so the second skier dropped and caused the soft slab to scoot down about 15'. Third and forth individuals descended the same line with no reactivity from the slab-- the angle was too low and the slab didn't have enough energy. It was 35-40' across, 5" deep and only ran maybe 15-18'. I think the snow from two nights ago had been battered by the wind/consolidated some and this new snow that had loaded last night was failing on the density change.
Coordinates