Avalanche: Flagstaff Ridge

Observer Name
Jake Hutchinson
Observation Date
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Avalanche Date
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Flagstaff Ridge
Location Name or Route
Flagstaff Skin Track
Elevation
9,400'
Aspect
Southeast
Slope Angle
39°
Trigger
Skier
Trigger: additional info
Unintentionally Triggered
Avalanche Type
Hard Slab
Avalanche Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Weak Layer
Graupel
Depth
20"
Width
70'
Vertical
100'
Caught
1
Comments

Was walking with my Level 2 class this morning just above the Atwater plot, when we witnessed this slide being triggered by a party of two above us. It looked like it broke right at his feet as he crossed the short wind loaded lip and he possibly slid or was carried a very short distance. Was interesting to note other parties just continue on past - I have no idea what, if any conversation took place - and up the ridge. Also of note, there were at least a few parties higher on the ridge that had already crossed this slope. We went up and took a quick look at the crown and did a quick ECT (ECTP 4 SP), the wind slab failed on graupel from earlier in the week and included all of yesterdays snow and this mornings new wind transport. Avalanche was big enough to injure, but in this terrain wasn't high consequence.

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