Chris Wavle

Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Claytons

Clayton Peak

10,500'

East

Unknown

Skier

Unintentionally Triggered

Soft Slab

Wind Drifted Snow

New Snow/Old Snow Interface

8"

70'

300'

1

1

At noon today three of us decided to ski off the east side of Clayton Peak after hiking over from Brighton. Because the peak was shrouded by clouds most of the morning the snow looked perfect and did not appear to be baked. We were keeping eyes on the lower easterly facing slopes and there were no other slides running down the aspect that we were looking to ride. When I dropped into the chute, (right below my two friends in the photo), I made a couple nice turns, and then I saw a crack form right under my tips. I made it out from the rocks without consequence and got bucked off by a hard windlip, (which was the thickest crown on the slide it's in the lower left hand side of the photo). I slid maybe 20ft down in the slide before standing up. Thankfully, it didn't have much power behind it. Right after I skied down there were multiple slides all over Clayton Peak triggered by skiers and snowboarders. The snow must have hit the proper temperature to start sliding right as we got there. Glad to be alright and, as always, the mountains demand respect! *sizes of the slide is an estimation