Avalanche: Murdock Peak

Observer Name
Paul Daugherty
Observation Date
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
Avalanche Date
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
Region
Salt Lake » Park City Ridgeline » Murdock Peak
Location Name or Route
Murdock Peak, Todd's Bowl
Elevation
9,300'
Aspect
Northeast
Trigger
Skier
Trigger: additional info
Remotely Triggered
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Weak Layer
Depth Hoar
Depth
20"
Width
250'
Vertical
200'
Comments
Triggered a slide off of the north ridge of Murdock at the head of Todd's Bowl while skiing down the relatively safe north ridge. I could not get close enough to inspect the slide but like everywhere else in the Wasatch it was house of cards before the snow started last weekend (see photo of pit from Friday 12/22/2017). The photos don't show it but the entire slope is fractured from the summit all the way along the ridge. Red flags were evident all day long by the collapsing and propagating cracks.
Coordinates