Observer Name
Russ C.
Observation Date
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Avalanche Date
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Region
Salt Lake » Park City Ridgeline » Squaretop
Location Name or Route
Square Top - The Loft - Far Skier's Left
Elevation
9,500'
Aspect
East
Trigger
Skier
Avalanche Type
Hard Slab
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Weak Layer
Facets
Depth
16"
Width
100'
Caught
1
Carried
1
Comments
There were 3 of us, 2 had skied to the bottom. The 3rd was more than 1/2 way down the slope when we saw him get carried ~100 yards. A ski had washed down to the bottom so we brought it back up and gave it back to Jay who had been caught. There were 2 bags at the top so we skinned up the bed surface. My phone was too frozen to take photos but the crown was right at the top where there is a steep little convexity. There were big solid chunks broken near the crown, so solid you couldn't put your pole through it. The snow depth was super variable from wind - a few feet deep on some parts of the crown, very thin in others. The bed surface we skinned up was quite thin probably only 6" deep. It ran to the bottom but was mostly out of energy by then. I was very surprised that it went on the 3rd person, and also that it apparently broke about 100-150 yards above the 3rd guy. I have skied the loft many times thinking it was a relatively safe line on Square Top. Maybe not.
Coordinates