K Kostyu, A Moxness

Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Cardiff Fork » Cardiac Ridge

Cardiac Ridge

10,200'

East

Remotely Triggered

Wet Loose

Wet Snow

6"

20'

150'

While skinning up to Cardiac Ridge, a heli-skiing helicopter hovered at ridge level for a few moments (not dropping anyone off) and then proceed to fly down the valley. In the process the pilot buzzed the east facing rocky outcrop to lookers right of the normally skied area. This set off a wet slide sending roller balls past the two of us lower down on the skin track. Fortunately, the slide itself did not reach the skin track. Forecaster's Note: Noise does not trigger avalanches but it is possible for the rotor wash of the helicopter to trigger avalanches in rare cases. Since many wet snow sluffs were coming down naturally all day long, it's also possible that this is a natural wet, point-release that came off the rocks at the same time.