Observer Name
Archibald/ Walker
Observation Date
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Avalanche Date
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Hogum
Location Name or Route
East Cirque Hogum Fork
Elevation
9,500'
Aspect
East
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
100'
Vertical
30'
Caught
1
Carried
1
Snow Profile Comments
The avalanche appeared to be a four finger hard slab that slid at the graupel interace on a wind hardened (fist hard) bed surface. The interesting thing about this slide is that it occurred on a slope whose aspect was opposite a slide from twenty minutes earlier (east this time).
Comments
A party of two skiers was beginning to approach a 50' tall moraine with wind slab/ sastrugi surface characteristics. The party was well spaced and suspicious of the slope. Skier 1 approached the slope and it immediately failed. The skier was carried six feet. He was knocked off of his feet and a ski pole was swallowed up at the hard slab/ bed surface interface. Skier two was out of reach of the slide.
This event caused the party to change course and exit Hogum Fork rather that temp fate any further. This was successful. No injuries were sustained.
