Avalanche: Monitors

Observer Name
mark white
Observation Date
Monday, November 14, 2011
Avalanche Date
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Region
Salt Lake » Park City Ridgeline » Monitors
Location Name or Route
Park City Ridgeline, West, South Monitor, USA bowl
Elevation
10,000'
Aspect
Northeast
Slope Angle
35°
Trigger
Natural
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Depth
14"
Width
80'
Vertical
800'
Comments

Went to take a look at West and South Monitor on the PC ridgeline. Hiked up Willow and exited via USA bowl. West Monitor had three seperate slides, the larest was 80ft wide 12 to 14 inches deep and ran full track to the flats, about 800ft vertical. Looks like it ran at the end of the storm, had about 1 inch of new snow on the bed surface, looked to be triggered by a natural cornice drop. the second slide was on the steep roll-over on skiers right about half way down the slope. the two slides were not connected but looked like they ran at the same time the large one probably sympathetically released the slide on the roll-over.The third pocket was about 20ft wide and ran 3/4 track and happened after the storm,no new snow on the bed surface, trigger was also a cornice drop. We also got a small pocket to release with a cornice drop ran about3/4 track. All of the slides ran on facets sitting on a stout crust at the ground. No slides in South monitor, my thought is no trigger since no cornices were formed. Cornice drops and stress fractures noted in Scotts bowl, no avalanches.

Coordinates