Observation Date
2/14/2020
Observer Name
Eric
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Stairs Gulch
Location Name or Route
Stairs Gulch
Comments
Stairs Gulch today was a wild ride, with snow being variable, mostly crusty, with a rather impeding blockade of avalanche debris halfway down the gulch as a Valentine's Day present. It was old debris, and it had originated from a side canyon on skier's left.
More concerning for today were at least eight different glide cracks in the upper bowls, ranging from 4 ft wide gaps extending 60 ft across to smaller hairline cracks. Sorry I didn't take any pictures of these.
I know that glide avalanches have only been responsible for two deaths (one party) in Utah, but that was in Stairs Gulch in 2001. Here's that report.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Low
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Low
Coordinates