Observer Name
AlH & Gomez
Observation Date
Wednesday, January 10, 2024
Avalanche Date
Wednesday, January 10, 2024
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Twin Lakes Pass
Location Name or Route
Grizzly - Twin Lakes Pass - Heaven's Gate
Elevation
10,200'
Aspect
East
Trigger
Snowboarder
Depth
12"
Width
Unknown
Comments
Went for a walk up Grizzly towards Patsy Trees to get a look at the storm. Snow was incredibly deep in places and I don't think I've ever broken that much trail to get to Twin Lakes Pass.
We wandered the ridge checking out the cornice growth. Wind speeds were on the low end of moderate and only strong enough to move a smaller amount of snow since the incoming storm snow was heavier and wetter than the cold smoke of the last storm.
The new 12" or so of storm snow was on the verge of becoming cohesive but still easily fell apart in hand pits from 9,100' up to 10,200' on West through North aspects.
One step on the ridgeline remote triggered a slide from 20' away, slope was ENE at 10,170'. Couldn't safely get a good look at the width and bed surface due to the convexity below the fracture line.
A few hundred feet higher we saw the recent debris from a similar obv submitted. We could see that slide path and rocks exposed.
Happy about this thick storm to give us the coverage that we so dearly need, lots of early season conditions should get buried opening a lot more terrain.
I'm surpised by the surface stability the recent storm gave us, trying to not get lulled into a false sense of security since the basement of the north aspects is total trash!
Slightly upside down snow made for an uphill both ways kind of day. Lucky to get Grizzly to ourselves for a day.
Too much weather and flat light for a good photo of the avalanche, Gomez below breaking trail to Twin Lakes Pass.
Coordinates