Observer Name
Tom Diegel
Observation Date
Sunday, March 16, 2025
Avalanche Date
Sunday, March 16, 2025
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Maybird Gulch » Maybird Aprons
Location Name or Route
Maybird Apron
Elevation
8,000'
Aspect
Northeast
Slope Angle
Unknown
Trigger
Skier
Trigger: additional info
Remotely Triggered
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Weak Layer
New Snow
Depth
10"
Width
70'
Vertical
175'
Comments
We had visions of yet another great powder day that coulda involved some more steeper terrain (and from the places where people were parked/skinning/heading clearly others had the same thought) but once we saw the wind speeds our ambitions were turned down a bit to "just" more fun powder skiing.
The march in to Maybird is nearly all treed so we were mostly protected from the wind, but even so it was clear rhat it was windy. As we popped out onto the exposed, typical de-skinning spot it was cranking and as we entered the run it was clearly a bit cakey. The slope angle is quite low so no worries.
an hour later as we regained the top of the skinner the track had blown in completely (see pic) it was a bit cakier yet on rhe slope. I moved slightly left from the low angle entrance (see pic) and remotely triggered a small slide that originated at the rocks maybe 75 vertical feet above/skiers left of the de-skin spot and it ran down to rhe very low-angle slope not far below..
Not scary, not dangerous, but clearly indicative of active windloading, which is not surprising given the copious new snow and unusually strong winds. But a bit surprised it happened so far below the upper exposed ridge and the fact that it was sensitive enough for a remote trigger. Glad we were quite satisfied with fun low angle powder (we always are).
Coordinates