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Avalanche: Toledo Bowl

Observer Name
UAC Staff/UDOT LCC
Observation Date
Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Avalanche Date
Thursday, March 6, 2003
Region
Salt Lake » Little Cottonwood Canyon » Toledo Bowl
Location Name or Route
Toledo
Elevation
8,900'
Aspect
South
Slope Angle
Unknown
Trigger
Skier
Trigger: additional info
Unintentionally Triggered
Avalanche Type
Hard Slab
Avalanche Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Depth
6'
Width
Unknown
Vertical
Unknown
Caught
1
Carried
1
Comments

Advisory from March 7, 2003

Avalanche Conditions:

Again yesterday, despite poor visibility, numerous natural, remotely triggered and human triggered slides were reported from the backcountry. One very experienced avalanche worker was caught when lower Toledo Gully north of the Little Cottonwood road broke back farther than expected with a 6 foot deep fracture. He was on the top end of the avalanche and was not injured but this is an indication of just how tricky conditions are. Slides are breaking on slopes of 30 degrees and also pulling out adjacent lower angle terrain and overrunning normally safe places. Fractures are mostly 1 to 3 feet deep and 50 to 100 feet wide but several have broken much deeper and over 500 feet wide. I’ll have details on the 364-1591 line by about 9:00 a.m. Check out these photos of recent slides. (Photo 1 - Willows) (Photo 2 - Thaynes )

Avalanches have released on all aspects, at lower elevations and well off ridgelines especially on terrain features such as gully walls and sub ridges. Even at low elevations, isolated pockets of wind drifted snow can be triggered in steep gullies and on rollovers that have seen wind drifting from strong low elevations winds. Out of wind affected terrain sluffing and soft slabs up to 2 feet deep are possible on any steep slope. Cornices are large and very sensitive, breaking farther back than expected.

Avalanches in the drifted snow may break into deeper weak layers, creating much larger and more dangerous slides. These deeper slides are possible on slopes of all aspects but especially on steep, rocky slopes with a thin snowpack.

If skies clear much today, there will be a rapid rise in the avalanche danger on all sun exposed slopes.

Coordinates