I wanted to post about a collapse I triggered on Sunday. My partner and I were skiing low angle powder on the west facing slope of desolation Lake behind 9990 on the park city ridgeline. We skied amazing snow the first half of the run one at a time then stopping at the treeline to decide the route for the second half to the lake. As soon as I started to move we heard and felt the collapse. Almost 20 years in the backcountry I've heard more than my share of "whoomps" bud this was unearthly. Like crackling thunder. All in all I would say the pocket was roughly 200 to 300 feet wide and 100 to 150 feet in length at about 20 degrees or less, with extensive spider cracking throughout everything I could see. The largest crack occurred on a small area in th zone about 2 feet deep, 25 degrees in pitch moving only 6-8 inches. This was on a west slope at 9500'.

With a complete lack of confidence in the lower angle zone we opted to skin back to the ridgeline and re-enter the resort. This event I feel was a true testament to how unreliable and unstable any slope can be this season. Something that I have skied a hundred times and would normally not think twice about was literally screaming for us to go away. Everyone please be safe out there and don't take any signs or flags for granted