Observation: Public
Observation Details
Name:
PKSObservation Date:
January 8, 2023Submitted:
January 8, 2023Zone or Region:
East CentralActivity:
Skiing/SnowboardingLocation:
Tronson EastTriggered Avalanches
Did you trigger any avalanches?
YesWas it intentional?
NoAvalanche Type:
Soft SlabSize:
Size 2: Could bury, injure, or kill a personElevation:
5,700’Aspect:
NComments:
Location: 100’ from ridge line, N / NE aspect. ~1’ depth, crack propagated extremely easily from 1’ of ski tip on untouched snow next to skin track 100’ across ~25-30 degree slope. Downslope of this crack slope was steeper and a ~30’ wide slide traveled ~100’ down until it reached a bench. Luckily the group saw evidence of shooting cracks propagating 20’ just before this and was making its way down the skin track slowly.Signs of Unstable Snow
Did you see shooting cracks?
Yes, IsolatedDid you experience collapsing or whumpfing?
NoObservations
Started the day planning to avoid steep terrain. Followed skin track up East Tronson. Test slopes on the same N aspect in sparse trees below yielded no cracking or signs of instability. As the skin track approached steeper terrain hand pits highlighted a warm wet layer ~1’ below surface that was corn like. The snow seemed fairly well bonded in these hand pits as well as test slopes below so the group pressed on reaching a bench (5,700’) below the ridge line. Here the group observed a small past slide on a convexity that looked like a skier had triggered it earlier that morning. 1’ crown, 20’ across, traveled 20’ (first and second photos). In the same vicinity 20’ shooting cracks were observed with every step. The group opted to turn back down the skin track after this observation. When traveling down skin track and testing the snow, the front 1’ of ski tip triggered the slide described above. No one was caught in it because the group was on fairly shallow terrain however shooting cracks were observed across the shallow slope right above the group (second photo. Arrow shows where ~100’ long crack traveled. Actual slide below to left).
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