Avalanche: Turnagain

Location: south facing aspect on 3800ft bump just northeast of 4940

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

toured up from granite creek parking lot small bump just northeast of 4940 at 3850

Avalanche Details
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Trigger SkierRemote Trigger No
Avalanche Type Hard SlabAspect Southeast
Elevation 3400ftSlope Angle 35deg
Crown Depth 12inWidth 200ft
Vertical Run 1000ft  
Avalanche Details

Skier triggered D2 hardslab on ski cut. slope felt hollow so made a ski cut but wasn't expecting a result of this size. Slab was about 200ft wide and 2 to 16 inches deep. bed surface was faceted snow. as the hard slab started moving it rapidly picked up the loose faceted surface snow lower on the slope and accumulated a fairly large powder cloud and estimated mass exceeding D2 requirements. slab was hollow, hard and tapered like windslab but persistent forms on bed surface. lower down the run at around 2500ft a small sluff triggered a smaller hard slab. except in obvious windloaded areas, there was really only 8-12 inches of faceted snow over the ground up to 3500 ft.

Weather & Snow Characteristics
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Weather

cold, calm

Snow surface

mixed of faceted snow and wind affected

Snowpack

8-14" of faceted snow over the ground in most areas skied

Photos & Video
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