Avalanche: Turnagain

Location: Tincan

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

Skied many laps (40+ sets of tracks) on the south slopes of Tincan from below Common and Hippy Bowls to Tincan Cr. Nice wind cream skiing. One avalanche triggered in steep, complex terrain on an unsupported and crossloaded slope below Hippy Bowl. Fracture broke at skier’s feet then propagated uphill 25 feet. Avalanche initiation was slow, and skier had continued out of its path by the time it gained momentum. Avalanche was of a pocket nature, and did not propagate across the entire unsupported and windloaded slope feature, although when I skied across the bed surface and onto the adjacent remaining slab, it was still about the same thickness. Bed surface was distinctly harder, one finger or pencil. The downhill extent of the avalanche was limited by the alder cliff it quickly went off. Debris continued for 200 or 300 vertical feet.

Avalanche Details
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Trigger SkierRemote Trigger No
Avalanche Type Soft SlabAspect South
Elevation 2500ftSlope Angle 40deg
Crown Depth 9inWidth 20ft
Vertical Run 50ft  
Avalanche Details

Skied many laps (40+ sets of tracks) on the south slopes of Tincan from below Common and Hippy Bowls to Tincan Cr. Nice wind cream skiing. One avalanche triggered in steep, complex terrain on an unsupported and crossloaded slope below Hippy Bowl. Fracture broke at skier's feet then propagated uphill 25 feet. Avalanche initiation was slow, and skier had continued out of its path by the time it gained momentum. Avalanche was of a pocket nature, and did not propagate across the entire unsupported and windloaded slope feature, although when I skied across the bed surface and onto the adjacent remaining slab, it was still about the same thickness. Bed surface was distinctly harder, one finger or pencil. The downhill extent of the avalanche was limited by the alder cliff it quickly went off. Debris continued for 200 or 300 vertical feet.