Avalanche: Turnagain

Location: Tincan Proper

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

Regular route up tincan common to tincan proper along the ridge.

Avalanche Details
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Trigger Foot PenetrationRemote Trigger Yes
Avalanche Type Hard SlabAspect North
Elevation 3500ftSlope Angle 35deg
Crown Depth 24inWidth 70ft
Vertical Run 2000ft  
Avalanche Details

Me and my partners skinned up Tincan this morning. We knew there had been recent high winds and were looking for signs of wind slabs after the storm. At the top of Tincan Common we hadn’t noticed any red flags and skinned/booted towards Tincan Proper. 100 feet from the summit of Tincan Proper we encountered a supportable crust on a steep pitch. I made 2 steps onto the crust and broke through on my third step. I heard a loud whumph and immediately stepped back 2 paces behind a rock pillar. The wind slab (2’ at the crown and 5’ deep at the center of the concavity) slid down the north chute 2000’ to the valley floor. The cornice connected to the wind slab also simultaneously broke and went tumbling down the south gulley. If I had been a few more paces out on the wind slab I likely would have been carried down the north chute 2000’ to the valley floor.

Weather & Snow Characteristics
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Weather

Clear, 3mph wind in morning, 6” new snow

Snow surface

6” new storm snow

Photos & Video
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