Small Slab Avalanche Resulting in Close Call on Tallac

Location Name: Mt. Tallac Region: Desolation Wilderness Area (including Emerald Bay) Observation Date & Time: Sunday, December 9, 2018 - 14:00
Location: 38.909323, -120.096072 See map: CalTopo	Is this an Avalanche Observation?: Yes Conditions Alerts: Recent Loading Recent Loading›Blowing Snow Terrain Alerts: Slopes Steeper than 30 degrees Trigger Points Terrain Traps Terrain Matches the Advisory

Observation made by: Forecaster

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Observation

Description of Snow, Weather, and Avalanche Conditions:

The party decided to ski an exposed, hanging snowfield above a cliff on Mt. Tallac. The first skier in the group started down the slope and triggered a small slab avalanche after several turns. The avalanche knocked him off his feet and pushed him over the cliff. The skier suffered serious injuries as a result of the 200 to 300 ft. fall.

He was hoisted out of the scene by CHP and flown to the hospital by CALSTAR. More information about the rescue can be found here.

Avalanche Details

Avalanche Type:

Wind Slab

Failure Plane/Weak Layer:

Other

Trigger

Trigger:

Skier

Trigger Modifier:

Accidentally Triggered

Terrain

Aspect:

Northeast

Size

Destructive Size:

D1 Relatively harmless to people.

Relative Size:

R1 Very Small

People Involved

Number of people caught:

Number of partial burials:

Number of full burials:

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Small Slab Avalanche Resulting in Close Call on Tallac

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Small Slab Avalanche Resulting in Close Call on Tallac

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