Ski cut triggered avalanche

Location Name: 
Deep creek
Region: 
Cabin Creek, Deep Creek, or Pole Creek Area
Observation Date & Time: 
Sunday, March 1, 2020 - 11:00
Is this an Avalanche Observation?: 
Yes


Conditions Alerts:

  • Avalanche Activity
  • Other Signs of Instability (cracking, whumpfing, collapsing)
  • Other Signs of Instability (cracking, whumpfing, collapsing)›Shooting Cracks
  • Recent Loading
  • Recent Loading›Blowing Snow

Terrain Alerts: 
Obvious Slide Path
Terrain Traps
Observation made by: Public

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Observation
Description of Snow, Weather, and Avalanche Conditions: 

On the last pitch of descent we ski cut the tempting gully and propogated two slides, one released from below the skier, the second released above and below the skier. Both entrained snow on the new/old snow interface. The crowns were about 8"-10". Additional uphill snow entrained when paths converged. The second path, near the end of the ski cut, broke and propogated 15ft across the slope behind from where the skier cut through the wind cornice formed on the ridge. This particular drainage presented a number of obvious terrain traps and behaved about as expected but still the results of the ski cut were not unimpressive.

Hide Terrain Details
Terrain: elevations: 
Near Treeline
Below Treeline
Terrain: aspects: 
N
NE
Hide Avalanche Details
Avalanche Type: 
Loose Dry/ Sluff
Failure Plane/Weak Layer: 
New/old snow interface
Hide Trigger
Trigger: 
Skier
Trigger Modifier: 
Intentionally Triggered
Hide Terrain
Aspect: 
North
Starting Elevation: 
below-treeline
Hide Size
Destructive Size: 
D1 Relatively harmless to people.
Relative Size: 
R2 Small
Crown Height: 
Less than 1 ft
Avalanche Width (Average width): 
12ft.
Avalanche Length (Vertical Run): 
300ft.
Hide Weather Details
Elevation of Observation: 
6000-7000 ft.
Blowing Snow: 
Moderate
Wind Direction: 
Northeast
Wind Speed: 
Light
Sky Cover: 
Decreasing Clouds
Highest Precipitation Rate: 
Very Light Snowfall (S-1 = up to .5cm /~.25 in per hour)
Precipitation: 
Snow
Air temperature: 
Below Freezing