Avalanche South face Mt. Rose

Third time up the skin track in the lower angle terrain to the West at our Eastmost switchback the leader advanced about five feet off the rocky ridge onto the edge of the snow in the gully to get a better look down the potential avalanche path.  This triggered the avalanche with a start point 100' above the trigger point.  A quick step back to the rocks kept everyone on solid ground.  3-4ft crown, estimate D3

Additional info from the party: "Human triggered. Earlier in day I had tried to kick off cornice but got only 10’ cracks to each side of me. Two laps later my buddy and I were standing on edge of corniced ravine (south facing) a 100’ lower, discussing a potential ski/ride and safer entry possibilities when he took a step forward, possibly a stomp, it let loose pretty big. Solid 3’ crown on top jagged horizontal section and propagated down the ridge we were on, a solid 400’. The snow on the ridge made crisscross cracks separating from the ridge snow. The snow from our toes forward went down the mountain, leaving bed surface slippery crust and rocks further out into the ravine. It then ran from the starting point of 9700’ to just barely the Galena Creek ‘valley floor’ at 8600’! The ravine’s western edge built the cornice from the west winds, loading the leeward side of the ravine."