Storm Slab on Facets Above the 12/15 Rain Crust

This slide was remotely triggered from a lower angle ridge about 60 ft. away. The crown measured 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16 inches) in depth and it failed on a thin 1 cm thick layer of loose old snow (near crust facets) resting on top of the 12/15 rain crust. The slope angle measured between 36 and 39 degrees and the aspect wrapped from N to NE. It ran down slope into gullies and trees.

In addition to this avalanche, we saw several shooting cracks in below, near, and above treeline terrain as well as some skier triggered loose dry sluffs in the new snow on steep test slopes. Some collapsing and whumfing also occurred on sheltered slopes between 7200 and 7800 ft. Hand pits and observations indicated that the near crust facet layer that this slide failed on was more likely to be found on northerly aspects than on the more southerly facing slopes in this area. 

Along the NE ridge of Silver Peak ski kicks near wind-loaded slopes did cause some shooting cracks but no avalanches were observed nor did we ski any of the steeper wind loaded slopes. We chose to descend on lower angle, well-anchored (tree covered) slopes.

Photo 1: This slide was triggered from this spot on the ridge above the slide. The lower angle slope below me cracked but did not slide.

Photo 2: Overview of the slide, taken from between the trigger point and the crown.

Photo 3: Looking a the skier's left side of the crown. Note the firm bed surface (the 12/15 rain crust) and the thin darker line in the crown just above the rain crust at the bottom of the new snow - the near crust facets. 

Photo 4: Skier's right side of the crown and flank as the slope become lower angle to the skier's right. 

Photo 5: Looking down the path at the debris and terrain traps below. 

Photo 6: Small skier triggered loose dry sluff and a shooting crack on a N-NE facing slope around 8000 ft.