Vail & Summit County
SnowpackJ M · Dec 9, 2012 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
Very cold with obvious windloading into the bowl
Snowpack
A skier and a splitboarder were skinning above Beaver Creek on the eastern ridge of the Bald Spot above Grouse Creek Bowl. We planned on cutting a cornice on an eastern aspect, and when we were approaching, we remotely triggered a large collapse that propagated all the way to the intended cornice, which broke off.</br></br> The cornice was about the size of a motorcycle. When it fell on the slope, it rolled about 10 feet, then triggered the entire main chute and northern spine to propagate and slide. The crown looked about to the ground, and was on an eastern aspect at about 11800 feet. Winds were strong with obvious loading, dense storm slabs, and there were zero intentions of riding any steep lines, simple recon.