Ursus Minor - Ski cut strike team

Quick report

Weather

sunny

Ride Type

alpineSlopes, sunnySlopes

Riding Quality

good

Snow Conditions

powder

Avalanche Conditions

avalancheConditionSlab

Fifth skier on the slope today. Group of 3 30min prior and partner just before. Slab triggered on second turn, skiing right on someone else's track!

Avalanche

Run Length

500

Slab Width

80

Trigger Type

skier

Wind Exposure

crossLoadedSlope

Avalanche Size

2.5

Trigger Sub Type

accidental

Start Zone Aspect

SE

Vegetation Cover

openSlope

Start Zone Incline

35

Avalanche Character

persistentSlab

Number Of Avalanches

1

Start Zone Elevation

2600

Runout Zone Elevation

2100

Weak Layer Burial Date

2023-12-02

Avalanche Observation

12hrsAgo

Weak Layer Crystal Type

facets

Start Zone Elevation Band

alp

Avalanche Occurrence Datetime

2023-12-12T20:30:00.000Z

Incident

Group Size

1

Terrain Trap

cliff

Group Activity

skiing

Number Injured

0

Number Involved

1

Number Caught Only

1

Number Fully Buried

0

Snow Depth Trigger Point

shallow

Terrain Shape Trigger Point

planar

Number Partly Buried Able Breathing

0

We skied Ursus Minor Peak today, 5th skier down the lookers left bowl feature shown in the photo triggered the slope. The trigger point was on his 2nd turn at the location of the crown (marked with x on photo). A hasty pit was dug at the lower bench below the slide. We found the facet surface hoar layer down 45cm (snow depth being 85cm at this location). Tests provided mixed results, however when conducting an ECT it failed upon isolation. Learnings included: 1.) Sucker tracks suck, make your own decisions. 2.) Classic thin to thick area with wind loaded pockets being significantly deeper than adjacent zones. Watch for spatial variability in shallower snowpack