Hero’s Knob Avalanches

Avalanche

Run Length

250

Slab Width

50

Trigger Type

natural

Wind Exposure

leeSlope

Avalanche Size

2

Slab Thickness

30

Start Zone Aspect

E, NE

Vegetation Cover

openSlope

Avalanche Character

stormSlab, windSlab

Crust Near Weak Layer

1

Number Of Avalanches

2-5

Avalanche Observation

12to24hrsAgo

Weak Layer Crystal Type

facets

Start Zone Elevation Band

alp, tln

Avalanche Occurrence Datetime

2024-01-22T17:00:00.956Z

Toured the Purple/Hero drainage to Hero’s Col skiing Batman aka The Dark Knight aka Sweet 16 north. A small loose dry off the ridge above The Traverse of the Gods has triggered a sz1 slab at the top of the Larch tree triangle roughly 30cm down. In our pit just before the debris field we found a more faceted layer at this depth. While setting a slightly less steep uptrack below the existing traverse I had an excellent settlement (whumpf) that thankfully did not result in moving snow. This was the theme of the day. Anywhere we set a track that was not previously skied we had settlements and shooting cracks. Below the Smith-Dorrien headwall just west of the Hero ridge there were numerous sz2 slabs that ran up to 250m. As previously noted in the Kovalenko MIN photo included in this MIN shows 2x 1.5s that were likely skier triggered to ground on skiers left. Another small slab pulled out of the right flank below the tree island also skier triggered. Settlements glamour on the fans. We stuck to centre of tracks when in start zones. Brent Peters IFMGA Mountain Guide