Vail & Summit County

Snowpack

I triggered an avalanche today around noon on a E/SE aspect. I was descending on a snowboard. The crown was 1 to 2 feet deep and around 50 to 60 feet wide. The slab was very very hard. It felt more like I was in a rockslide then an avalanche. The snow on the aspect I was riding was extremely hard and packed as well. The slab and snow ran very fast and carried myself around 200 vertical feet downslope. there were no signs of prior or recent avalanche activity (woomphing, shooting cracks, etc.). I did deploy my BCA Float bag and it kept me on top of the snow so no burial. I oriented myself in a sitting position as I was swept down the slope and without the bag I think I may have been buried to my hips or chest.