Aspen
AvalancheIrina Overeem · Dec 21, 2018 · Aspen
Weather
mild, mid 20s F 80% cloudcover 5mhr winds
Snowpack
Windslab, with maximum thickness of 3,5ft with non stratified, powdery weak layer below.
Avalanche
A skier was caught in an avalanche on their way to Opa's Hut. The first skier in the group triggered a D1.5 Wind Slab avalanche breaking around 100-150 feet wide and around 1-1.5 feet deep, on a northwest-facing slope at 11,600 ft while skinning up on a jeep road. The skier took a ride of few hundred feet, "surfing" a hard block of avalanche debris. His ski was caught and fortunately released. He was not buried nor injured. The group was not able to find his lost ski. The group was on intentionally spread out spread 75 ft, so only one person was caught. crown was not one continuous fracture line runout distance 300ft