Syncline Valley Avalanche
Incidentagoodhue · Feb 24, 2021 · Crowsnest South
Quick report
- Weather
- sunny
- Ride Type
- mellowSlopes, openTrees
- Stayed Away
- alpineSlopes, steepSlopes
- Riding Quality
- amazing
- Snow Conditions
- powder
- Avalanche Conditions
- avalancheConditionSnow, avalancheConditionSound
Spent a sunny day in the Syncline valley with great ski conditions on Wednesday. Our party triggered an avalanche in some surprisingly low angle terrain on the surface facet layer formed during the cold snap, now buried average 40-80 cm deep below an older, hard wind slab. See avalanche tab for more details.
Avalanche
- Run Length
- 400
- Slab Width
- 30
- Trigger Type
- skier
- Wind Exposure
- leeSlope
- Avalanche Size
- 2
- Slab Thickness
- 50
- Trigger Sub Type
- remote
- Start Zone Aspect
- SE
- Trigger Distance
- 5
- Vegetation Cover
- openSlope
- Start Zone Incline
- 30
- Avalanche Character
- persistentSlab
- Number Of Avalanches
- 1
- Start Zone Elevation
- 1800
- Runout Zone Elevation
- 1600
- Weak Layer Burial Date
- 2021-02-14
- Weak Layer Crystal Type
- facets
- Start Zone Elevation Band
- tln
- Avalanche Occurrence Datetime
- 2021-02-24T19:00:00.000Z
First skier on the slope remote triggered avalanche from a thin spot, was able to ski away, no involvement. Crown depth 40-100 cm deep, failed on surface facet layer formed during cold snap, below older hard wind slab. Avalanche ran surprisingly far down gully feature, pulling out a few other small pockets on gully walls on the way down.
Incident
- Group Size
- 4
- Terrain Trap
- gullyDepression
- Group Activity
- skiing
- Number Injured
- 0
- Number Involved
- 0
- Number Caught Only
- 0
- Number Fully Buried
- 0
- Snow Depth Trigger Point
- shallow
- Terrain Shape Trigger Point
- convex
- Number Partly Buried Able Breathing
- 0
- Number Partly Buried Impaired Breathing
- 0
First skier on the slope remote triggered a size 2 avalanche from a thin spot, was able to ski away, no involvement. Crown depth 40-100 cm deep, failed on surface facet layer formed during cold snap, below older hard wind slab. Avalanche ran surprisingly far down gully feature, pulling out a few other small pockets on gully walls on the way down.