Vail & Summit County
AvalancheDan S · Jan 19, 2023 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
West aspect with northwest and southwest aspects on both sides of us. Not much wind, cool, calm. Mostly clear with light clouds filtering in. Around 11,700' or so is when we got to the snow line / treeline. Everything above treeline was mostly windswept, rocks, grass, and pockets of hard snow / ice.
Snowpack
W, NW aspects. Above treeline was little to no snow on rocks and grass. At treeline snowpack varied greatly on the leeward side of the trees, anywhere from 6" to over a 12" of fresh snow on previously wind affected snow. Top of the line is 11,700' or so.
Avalanche
3 snowboarders entered the top of the crooked K from the lower angle ridge between the K and Y. We discussed our plan at the top of the tree line / snow line, around 11,700'. Rider 1 entered the slope and made a few turns, and then stopped before the trees got dense, still in an open area between the K and Y. Rider 1 pulled out their phone to take video at 1:52PM. Rider 2 planned to leap frog and ski past Rider 1, and then off to the skiers right into the steeper NW trees near the top of the crooked K, eventually to a stopping point still in the trees, but before entering the gut of the main K slide path. Rider 2 descended, making big turns and going past Rider 1. Rider 3 was still above, near the snow line / treeline in a safe spot. As Rider 2 skied past Rider 1 and into the steeper trees, both the top of the crooked K and lookers left Y remotely triggered and released. Rider 1 felt a large whumpf and loud noise, saying they thought it was an avalanche bomb from Copper Mountain. Rider 2 was unaware of the avalanche, and did not have any snow fracture around their line through the trees. Rider 1 did not hear anything either. Riders 1 and 3 saw snow moving on both sides and a large powder cloud from the Y, as well as multiple fracture lines and the crown for the Y. Rider 2 reached the end of the trees before the entrance to the K chute and saw moving snow in the path. After making contact with both riders above and ensuring nobody was caught in the slide, Riders 1 and 3 followed Riders 2 tracks into the chute, and skied down through the debris to exit the path.