Vail & Summit County
AvalancheAnonymous · Dec 28, 2013 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
Calm, sunny, warm; we mostly skied and toured on S facing aspects, between 10,600 and 12,600 ft. Near Uneva Peak below the Point, north side of Vail Pass
Snowpack
Heard several whompfs on flat terrain, facets were evident from the ground about a foot or two up; elevation 10,600-12600 ft.; S aspect, east of Uneva peak, below the Point, we skied south facing slopes from east of the Point
Avalanche
East of Uneva peak, below the point; aspect - S; elevation:11200 ft.; we crossed under a slope at tree line with a convexity feature at the top below a tree band. Skier #1 crossed first and waited for Skiers #2 and #3 at the safety zone as identified. Skier #3 was also in a safety zone prior to crossing under the slope in question. Skier #2 crossed about 2/3 way across and remotely triggered an avalanche from below. Skier #2 was fully buried except for the face. With this visual cue, skiers #1 and #3 quickly extricated the buried skier. There were no injuries. Avalanche ran some 100 vertical feet with the crown ranging from 2-4 feet. The avalanche crown was about 50 feet wide but did run into a narrower feature between the trees where the burial occurred and debris piled up. Avalanche ran on facets as a slab.