Buzz's Ridge

Incident

Group Size

4

Terrain Trap

slopeTransitionOrBench, gullyDepression

Group Activity

skiing

Number Injured

0

Number Involved

1

Number Caught Only

1

Number Fully Buried

0

Snow Depth Trigger Point

average

Terrain Shape Trigger Point

convex

Number Partly Buried Able Breathing

0

Heading down the steeper slopes below Buzz's Ridge just above the basin floor. Skier cut across a slightly convex slope and triggered a reactive slab 35cm deep and approx 70m across. Slope ran approx 80m. Skier was near the crown and was not pulled into the larger snow mass. Snow ran into the trees below and stopped. Fortunate for the skier as they would have been carried into the large trees. This 30cm layer was observed on most West, South, and Southern slopes. This layer is characterized by facets covered by a hard surface crust. Very easy to find in the snow pack. This layer has become more pronounced and reactive over the past 3 days. Careful out there.