Grand Mesa

Avalanche

My friend took this picture from near where he was carried; about 30 feet above this perspective. I couldn't see any fracture much above that conifer tree. I think it was a point release "sluff" rather than a slab. A sluff passed him about his waste. He grabbed an aspen and spun around a bit. I was lower then him and I was pushed a few feet by the sluff before I exited right from the shallow gulley-like terrain feature. Good thing neither of us was knocked down. Following are some more pictures of the slide. I would characterize it as a point release slide in a confined shallow gully at the toop which deppende lower down the mountain. I would guess the length of the slide was maybe 300 yards long, all the way to the bottom of the steep NE or ENE aspect, right at 30 degrees as measured in the past by my klinometer.