Aspen
AvalancheAnonymous · Mar 10, 2014 · Aspen
Weather
sunny, cold storm from night before just broke up.
Snowpack
Up to a foot of new snow from friday, no wind though signs of texture in the alpine from winds from the night before. No signs of instability. Winds appeared to have loaded the East, and the cornices quickly shifted direction as cirque wrapped to the North
Avalanche
Skinned up a mellow pitch to 11800 and peered into a steep cirque. Took a few photos of an East chute and told a partner to be weary of the cornice. Put the camera away with intention of moving back because I felt as if I was too close and the cornice fractured about a foot from my right ski. Instantly I was tumbling down the steep chute with a pickup sized cornice. The cornice triggered a slide and I pin-balled through some rocks and went airborne a few times. A one point I got sucked under and swam with everything I had, felt my knee twist, ski release(dynafit in tour mode) and resurfaced on top of the debris. I lost my gloves, hat, poles and one ski) I saw blood on the surface of the snow and checked myself. I had a few minor cuts on my hands and lower back. My knee hurt but it could bear my weight. With some searching I found my other ski, and a bent pole. I was able to verbally communicate with my party and told them not to come down and I was alright. Because of a cliff band that extended the ridge I told them I needed to ski to bottom of the valley and meet up with them . I skied down and back up to the hut without further incident. Never saw the crown but looking at the debris the cornice just triggered the storm snow (maybe 1-2 with the loading) and ran the width of the chute and triggered adjacent chute, dispersed on the apron probably ran 700 feet total.