Vail & Summit County
AvalancheDave Norick · Feb 20, 2024 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
The sun was out all morning and the temperatures had risen above freezing, measured to be 47 degrees Fahrenheit when we reached US 6 at the bottom. The rapid warming had made the snow surface sticky on most aspects.
Snowpack
A zipper crust on the surface, with a 30 cm slab on top of a facet, crust, and surface hoar combo from the last dry period. Faceted snow below that to the ground.
Avalanche
As I, skier 1, skied across the convexity at the top of the line, I remotely triggered an avalanche that spanned the chute, and broke approximately 30 cm deep to a crust/surface hoar combo from our last dry period. The avalanche then stepped down to the ground lower in the slide path. Debris in the tight trees at the bottom was an estimated 6-8 feet deep. Skiers 2 and 3, with a dog, had waited to ski behind me, and skied down to me at a safe spot above the convexity after the slope had slid. We evaluated what had happened and decided our safest option was to ski the bed surface, as adjacent lines were likely to slide similarly. The chute was steeper than expected, as none of us had skied the line before. I had not expected an avalanche, however, I had a sinking gut feeling when I saw the convexity. In retrospect, this line was too steep and consequential to safely ski in the current conditions.