Vail & Summit County

Snowpack

The morning CAIC report was read and noted to be considerable mostly on North to Southeast facing slopes for this area. 3 slides occurred all within 150 yards of each other. Inspection of the snow layers and cornice made it evident to proceed with extra caution but group discussion warranted to continue with a cautious decent. The first slide started with a slab the size 1/2 tennis court and was triggered by the first descender after dropping the cornice. The first slide slid roughly 75 feet and the skier escaped with a straightliner angled to skiers left. The second slide was a school bus sized piece of the cornice that broke off as the two remaining members traversed North about 20 feet apart from each other and roughly 10 feet from the cornice lip. This caused a tennis size court slab to slide roughly 150 feet. The first descender was 50 feet to the north of the slide in a predetermined safe zone an the two riders up top were able to jump back as the crack was heard and before it gave way completely. The second rider descended without any incidents. The third rider dropped the cornice 20 feet to from where the second rider dropped and a small block of the cornice broke out from under him and caused him to land on his stomach. This triggered a 1/4 tennis court size slab to slide roughly 40 feet. The third rider did two butter fly strokes and put his avalung in his mouth and stayed on top of the snow the entire time. All three riders had full avy gear and escaped without injury.