Public Field Report
Observation Details
Observation Date:
March 6, 2023Submitted:
March 6, 2023Zone or Region:
Soldier and Wood River Valley MtnsActivity:
Skiing/SnowboardingLocation:
BALD MOUNTAIN - BURN AREA - OUT OF BOUNDSTriggered Avalanches
Did you trigger any avalanches?
YesWas it intentional?
NoAvalanche Type:
Soft SlabSize:
Size 2: Could bury, injure, or kill a personElevation:
7600Aspect:
NEComments:
I triggered an avalanche around 2pm on March, 6th 2023 at 7600 feet on a NE aspect in "the burn" area of Bald Mountain. Skiing with one partner. We had been skiing this area all week during the storm cycle. Throughout the week I'd observed several small natural avalanches on NE slopes on steeper pockets of 35+ degrees. On all previous runs we committed to staying on low angle ridge lines, thick trees, and slopes lower than 30 degrees. After getting numerous laps, and seeing a significant amount of tracks in steeper areas, I gained confidence in the snowpack and let my guard down. Skiing down one of the N facing ridges I jumped off a small cornice, about a 10-15 foot air, landing on the NE aspect in an open slope with a few trees. My partner yelled avalanche and luckily I had a lot of speed, stayed way ahead of it, and skied to a safe area. I estimate the slide was at least 200 feet wide and went several hundred feet before stopping in flatter terrain below, breaking down a few burned trees on the way. There were several other tracks nearby on a similar slope, and I think the weight of jumping and landing was enough of a difference to trigger the slide. My partner even warned I shouldn't enter the slope and I ignored it. There was also a fresh inch of snow that was not wind effected at all and that gave an illusion of pristine powder, when the day before had clear signs of wind slabs. My gut feeling on the day was to be very cautious with the current conditions, and I became complacent after the number of runs I'd done and slopes I saw tracks on. Hopefully this is a lesson learned.Signs of Unstable Snow
Did you see shooting cracks?
Yes, IsolatedDid you experience collapsing or whumpfing?
Yes, IsolatedObservations
I triggered an avalanche around 2pm on March, 6th 2023 at 7600 feet on a NE aspect in "the burn" area of Bald Mountain. Skiing with one partner. We had been skiing this area all week during the storm cycle. Throughout the week I'd observed several small natural avalanches on NE slopes on steeper pockets of 35+ degrees. On all previous runs we committed to staying on low angle ridge lines, thick trees, and slopes lower than 30 degrees. After getting numerous laps, and seeing a significant amount of tracks in steeper areas, I gained confidence in the snowpack and let my guard down. Skiing down one of the N facing ridges I jumped off a small cornice, about a 10-15 foot air, landing on the NE aspect in an open slope with a few trees. My partner yelled avalanche and luckily I had a lot of speed, stayed way ahead of it, and skied to a safe area. I estimate the slide was at least 200 feet wide and went several hundred feet before stopping in flatter terrain below, breaking down a few burned trees on the way. There were several other tracks nearby on a similar slope, and I think the weight of jumping and landing was enough of a difference to trigger the slide. My partner even warned I shouldn't enter the slope and I ignored it. There was also a fresh inch of snow that was not wind effected at all and that gave an illusion of pristine powder, when the day before had clear signs of wind slabs. My gut feeling on the day was to be very cautious with the current conditions, and I became complacent after the number of runs I'd done and slopes I saw tracks on. Lesson learned.
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