Gorman -

Riding quality was:

Good

Snow conditions were:

• Powder
• Wet
• Wind affected

We rode:

• Open trees
• Steep slopes

We stayed away from:

• Alpine slopes
• Convex slopes
• Sunny slopes

The day was:

• Stormy
• Warm
• Wet
• Windy

Avalanche conditions

• Slab avalanches today or yesterday.
• Rapid temperature rise to near or above 0°C or wet surface snow.

Environmental Conditions & Snowpack

Extreme wind conditions were observed, with gusts exceeding 70 km/h. The weather was characterized by a storm cycle producing light-to-moderate snowfall, resulting in a total accumulation of approximately 8 cm. Post-midday, significant wind transport (blowing snow) began to redistribute this fresh load.

Avalanche Characteristics

The combination of new precipitation and high-velocity winds resulted in the rapid development of a reactive wind slab.

Trigger: Human-initiated (Snowmobile)

Dimensions: Approximately 100 meters wide (equivalent to a football field).

Crown Depth: 45–60 cm (1.5 to 2 ft).

Composition: Storm-snow accumulation and wind-drifted deposits.

Involvement & Rescue

A party of five riders was on-site at the time of the release. The slide resulted in one full burial.

Burial Depth: Total burial (depth to top of helmet).

Equipment: Both the rider and the snowmobile were fully interred.

Rescue: The group performed a successful extraction; the subject was recovered in under 60 seconds.

Key Technical Takeaways

Rapid Loading: The transition from snowfall to wind-driven transport after lunch created a "hair-trigger" slab over a relatively short period.

Slab Thickness: A 2-foot crown suggests significant wind-loading efficiency, even with only 8 cm of base snowfall.