Remote triggers galore

Map for Mountain Information Network report: Remote triggers galore

Information

Avalanche date/time
Friday, December 11, 2020 at 10:59
Estimated occurrence time of avalanche
Less than 12 hours ago
Number of avalanches in this report
11 to 50
The size of avalanche
1.5
Slab thickness
20cm
Slab width
40m
Run length
20m
Avalanche Character
  • Storm slab
Trigger type
Skier
Trigger subtype
Remote
Remote trigger distance
30m
Start zone elevation band
  • Treeline
Start zone elevation
1,350m
Start zone incline
45°
Weak layer crystal type
  • Storm snow
Crust near weak layer
Yes
Vegetation cover
Open slope

Comments

Remote triggered 20 or so small (sz1-1.5) on convexities near Pump Peak. The largest propagated about 30m, with a crown ranging from 15-20+ cms. The new storm snow has not bonded well to the MF crust, with hand shears resulting in an easy planar fracture at the interface between the storm snow and the melt freeze crust. Most of these slides appeared to occur on more northerly aspects. Another party that went up the south face of the peak reported that they didn't see avalanche activity there (visibility was too poor for us to verify) - perhaps without wind loading southerlies have not yet reached threshold levels. It was snowing hard (S3) through the morning and when we left, so this may change soon.