Avalanche: Chugach State Park

Location: Hiland Road - 1 Hit Bowl

Date:
Observer:
Avalanche Details
If this is an avalanche observation, click yes below and fill in the form as best as you can. If people were involved, please provide details.
Trigger SkierRemote Trigger0
Avalanche Type Soft SlabAspect West
Elevation 3000ftSlope Angle 30deg
Crown Depth 16inWidth 150ft
Vertical Run 300ft  
Avalanche Details

Triggered from 300 yards away. No portion of this slide path is more than 30 degrees steep. This slide was adjacent to another much larger slide that ran naturally within the past two days.

Red Flags
Red flags are simple visual clues that are a sign of potential avalanche danger. Please record any sign of red flags below.
Obvious signs of instability
Recent Avalanches?Yes
Collapsing (Whumphing)?Yes
Cracking (Shooting cracks)?Yes
Observer Comments

Tons of naturals on E, N and W slopes. Nearly 50% of the Hiland snowpack is faceted crystals. I've been seeing slides in places I have never seen in 25 years of living here. The slide I triggered was one of the lowest angle slopes I have ever seen avalanche. No portion of the slope was over 30 degrees.

Weather & Snow Characteristics
Please provide details to help us determine the weather and snowpack during the time this observation took place.
Snow surface

Windblown powder

Snowpack

See above. The Hiland snowpack is a total mess, at least half of the pack is facets.