| Trigger | Skier | Remote Trigger | 0 |
| Avalanche Type | Hard Slab | Aspect | South Southwest |
| Elevation | 3700ft | Slope Angle | 34deg |
| Crown Depth | 12in | Width | 30ft |
| Vertical Run | 10ft |
Avalanche: Hatcher Pass
Location: Marmot SE, Corporate
Ascended South ridge of Marmot from Fishhhook Lot, descended Corporate, SE ridge of Marmot.
Other skiers we spoke with on Skyscraper, Microdot and Stairstep did not report any avalanches.
Avalanche Details
Active wind-loading. Hard slab. Convex, broad, ridge feature. Released on ski cut. Similar areas had variable sensitivity from unreactive to touchy. This wind slab failed on near surface facets (rounds faceting).
Obvious signs of instability
| Recent Avalanches? | Yes |
| Collapsing (Whumphing)? | No |
| Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | Yes |
Observer Comments
No other avalanches observed other than the one wind slab we ski cut, mentioned above.
Weather
Sky: FEW, throughout the day
@4500 feet: Winds gusting 17 mph (measured) with likely stronger gusts in upper 20's (not measured), Temp 27*F.
Snow surface
Active wind loading through the day, slowly building soft and hard wind slabs on SW aspects. Light East wind loading at 3000', moderate East wind loading at 4000'
Sastrugi on South ridge uptrack of Marmot. Marmot ridgeline scoured to old melt-freeze crust. Small cornices building along ridge on SW face, very thin and easy to kick off, no significant results.
Protected areas of powder, generally below 3000'
Snowpack
Pit SW, 4300', 35*
ECTN8 x2 down 10cm on pencil hard wind slab over mixed forms
CT12SCx2 down 45-50cm on 2-3mm facets over melt-freeze crust
Skier triggered, small wind slab, on Marmot, Corporate SSW, 3700',
Marmot snow crossection
wind effect and wind slab textures