| Trigger | Foot Penetration | Remote Trigger | Unknown |
| Avalanche Type | Unknown | Aspect | Southwest |
| Elevation | 2600ft | Slope Angle | unknown |
| Crown Depth | unknown | Width | unknown |
| Vertical Run | 800ft |
Avalanche: Chugach State Park
Location: Mile High saddle
I witnessed this avalanche, described in another observation, and want to add an important detail: it crossed a hiking trail in the forest, 600-700 feet in elevation below the trigger point, burying a short stretch several feet deep. It could well have injured or killed a person in that place at the wrong time. It’s a reminder that some terrain we take for granted as safe may have a start zone looming above and we may not be aware of events happening up there.
Avalanche Details
As two people on snowshoes transitioned from the west-facing slope above the saddle to a longer, steeper southwest aspect, a slab broke free along the grade break just before them. They were not on the slab when it failed and quickly retreated from the trigger point.
Obvious signs of instability
| Recent Avalanches? | Yes |
| Collapsing (Whumphing)? | No |
| Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | No |
Observer Comments
Significant new snow; shallow natural slides that occurred during the storm (lightly snow-covered) and wind features/cornices atop southern aspects.
Weather
Blue sky, ~10°, light wind increasing on adjacent ridgetop, significant spindrift plumes blowing from higher peaks/ridge to the north.
Snow surface
Variable: deep, soft pockets on sheltered slopes; denser, with light wind crust on northerly aspects; ice, hardpack, scoured tundra on ridgetop; >1' soft snow atop stiff m/f crust on subalpine south aspect.
Snowpack
No formal tests, did not travel an alpine southwest aspect. Pole probes highly variable but suggested widespread weak layers beneath dense old snow underlying new storm snow. Encountered two whumpfs on low-angle north aspect.
Debris uphill from buried hiking trail.
Debris downhill from buried hiking trail.
View from the west of the crown and part of the slide path into the trees below. Arrow shows trigger point and direction of approach.