| Trigger | Skier | Remote Trigger | No |
| Avalanche Type | Soft Slab | Aspect | North Northwest |
| Elevation | 2000ft | Slope Angle | 40deg |
| Crown Depth | 6in | Width | 80ft |
| Vertical Run | 50ft |
Avalanche: Girdwood
Location: Notch Mountain
Toured up the cat track to the powder hut, then continued up the ridge before transitioning and skiing down.
Avalanche Details
We triggered several sluffs in small sections of steep terrain, and one propagated into a small soft slab. The few inches of snow from last night slid on the old snow surface. The slide was not large enough to carry or bury a person but the snowpack was touchy and warrants caution in terrain traps.
Obvious signs of instability
| Recent Avalanches? | Yes |
| Collapsing (Whumphing)? | No |
| Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | Yes |
Observer Comments
Other than the avalanche we triggered, there was some cracking, but it did not shoot far from the tip of the ski. There was clear wind effect on the ridge, and throughout the Girdwood valley, but the upper layer of snow had yet to be compacted at all. Overall, the few feet of snow from this most recent storm seemed right-side-up and was pretty stable considering the amount of snow we've received, but the snowpack is not quite bomber.
Weather
Light snow through much of the day and intermittent clouds.
Snow surface
Light powder, no obvious crusts or layer changes could be found by probing with a pole or feeling by hand. However, the recent snow in this area has been much more than could be felt by such measurements. Ski quality was excellent.
Snowpack
No formal snowpack information was collected.
IMG_1948