| Trigger | Foot Penetration | Avalanche Type | 0 |
| Aspect | West Northwest | Elevation | 4300ft |
| Slope Angle | 30deg | Crown Depth | 24in |
| Width | 40ft | Vertical Run | 35ft |
Avalanche: Chugach State Park
Location: O'Malley Peak, NW Buttress
The slab that released was located on a small bench above a pitch of water ice/cliffs, O’Malley Peak, NW Buttress.
Avalanche Details
After climbing up a pitch of ice on O'Malley Peak, I pulled myself up onto a snowy bench. After taking a couple steps on the slab, it cracked, separated, and began to slide under my feet. Ultimately, the whole snow shelf (40'x35') just broke off and fell. I had to quickly climb off the top of the slab as it fell over the crag below, very high consequence fall. Thankfully, I was at the top where it separated so I was able to scramble off by the time it had traveled 3-4'.
The slab itself was hard and about 24" thick at the crown and narrowed to roughly 14" at the bottom. After it fell off the crag, it continued down the runout above Deep Lake (stopped within 200 yards of lake). It did not cause secondary slides.
Obvious signs of instability
| Recent Avalanches? | No |
| Collapsing (Whumphing)? | No |
| Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | Yes |
Observer Comments
There weren't any obvious signs of instability from the start (no avy debris in the area at all). Snow did feel quite weird underfoot though.
Weather
20mph winds, maybe 3-4 inches of accumulation the week prior, temp was 20*F
Snow surface
Slab had powder on top(8-10"), then more of a styrofoam texture at the base.
Snowpack
Did not test prior to climbing.
Crown on the Right