| Trigger | Skier | Remote Trigger | No |
| Avalanche Type | Soft Slab | Aspect | North |
| Elevation | 4100ft | Slope Angle | 45deg |
| Crown Depth | 10in | Width | 20ft |
| Vertical Run | 200ft |
Avalanche: Chugach State Park
Location: Ptarmagin peak
Rabbit lake parking, up Ptarmigan SW ridge, down S Couloir, up over Ptarmigan pass and out.
Surface hoar noted on lower elevations, as well as some sun crust on steeper southerly aspects. Both had disappeared by the time we were at Ptarmigan pass on the way up.
Avalanche Details
Ski cut of an unsupported slope in the S couloir triggered a soft slab D1. Slab was connected to bigger slopes but did not propagate past the unsupported terrain feature.
Obvious signs of instability
| Recent Avalanches? | No |
| Collapsing (Whumphing)? | No |
| Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | Yes |
Observer Comments
Some shooting cracks in steeper leeward terrain in uptrack on SW ridge. 5-15 cm deep. not much energy in the slabs, maybe they were older and not from 2/20 wind event.
Weather
Clear all day, light north winds on summit. We could feel the sun on our faces, but colder temps kept the snowpack from warming up.
Snow surface
Mix of wind affected snow, shallow coverage of some prominent terrain features, and really good skiing in protected terrain.
Shallow shooting cracks on SW ridge
Great skiing in S couloir