This avalanche was noted by several other groups in the area who have posted reports on this observation page. One group performed a beacon search in the debris as they saw the debris covered part of an uptrack. Another person measured the slope angle at 30 degrees.
Avalanche: Chugach State Park
Location: Southwest slope towards Harp Mountain
Snowboarder triggered an avalanche on the southwest-facing slope, on the ridge towards Harp Mountain.
Forecaster Comments
| Trigger | Snowboarder | Remote Trigger | Yes |
| Avalanche Type | Unknown | Aspect | South Southeast |
| Elevation | 3500ft | Slope Angle | 32deg |
| Crown Depth | 3ft | Width | 50ft |
| Vertical Run | unknown |
Avalanche Details
The crown broke about 10 feet down from where the snowboarder made a stop at the top of the ridge. We noticed a hairline crack a couple feet above where he stopped (essentially he was in between the crack and the crown). The snow on the surface was fairly soft and seemed wind loaded. The snow on the track up was a thin wind crust. Rough slope angle measurement from the bottom was 30°-32°.
Slab that slid had a very noticeable weak layer, which more than likely was just under the recent snowfall this week. Estimated 50 foot wide (at the narrowest), 3 foot deep, and ran to all the way to the bottom.
Obvious signs of instability
| Recent Avalanches? | Yes |
| Collapsing (Whumphing)? | No |
| Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | No |
Observer Comments
We noticed 3 recent natural avalanches from Harp peak. One being quite large and maybe 1-2 days old. Another was small and up towards the top that looked to be <1 day old. The 3rd was one that was similar to the small one, and had happened at some point between us arriving (~10am) and leaving (~12pm).
Weather
20 degrees, trace wind.
Snow surface
Wind crust
Top of avalanche
Side of avalanche
Side of avalanche showing weak layer
Bottom of avalanche