Sawtooth Avalanche Center

Public Field Report

Observation Details

Observation Date:
March 16, 2022
Submitted:
March 16, 2022
Zone or Region:
Sawtooth and Western Smoky Mtns
Activity:
Skiing/Snowboarding
Location:
Smiley Creek

Triggered Avalanches

Did you trigger any avalanches? 
Yes
Was it intentional? 
No
Avalanche Type:
Soft Slab
Size:
Size 2: Could bury, injure, or kill a person
Elevation:
8500
Aspect:
NE
Comments:
Skiing into the Smiley Creek drainage at 8500' on a NE aspect on a 35 degree slope, I triggered a D2 soft slab. The slab broke on an open slope and was approximately 150' wide, ran 200' and was 6-10" deep. The bed surface was a slick crust with weak sugary snow on top of it, there was another crust and then then the current storm snow. The slab failed on the weak sugary snow. When I stepped on a chunk of the hang fire the slope fractured again and propagated past the original flank.

Signs of Unstable Snow

None reported

Observations

I was on the lookout for Wind Slab and Loose wet. We did not observe any signs of instability while traveling. My avalanche radar was not pinging, I was vey surprised to trigger this slab.

Media

Debris from a small skier-triggered slab avalanche. The avalanche broke 150' wide and 6-10" deep on a thin layer of small facets above a stout rain crust. The slide occurred in the Smiley Ck drainage on a NE-facing slope at 8,500'.

Advanced Observations

Observed Avalanche Problem #1: 

Comments: