18-19

Snowmobiler triggered on Mt Abundance

Mt. Abundance
Cooke City
Code
SS-AMu-R1-D2-O
Aspect
S
Latitude
45.07900
Longitude
-110.02000
Notes

The avalanche on the south face of Mt Abundance was set off at about 2:00 pm on Thursday. A rider realized he triggered a slide on his way back down the slope. It was estimated to be at least 1+ foot deep, 100 feet wide, and ran 100 feet slope distance. It was big enough to bury a person.

This depth (est. 1+') is similar to the faceted layer that was unstable near Lulu Pass the day before (ECTP22).

Number of slides
1
Number caught
0
Number buried
0
Avalanche Type
Soft slab avalanche
Trigger
Snowmobile
Trigger Modifier
u-An unintentional release
R size
1
D size
2
Bed Surface
O - Old snow
Problem Type
Persistent Weak Layer
Slab Thickness
12.0 inches
Vertical Fall
100ft
Slab Width
100.00ft
Weak Layer Grain type
Near surface faceted particles
Slab Thickness units
inches
Single / Multiple / Red Flag
Single Avalanche
Advisory Year

The snowpack at 9,000' above Hebgen Lake near West Yellowstone is 60-70cm (~2 feet) deep. It is mostly weak, sugary facets and will struggle to support the weight of future storms. Photo: GNFAC

Lionhead Range, 2018-12-28