Details

• Date: 2020/04/25

• Observer: Public

Location

• BC Zone: Vail & Summit County
• Area Description: Near the hawaii couloirs

Weather

• Weather Description: Gusty winds up to 30 mph

Snowpack

• Snowpack Description: Soft wind slab was our primary concern

Avalanches

• Avalanche Description: Skiers climbed a NNE facing couloir that topped out around 13,700’ located east of Pacific Peak in the Tenmile Range. Other slide paths nearby were looking heavily loaded, and skiers chose to climb a couloir with less obvious loading. Skiers climbed the majority of the couloir with axes and crampons, identifying and avoiding wind loads on the ascent. Skier 1 attempted to ski cut above the start zone of the couloir with no results. Skier 1 proceeded to ski cut lower in the start zone, this second cut produced a D1.5 soft slab avalanche that broke under his feet about 1’ thick and propagated ~15’ in front of him. After a short discussion with skier 2, skier 1 then proceeded to ski cut the rest of the start zone. Shortly after skier 1 cut onto the hangfire that had not released with the second ski cut, cracks propagated across the rest of the start zone and a few feet above skier 1. The rest of the slope slid with crown depths up to 3’. This second avalanche broke deeper in the snowpack and propagated through the layer that had after as the bedding surface for the first avalanche. Skier 1 was caught. Skier 2 remained above the start zone and prepared for rescue. Thankfully, skier 1 was able to stay on his feet and stop by digging the edges of his skis into the bedding surface after being carried ~100’ downslope. No injuries occurred.

	Date	Location/Path	#	Elev	Asp	Type	Trig	SizeR	SizeD
	2020/04/25  †	10-mile Range	1	>TL	NE	SS	AS	R2	D1.5
Date: 2020/04/25 (Estimated) Landmark: 10-mile Range