Check out our Holiday Auction - Sign Up for the Utah Snow and Avalanche Workshop (USAW)

Avalanche: Wedding Ring Ridge

Observer Name
Kobernik/Kendall
Observation Date
Friday, December 10, 2021
Avalanche Date
Thursday, December 9, 2021
Region
Skyline » Huntington Canyon » Left Fork Huntington Canyon » Wedding Ring Ridge
Location Name or Route
Far east end of Wedding Ring Ridge
Elevation
9,700'
Aspect
Northeast
Trigger
Natural
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Weak Layer
Facets
Depth
15"
Width
125'
Vertical
100'
Comments
My partner and I were out conducting snowpack fieldwork and started experiencing localized cracking and collapsing around our skis as we walked. We are aware that there is faceted snow at the base of the snowpack from snowstorms in October. We dug down and confirmed that the faceted snow was present in locations we were experiencing cracking and collapsing of the snowpack. We ascended a bit farther and stumbled onto this small avalanche. We climbed up onto it to confirm that the weak layer was the old faceted October snow.
Video
Coordinates