Backcountry Avalanche List - Wasatch and Uinta Mountains  2007-08
                                     
This is a list of backcountry avalanches either observed or reported to the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center.  It is certainly not an inclusive list.  This information comes from a variety of sources.  Thus we cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports.  We update this list usually by mid morning. For a daily 6:00 am report of yesterday's avalanche activity, call 888-999-4019x8. To report avalanche activity please leave us a message at 1-800-662-4140 or 801-524-5304.  Or send emails to staff@utahavalanchecenter.org.  Fax 801-524-6301.  We keep all identities confidential.  Many locations names come from standard USGS 7.5 minute topographic maps.  www.topozone.com is a great resource. Color Codes:      Region Codes:    
Natural Trigger     SLC - Salt Lake Area Mountains        Ogden - Ogden Area Mountains     
Unintentional  Human Trigger PC - Park City Area Mountains          Uintas - Uinta Mountains    
Intentional Human Trigger   Provo - Provo Area Mountains          Logan - Logan Area Mountains     
Date Region Location Avalanche Type Trigger Elevation (feet) Aspect Steep-ness  Depth Width (feet) Vertical (feet) Weak Layer Photo (click box) Profile (click box) Caught Carried Injured Part/Full Burial Comments/Links
5/23/08 SLC Alta (closed) Wet Sluff Skiers                   2 2     Several close calls with skiers caught in wet sluffs after 17 inches of new snow warmed up
4-26-08 Logan Tony Grove Wet Sluff Snowboarder 8,800 E-NE 45 6" 20 200 interface Yes   1 1 1   Snowboarder caught in wet sluff on very steep slope and swept into tree and rock. Broke bones, airlifted out.  
4-24-08 SLC Little Superior Peak, LCC Wind Slab Skier 10,200 S 40 6" 60 1000 interface             Skier caught and carried but got out before slide ran 2/3rds track
4-14-08 SLC Steep Chutes above LCC Wet slab and sluffs Natural 8500-10500' N       500-1500' wet snow              
4-10-08 SLC Patsy Marley Wind Slab Skier   W   3-16 inches 60-70                 Cross loaded wind slab.  Avalanche stopped just short of summer road at Alta
4-10-08 SLC Emma Ridges Wet  Skier   S     15 200               Skier triggered at 2:00 pm. Wet debris snapped branches 3-4' of debris.
4-10-08 SLC Cardiac Bowl Wind Slab                             Reported slide - not many details
4-10-08 SLC Silver Fork Wind Slab Skier 10,000 N   5-12 inches 10                 Two skier triggered wind slabs near ridge
4-10-08 SLC Little Superior Wind slab Skier   S     75 300               Skier triggered near ridge-not caught
4-10-08 SLC Mill B South Wind slab Skier 9,000 E 42 10 inches 50 700       1 1     Skier triggered on steep breakover. Grabbed a tree
4-10-14 SLC Broad's Fork Wind Slab Natural 10,500 E           Yes           Early morning party took photos of a natural from ridge probably from wind loading.
4-10-08 SLC Patsy Marley Wind Slab Skier 9800' W   12" 50' 150'               Skier triggered slab but stopped before he was caught.
4-9-08 SLC Patsy Marley Soft Slab Skier ? ? ? ? ? ?               Skier reported triggering larger slab with very vague details
4-9-08 SLC Flagstaff Ridge across from Alta Wind Slabs Skier 9600- 10400' SE 35+ 3-6" 40-150' 40-150'               Numerous fresh drifts triggered from slope cuts
4-7-08 SLC Little Superior Sluff skier 9600' Sly   14" 30' 300'       1 1   1 Partial burial, OK
4/6/08 SLC White Pine - Birthday Chutes Soft Slabs Skiers 10,500 N-NW 42 8" 30   Facets Yes           Skiers ski cut two small, shallow, soft slabs along upper ridges.  One broke above skier but not caught.
4-3-08 SLC Little Superior wet Loose skier   Sly 35+             1 1     Numerous natural and skier triggered wet loose sluffs, with easterly facing slopes most active.
4-3-08 SLC Cardiac Bowl Soft slab/wind slab skier 10,800 NE 35+ 12" 75' 400'       1 1 1   Skier caught and carried, injured knee when hit a rock as escaping to the side.  Heli evacuated by WBR. 
4-1 & 4-2-08 All Many Soft Slab/ wind slab skiers/ boarders mid and upper mostly northerly                       Shallow small soft slabs released intentionally and unintentionally.  Not a great threat.
3-31-08 All Many Soft Slab/ wind slab natural mid and upper all 35+ 2-14"                   Natural cycle during the storm
3-27-08 SLC Mill B South Soft Slab Skier 10,700' N 35 18" 40' 150' facets yes           Skier unintentionally triggered slab during ski cut.  Broke into old snow.
3-25-08 SLC Crows Feet Wet sluff Skier 9,500' NW 35+ 3-12"   2000'+               No one caught.  Initiated as a small sluff/rollar balls, then widened and ran full track to fill gully.
3-17-08 SLC Mill Back bowl area, BCC Soft Slab snowshoer   ENE 35+ 12"-18"                    
3-15-08 Farmington Near Bountiful Peak Soft Slab Snow-mobile 9500' ENE   12-18" 50'     yes            
3-15-08 SLC all areas Sluffs and Soft Slabs Skier mid and upper all       400'                
3-15-08 SLC Days Fork Soft Slab skier 9800' NE   12-18" 60' 700' facets     1 1      
3-14-08 SLC Cardiff pass south side Soft slab skier 8800' SE 40 18"           1 1     Skier took 100' ride, was able to recover lost gear.
3-14-08 SLC Twin Lakes Pass Soft Slab "cornice" drop 10,100' ENE 35+ 1-2' 300' 300' NSF/SH?             Triggered with a ski length of soft snow.
3-14-08 SLC Georges Bowl Soft Slab skier 10,100' ENE   12-18" 150' 1000' Near Surface Facets yes           Remotely triggered from ridgeline, sympathetically pulled out another 10' pocket. 
3-14-08 SLC Georges Bowl Soft Slab skier 9,000' ENE 40 12-18" 50' 100' NSF/SH yes   1 1     Carried 100', OK.  (NSF/SH = Near surface facets and surface hoar.
3-14-09 Oquirrh mnts West Mountain soft slab skier remote 8,400' ENE   6-8"                   Triggered remotely from 15' away.
3-14-08 PC Dutch Draw near Canyons Resort Soft slab skier 10,000' SE 35+ 12" 25' full length new snow     1 1     Person took 100' ride,got out.  Wonder if some SE facing slopes have a thin layer of facets or surface hoar on the crust. 
3-14-08 SLC, PC mid and upper elevations Soft Slabs and Sluffs skiers above about 8,500' All 35+ 9 to12" 20-60' up to 300' new snow             Naturals and easily triggered.  Running on two different density inversions, to the crust on sunny slopes.
3-13-08 ALL Numerous upper elevations Soft Slabs Skiers 8800'+ All 35+ 2-4" up to 10" 20-40' not much light density new snow             Widespread sensitive human triggered shallow soft slabs.
3-2-08 SLC LCC Soft Slabs Natural and Explosive 9500'-11,000' S   1-2'     Wind slab             Naturalling overnight onto road with extensive productive results with UDOT explosives in AM.
2-29-08 Ogden south of Snowbasin Wet Sluffs Skier <9,000' S, SE 35+   1000'+ 1000+ wet snow              
2-27-08 SLC Cottonwood Draw Wet Slabs Natural 9400' SE   1-2' 100'   facets              
2-26-08 ALL         SW-SE                       Numerous wet, loose naturals on all sun exposed slopes.
2-26-08 SLC Superior Peak, LCC Soft Slab Skier     Steep-ness  1 80                 Skier triggered-unintentioal release while ski cutting
2-26-08 SLC Red Baldy Soft Slab Natural   SE   2-3 200 800               Reported natural
2-26-08 SLC Dutch Draw near Canyons Resort Soft Slab Snowboarder   SE 40 1 100 600       1       Apparent snowboarder triggered.  May have been caught
2-26-08 SLC Kessler Pk - Catcher's Mitt, Cardiff Fork Soft Slab Skier 10,000 E   2 100 2000               Remote trigger
2-26-08 SLC Cardiac Ridge - BCC Cardiff Fork Soft Slab Skier 10,200 E-SE 40 2 50 1000   yes   1 1 1   Skier triggered high on Cardiac Ridge, injured elbow
2-26-08 SLC Superior Peak, LCC Wet sluffs Skiers   S                       Several skier triggered sluffs during the heat of the afternoon on steep slopes, did not hit road below
2-26-08 SLC Emma 2 - LCC Soft Slab Skier                           Skier triggered slide
2-26-08 SLC Toledo Bowl - LCC Soft Slab Skiers 10,200 SW 40 2 100 500 graupel and facets yes   3 3   1 5 skiers traversing bowl under rock band, 3 caught, 1 partially buried, all lost equipment, no inuries
2-23-08 SLC South facing Emmas Wet Loose Skiers 9500' S 35+             2 2      
2-23-08 SLC all areas Sluffs and Soft Slabs human and natural >9000' many approa-ching 40 degrees 8" up to 150' wide up to 1000' stellars yes   3 3 1    
2-22-08 SLC all areas Sluffs and Soft Slabs natural >9000' many   8-12"   up to 1000' new snow              
2-22-08 SLC Y Couloir sluff or soft slab natural 9000'? North 35+     1,200+ new snow     3 3 ? ? 3 people caught, 2 went for 40' rides, one the full 1,200' ride. No other details.
2-20-08 Provo Lower elevations wet sluffs natural below 7,000 all         wet snow             Some low elevation, steep slopes released wet, loose sluffs as the temperature inversion broke up.
2-17-08 SLC Mt Tuscarora Wind Slab Skier 10,500' SE 45 2-4" 35' 100'       1       Skier triggered small wind slab, got pushed around a bit.
2-14-08 Ogden Powder Mtn BC Wind Slab Skier             Wind load             Skiers popped out two recent wind pillows
2-14-08 SLC Reynolds Wet Loose Skier 8600' S 38 10"   500' Solar Heat             Ski cuts produced two intentionally triggered wet loose slides
2-14-08 SLC Toledo Chute Wind Slab Skier 9000' SE 35+ 4-10" 40' 100'?   Yes           Skier popped out a small pocket
2-8-08 Provo Power Plant Chute Soft Slab Natural           1500'   yes           Observed by UDOT avalanche forecasters
2-8-08 Provo Dam Chute above Deer Cr. Soft Slab Artillery 6400' NNW   2' 150' 1100'               UDOT control work.  Burried both lanes of traffic 10' deep.
2-8-08 SLC LCC & BCC Soft Slab Artillery 7000-10,000' S   14-20"                   UDOT control work produced 2 slides in Little and one small one in Big Cottonwood.
2-7-08 SLC Millcreek soft slab/sluff? natural below 7,500' southerly 38+ ? 20-50' 100' Wind load yes           2 low elevation naturals piled debris on the Millcreek road near Elbow Fork
2-7-08 SLC BCC and Millcreek Soft slabs, wind drifts human                           Soft slabs in new snow from ski cuts and cornice kicks.
2-7-08 Provo SR 92, Deer Creek area Wind Slab Natural                            
2-7-08 Provo Sr 92 (Sundance), US 189 Wind Slab Explosive                           4 feet and 10 feet of snow on the road respectively
2-7-08 SLC Little Cottonwood Wind Slab Natural 10,000 S-E 40                     Natural in White Pine during at 1:30 am from strong northwest winds. 10' of debris on road.
2-6-08 SLC Ski areas Wind Slabs