South Cornice Ridge 12-11-04

                                                                                                                                      ( Images are from 12-14-04)

                                                            Looking up at Cornice Ridge from Tony Grove Road 12-14-04

                                      On Saturday 12-11-04, three snowmobilers triggered and narrowly escaped this large Hard Slab avalanche.

                      Two, who where on their last hill climb of the day after tracking out the broad Cornice Ridge Area, triggered and escaped on the northern flank of the avalanche.  The third, who was watching from the flats below barely escaped the toe of the avalanche on his powerful sled.

                                                    The avalanche was 6 to 8 feet deep and about 500 feet wide at the crown                      

      Looking at Keeler and the north side of the crown.  A tremendous Hard Slab built up on weak near surface facets and surface hoar.

           Looking at the south side of the crown.  The combined weight of two snowmobiles and riders was enough to trigger this scary slide.

                                       High winds and heavy snowfall can deposit a huge slab layer onto an exposed lee slope.

                                                                Tracks leading down into the crown on the north flank.

                                  Notice all the tracks from earlier in the day on the left flank that have been buried by the avalanche.

                            There are snowmobile tracks on top of this huge intact chunk of hard slab on the flats below Cornice Ridge.

                        The three snowmobilers are lucky not to have been buried in this avalanche.  A search would have been difficult.