Partial burial on Elephant's Back

Location Name: 
NE slope of Elephant's Back
Region: 
Carson Pass Area
Date and time of avalanche (best estimate if unknown): 
Wed, 11/11/2015 - 11:00
Location Map: 
United States
38° 40' 45.138" N, 119° 58' 58.1772" W
US


Red Flags: 
Whumphing noises, shooting cracks, or collapsing
Recent loading by new snow, wind, or rain
Terrain Trap

Observation made by: Public
Avalanche Observations
Avalanche Type: 
Dry
Slab
Slope: 
35degrees
Trigger type: 
Skier
Crown Height: 
1 ft
Aspect: 
Northeast
Weak Layer: 
Storm Snow
Avalanche Width: 
30ft.
Terrain: 
Above Treeline
Elevation: 
9 350ft.
Bed Surface: 
Storm Snow
Avalanche Length: 
150ft.
Number of people caught: 
1
Number of partial burials: 
1
Number of full burials: 
0
More detailed information about the avalanche: 

Apologies that I didn't get a better photo. You'll have to zoom in to see the slide - the crown is right below the cliff band, around the center of the photo. Also, I did not see the slide in action but arrived at the spot from which I took the photo and encountered the group that had just triggered it. It was a wind slab that slid on storm snow from the Sunday/Monday storm. The flat top of Elephant's Back had been heavily scoured during (or after) the most recent storm, and the snow had been deposited below the cliff band. Several folks had followed what I'm told is a common skin track beneath that cliff band (clearly visible in the photo) and had put in tracks toward the center of the bowl. The triggering skier reported that he followed these tracks and went slightly skier's right of the last track. Apparently, it ripped on one of his first couple turns. Luckily, the slide slowed on a small bump in the slope above a scree field (just off the picture to the left), where the skier wound up partially buried. Another reminder that early-season conditions don't mean avalanche-free conditions. There were pockets of wind slab a few inches thick on lee and cross-loaded slopes throughout our tour, which took us up to the Round Top saddle and back. We experienced a some collapsing on flatter slopes and triggered a few wind slabs on test slopes, but didn't see any other slides during our tour

Avalanche Photos: 
Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
No
Cloud Cover: 
Clear
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Calm
Precipitation: 
None
Air temperature trend: 
Warming
Wind Direction: 
Accumulation rate: 
None
More detailed information about the weather: