Human triggered avalanche activity near the summit of Hidden Peak

Location Name: 
Hidden Peak
Region: 
West Shore Area
Date and time of avalanche (best estimate if unknown): 
Wed, 02/16/2011 - 15:15
Location Map: 
United States
38° 59' 3.3576" N, 120° 7' 46.7832" W
US


Red Flags: 
Recent avalanche activity
Whumphing noises, shooting cracks, or collapsing
Recent loading by new snow, wind, or rain
Obvious avalanche path

Observation made by: Forecaster
Avalanche Observations
Avalanche Type: 
dry,slab,
Slope: 
35degrees
Trigger type: 
Skier
Crown Height: 
1 ft
Aspect: 
Northeast
Weak Layer: 
Storm Snow
Avalanche Width: 
120ft.
Terrain: 
Near Treeline
Elevation: 
9 100ft.
Bed Surface: 
Storm Snow
Avalanche Length: 
200ft.
Number of similar avalanches: 
3
More detailed information about the avalanche: 

Near and above treeline (8800 ft to 9200 ft) on Hidden Peak the winds had created soft wind slabs on any exposed N-NE-E facing terrain. Shooting cracks occurred anywhere these wind slabs existed with the longest cracks extending 20-30 ft away from my skis. One of these cracks started on the summit ridgeline and fractured down onto steeper slopes and caused avalanches on those slopes 20-30 ft away (remote triggering)(photo 3, video 2). In another case a ski cut on a small test slope not only caused a small slide on that test slope, but also on a larger adjacent wind loaded slope (photo 1, video 1). All of these slides ran within the new snow and most of them only failed on a density change within the new snow. However one of them (the slide remotely triggered from the test slope) did fail down to the old crust and ran on that layer. Another one ran on a bed surface within the new snow but cracked all the way down to the old crust. I did not see any natural avalanches.

Photo 1: Small ski cut triggered slide on a NE facing, wind loaded slope. Note the second larger slide in the background that was remotely triggered when this test slope failed. See video 1.

Photo 2: Long shooting cracks near treeline on a wind loaded slope.

Photo 3. Shooting crack triggered from a ridgeline that shot down into the slope below. Then next kick caused this 35 degree, NE facing, wind loaded slope to slide with a 1-1.5 ft crown. The slide ran downslope about 200 ft and measuresed about 120 ft wide. See video 2.

Avalanche Photos: 
Avalanche observation video: 

20110216hidden 009

20110216hidden 014

Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
Yes
Cloud Cover: 
100% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Below Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Strong
Precipitation: 
Snow
Air temperature trend: 
Cooling
Wind Direction: 
Southwest
Accumulation rate: 
Greater than 1 in. per hour
More detailed information about the weather: 

Continuous wind transport of snow along the ridgelines reloading the N-NE-E aspects near and above treeline. Temperatures falling during the day.