Wind slab avalanche on Peak 9269', possibly human triggered.

Details about how triggering occurred remain missing, hopefully the involved party will submit an account to clarify. My partner and I saw this avalanche while ascending Hidden Peak this morning.

It appears that a party of two ascended the avalanche path prior to the wind slab failure and subsequent avalanche. Right where the skin track appears from the bed surface to climbers right of the crown and flank is the very bottom of the wind slab. This is clearly noted by how quickly the avalanche depth at the flank decreases. It looks highly likely that the party triggered the avalanche while ascending onto the wind slab to climber's right of the area that avalanched. Their ascent track below them appears to have been taken out by the avalanche. There were no visible signs of any skin track or boot pack on the avalanche bed surface leading up to where the skin track appears existing the avalanched area near the crown.

Based on the tracks or lack there of in certain areas, this seems like the most likely scenario. However, it is unconfirmed.

My partner and I were able to travel the opposite side of the ridge (W side) and see either end of the avalanche area and confirm tracks from two persons entering and exiting the avalanche path.

My partner and I kicked at and ski cut several small test slopes along the ridgetop just to the south of the avalanche area. We were not able to duplicate and slab failures. We only created small dry loose surface instability. Hand pits and pole probing showed the presence of wind slab at and above treeline.