Step down in upper whitefish

Location Name: 
Upper Whitefish
Observation date: 
Saturday, March 12, 2022 - 15:00

Is this an Avalanche Observation: 
Yes
Observation made by: Public

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Quick Observation
Snowpack, Avalanche, Weather Images: 
Travel Details
Region: 
Whitefish Range - Northern (north of Coal Creek)
Activity: 
Snowbiking
Snowpack Details
Snowpack and Weather Details: 
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Elevation of observation: 
Above 6500 ft
Aspect(s) of observation: 
E
Red Flags: 
Avalanches from the past 2 days
Blowing snow
Avalanche Details
Avalanche Details: 
Date and Time of Avalanche: 
Saturday, March 12, 2022 - 15:00
Number of avalanches: 
2
Avalanche Type: 
Soft Slab
Failure Plane/Weak Layer: 
New/old snow interface
More information or comments about the avalanche: 

Snowboarder unintentionally triggered a 6-8inch wind slab while dropping into a line at 7800ft on an east face. It propagated roughly 20 yards out underneath the rocks at the entrance to the line and ran over the small cliffs below. On impact underneath the cliffs, a slab propagated another 20-30 yards in both directions and stepped down resulting in a 3-4 ft crown beneath the cliffs. Debris piled on the lake below was heavy enough to crack the ice. No one was caught or injured.

Hide Trigger
Trigger: 
snowboarder
Trigger Modifier: 
Accidentally Triggered
Hide Terrain
Aspect: 
East
Starting Elevation: 
7800
Hide Size
Destructive Size: 
D2 Could bury, injure, or kill a person.
Relative Size: 
R3 Medium
Crown Height: 
3 ft
Avalanche Length (Vertical Run): 
650ft.
Avalanche Width (Average width): 
200ft.
Hide People Involved
Number of people caught: 
0
Number of partial burials: 
0
Number of full burials: 
0