http://www.avalanche.org/~uac/...wl-Uintas,12-25-07.htm
The winds have been howling recently, mostly heading NE and a few days ago heading SSE. This is really dangerous for avalanche conditions. The snow is blown to the ridge lines and steeper slopes, melts a bit and then rebonds with the snow already deposited there. This creates a "Wind Slab". Now there is a large, and heavy, slab of snow on top of previously deposited snow. As you can bet, the under layer can't hold on too well and it slides when you attempt to do anything on it. If the snowmobilers had dug a pit all this information would have been clear as day ("a pit" is just a hold that you dig in the snow the see all the layers in it) and they could have found a safer slope to play on. If they were wearing avalanche gear (beacon, probe, shovel) they could have found their friend before help arrived.
IF you aren't going to dig a pit, you should be well aware what the weather has been doing the last week. There is no reason why anyone should be in the back country without a beacon (and no how to use it, because face it, if you don't know how to track down another beacon it's just a pack that wastes batteries). That's just foolishness.
I only point this out because it has been happening all too often this year. I think people are assuming that a low snow depth = less danger, when that is not the case at all.
The winds have been howling recently, mostly heading NE and a few days ago heading SSE. This is really dangerous for avalanche conditions. The snow is blown to the ridge lines and steeper slopes, melts a bit and then rebonds with the snow already deposited there. This creates a "Wind Slab". Now there is a large, and heavy, slab of snow on top of previously deposited snow. As you can bet, the under layer can't hold on too well and it slides when you attempt to do anything on it. If the snowmobilers had dug a pit all this information would have been clear as day ("a pit" is just a hold that you dig in the snow the see all the layers in it) and they could have found a safer slope to play on. If they were wearing avalanche gear (beacon, probe, shovel) they could have found their friend before help arrived.
IF you aren't going to dig a pit, you should be well aware what the weather has been doing the last week. There is no reason why anyone should be in the back country without a beacon (and no how to use it, because face it, if you don't know how to track down another beacon it's just a pack that wastes batteries). That's just foolishness.
I only point this out because it has been happening all too often this year. I think people are assuming that a low snow depth = less danger, when that is not the case at all.
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