Observer Name
Drew Brodheaf
Observation Date
Sunday, January 26, 2025
Avalanche Date
Sunday, January 26, 2025
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Mill D North » Little Water
Location Name or Route
Little Water Peak, North Face
Elevation
9,400'
Aspect
North
Trigger
Skier
Avalanche Type
Hard Slab
Avalanche Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Weak Layer
Density Change
Depth
12"
Width
100'
Caught
1
Carried
1
Comments
Summary:
Our party of three summited Little Water Peak at approximately 2:10 PM, approaching from the Mill D trailhead in Big Cottonwood Canyon. While on the summit, two skiers approached Little Water from the east via Park City/The Canyons. After a brief interaction, we learned they were visiting skiers from Argentina (one male and one female).
The pair quickly transitioned, turned on their beacons, and positioned themselves to ski the north aspect of Little Water. There were two ski tracks on Fire Water that appeared to be a day old. After a short conversation in Spanish, the male skier dropped in from the summit. He cut hard left onto what appeared to be a hard wind slab. He traversed a few hundred feet left before making any turns. After 1-2 turns, the slab released.
The skier managed to stay on top of the moving debris, although he nearly fell several times, before exiting the slide near some trees. He eventually fell and briefly lost a ski. We overheard a brief exchange of words in Spanish, mainly asking if he was okay.
The female skier descended to meet him, following the existing tracks on Fire Water while we spotted her from below. After regrouping, the pair quickly disappeared into the trees.
We all regretted not interjecting and voicing our concerns about the slope. It’s a reminder that if you see something, say something. Thankfully, no one was hurt.
Photos:
The attached photos were taken on the left side of the avalanche path. The snow above the slide consisted of a slick wind slab. The crown appeared to be approximately 2 feet deep, with the flanks around 1 foot deep. The slide was approximately 100 feet wide, give or take.
Coordinates