Hyak Avalanched Today!!

The avalanche was caused by liquified soil underneath the slab. The slab failed in tension as the ground beneath was eroded by water. Technically this would be a mixed flow ( of earth, snow, and rock ) or possibly a debris flow if material such as trees were included. Maybe it could be termed a debris flow because a house was included. ( Not joking. )

Does anyone know what the slope angle is there where the slide occured, also any convexity or concavity in that terrain area??

The mind boggles - especially since I skied thru part of it's path a couple weekends ago. They had groomed the trails and to the top of the hill then but I don't recall any grooming up where slide started. I am also having trouble picturing whether it is steeper above where the slide started. I thought I remember it being steeper above there skiing down from that little shed skiiers right of the face?

My friend who lives up there took some video footage yesterday and today of the carnage. You can see the crumpled lift tower... www.sstroopers.com/

New high speed quad at Hyak now?

Went and took a closer look at the damage this afternoon.
Fack! The pictures just don't do it justice.

Land slide is correct. The area just at the base of the tower (which appears to be only held in place by the cable) is a ravine now. I overheard a comment from a old timer on the mountain who said that area had been filed in by the original developers when Hyak was originally built? Interestingly, the road that switchbacks through that area apparently was not washed out.

My friend who lives up there took some video footage yesterday and today of the carnage. You can see the crumpled lift tower... www.sstroopers.com/

New high speed quad at Hyak now?

That is an awesome banner shot of Tim on that homepage... Great vid too. Crazy stuff.