Observer Name
Daniel cottam
Observation Date
Friday, January 2, 2026
Avalanche Date
Friday, January 2, 2026
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Hidden Canyon
Location Name or Route
Hidden canyon
Elevation
10,200'
Aspect
West
Trigger
Skier
Trigger: additional info
Unintentionally Triggered
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Weak Layer
Facets
Depth
2.5'
Width
40'
Comments
Skiing hidden canyon not quite to brown spot in heavily tracked area. 30 yards past ropes. Second skier set off avalanche that went down to dirt. This surprised us as the crust was so supportable but the aspect was steep and it was rocky below the snow.
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Forecaster Note: Hidden Canyon has not opened to the public and access from the Great Western lift has been closed.
This slide was triggered Friday January 2nd. I went to look at this slide with Brighton Snow Safety Malia Bowman the next day. This slide was triggered in very steep, thin, rocky terrain at 10,200'. The compass pointed due West, but the snow structure 'presented' as north;ie - mostly cold and dry snow with exceptionally weak facets on the ground. OF NOTE - the Christmas Eve Rain Crust (CERC) was very thin ~ 1-2cm thick and friable.
Drew Hardesty, UAC forecaster
Coordinates
