Natural Avalanche in the Taylor Fork
There was about 15” of storm snow. One of the slopes in Sage Basin avalanched with a large cornice trigger. The slide failed 85 cm deep (~3 feet) on a layer of surface hoar. The surface hoar was a surprise as we haven't seen avalanches on this layer for a long time. I got an ECTP27 in the flank, and it failed on the same layer of surface hoar as the avalanche. I would recommend minimizing time on wind-loaded slopes or avoiding them all together. Weak layers buried 3-4 feet deep are back in play, and I wouldn't ride a steep slope without testing them quickly.