From an email: "I started this Avalanche yesterday (Wed, 12/16). I dug a quick pit and saw how bad the weak layer was. In my efforts to stay off slopes above 30 I still popped this one off. It was a north facing slope at angles of 35 to 40. I stopped right on top of the convex slope and 5 feet in front of me it broke. Riders left there were 4.5 foot slabs, about 200 feet total that slid more that cracked but didn't slid." Photo: L. Merton