This is some amazing footage of a massive controlled slide from the top of Ajax, set off by the Telluride Ski Patrol. In this clip you really get a feel for the power and magnitude of these things and just how scary they can be. The snow cascading through those chutes sure is beautiful though, from a distance that is! It must have been sweet seeing this from that Heli! Maybe next time Telluride Ski Patrol will let me ride along to capture the action! 😉 Let me know!
For great information on avalanches and snow safety in the Northern San Juans, check out this link about the CAIC.
Here are a few great photos by Eric Limon of Ajax sliding, the Black & White image from 1999 and the color one from a few years later.