All Avalanche Incidents for Advisory Year 2018-19

Northern Gallatin
Mt Blackmore
Skier triggered slide on Blackmore
Incident details include images
Mt Blackmore
SS-ASc-R2-D2-I
Elevation: 10,000
Aspect: N
Coordinates: 45.4451, -111.0040
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

 From e-mail: "A ski cut at the top of the slope produced a soft slab avalanche (R2 D2 SS). The crown was 10" deep and 60' wide. Several other skiers had skied a line to the skiers right of our route with no obvious signs of instability or avalanches. No natural avalanches were observed with the exception of some small wet point release slides on the E face of Mt Blackmore."


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Northern Madison
Fan Mountain
Natural wet slabs on Fan Mtn.
Incident details include images
Fan Mountain
WS-N-R3-D3-O
Elevation: 10,000
Coordinates: 45.2991, -111.5220
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Natural wet slabs were widespread on Fan Mtn. near Big Sky during the week of 5/13-5/16.


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Northern Madison
Beehive Basin
Natural Wet Slab in Beehive
Incident details include images
Beehive Basin
WS-N-R4-D2.5-O
Elevation: 9,600
Aspect: S
Coordinates: 45.3508, -111.4040
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Skiers saw a large wet slab that released naturally sometime before 0745 on Tuesday (5/14). 


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Bridger Range
Saddle Peak
Natural wet slab on Saddle Peak
Incident details include images
Saddle Peak
WS-NC-R2-D2.5-O
Elevation: 9,000
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 45.7952, -110.9350
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Wet slab released naturally Tuesday (5/14/19) evening on Saddle Peak. "South side of 1/4 Saddle slid sometime last night. Looks like cornice drop then step down to near ground. Hi yesterday at Alpine was 62." -R. Elliott/BBSP


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Bridger Range
Bridger Bowl
Glide Avalanche on Glide Plane
Incident details include images
Bridger Bowl
WS-N-R3-D2.5-G
Elevation: 7,750
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 45.8240, -110.9250
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

"South side of the Glide Plane released as a glide avalanche last evening (May 12th) sometime around 6 pm according to source. Bed surface was ground in starting zone of wet clay soil sparsely covered in long grass.  Debris chunks, some snowmobile sized, rode up on surface and slid approx. 200 vert.  Debris could have bumped a tower on the old Alpine lift if it still lived there. Last freeze was 6 am on the 10th of May.  The high temperature on the 12th was 59 degrees at 4 pm." 

From BBSP Avalanche Atlas:

Interesting Events:

"The Glide Plane annually develops a significant glide crack starting on the north side of the lower section. There is only one event  (late 1960’s) of this path breaking out to the ground that can be recalled (glide avalanche). This occurred sometime when Randy Elliott was a grade-schooler and it did damage to a tower on the old Alpine lift. A deflector was then built onto the damaged tower. Mitigation efforts throughout the 80’s consisted of extensive boot packing early season and one attempt of encircling entire slope with det chord. These efforts proved futile, as the crack still developed and the slope remained intact.

Circa 2013 when the original Alpine chair was removed, the road cut known as the 3 Bears Traverse was filled back in with its original material that had been the foundation of the unload station of the old Alpine. This is the 3rd season (2016) with the original landscape, the glide crack has still opened but the slope has stayed in place.

Early 1980’s, Joel Jurgens wanted to test the slope because of rapid movement. Buried big shots on flanks and Goldilocks Traverse level strung together with det cord. –Randy Elliott 2017" - Pete Maleski 2015-2016


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Northern Madison
Skier triggered wind slab near Beehive Basin
Incident details include images
SS-AS-R2-D1.5-I
Elevation: 10,000
Aspect: N
Coordinates: 45.3581, -111.3760
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From e-mail: “We found soft snow and great skiing in the morning, with a few wind affected pockets (my partner triggered a wide but thin wind slab coming into the hellroaring basin). By noonish the winds picked up quite a bit, quickly creating thin and sensitive wind slabs as we made our way down the SE face.  The small slides we created could have been dangerous in exposed terrain.”


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Bridger Range
Bridger Bowl
Skier triggered loose new snow at Bridger
Incident details include images
Bridger Bowl
L-AS-R2-D1.5-I
Elevation: 8,400
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 45.8158, -110.9290
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Skiers easily triggered loose snow avalanches of the 3-5” of new snow. This morning (4/27) on the Bridger Ridge. Photo: @smooneyski


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Cooke City
Crown Butte
Wet slabs near Cooke City
Incident details include images
Crown Butte
WS-AM-R2-D2-O
Elevation: 9,500
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 45.0584, -109.9630
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Several similar slides WS-R2-D1.5/2 were observed on 4/20/19. Many probably triggered by snowmobilers. At lower elevations natural slides were breaking to the ground. Several larger crowns were observed near Goose Lake on 4/23/19.


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Out of Advisory Area
Emigrant Peak
Wet slab and large wet loose near Emigrant
Incident details include images
Emigrant Peak
WS-N-R3-D2.5-I
Elevation: 10,000
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 45.2648, -110.7010
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From e-mail: "recent wet slab by Emigrant peak as well as a large wet loose (very similar avy activity noted across the valley, and i would guess similar activity in some of the fx zones).  Wet slab 3-5’ crown estimation, all look connected/pulled out upon one another,..."


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Cooke City
Wall Mountain
Large wet slab near Cooke City
Incident details include images
Wall Mountain
WS-N-R3-D2.5-G
Elevation: 9,000
Aspect: N
Coordinates: 44.9978, -109.9780
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

This natural wet slab avalanche on Wall Mountain outside of Cooke City failed near the ground. It was big- estimated crow size was 3-6' deep and 400' wide. Photo: B. Fredlund


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Bridger Range
Bridger Bowl
Widespread large natural wet loose in Bridgers
Incident details include images
Bridger Bowl
WL-N-R2-D1.5-S
Elevation: 8,000
Coordinates: 45.9072, -110.9750
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Today (4/19/19) there were more and larger wet slides in addition to those that slid yesterday. Activity started before noon and slides were D1.5-D2 wet loose. One wet slab released north of Bridger Peak around 1400, probably from a cornice fall. There was widespread activity in addition to yesterday's slides on all slopes from Bridger Peak through Frazier Basin.


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Bridger Range
Bridger Peak
Natural wet slab near Bridger Peak
Bridger Peak
WS-N-R3-D2-I
Elevation: 8,500
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 45.7743, -110.9380
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

One wet slab released north of Bridger Peak around 1400, probably from a cornice fall. Today (4/19/19) there were more and larger wet slides on top of and adjacent to those that slid yesterday. Activity started before noon and slides were D1.5-D2 wet loose. There was widespread activity in addition to yesterday's slides on all slopes from Bridger Peak through Frazier Basin.


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Northern Madison
Fan Mountain
D3s on Fan and Cedar Mtn., Cornice/slab and wet loose at Big Sky
Fan Mountain
WL-N-R2-D3-O
Elevation: 10,500
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 45.2957, -111.5130
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From BSSP: "There was considerable cornice growth... in most cases, natural failure sometime early morning, triggering recent wind slabs. Shots were producing very local results, with the exception of orbit in the gum wall, failing size 2 on storm/old snow interface. Also, low on the west wall, an east aspect, we had a 2’ crown triggered by cornice failure. This failed on a maybe week-old interface and partly filled the terrain trap. Similar stubborn results were observed on route, but once warmed up, these slabs became active in lenin, dirtbag wall, and hanging valley triggered on skis this afternoon. The upper a-z’s, pinnacles, and dirt bag wall were problematic with natural wet loose failure in most areas by late afternoon, running on previous melt/freeze crust. 

In the backcountry, fan mtn and cedar mtn failed well into older layers on east aspects from cornice failure, up to size 3-sizeable avalanches."


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Bridger Range
BRIDGER RANGE
Natural wet loose slides Bridgers
Incident details include images
BRIDGER RANGE
WL-N-R2-D1.5-S
Elevation: 8,000
Coordinates: 45.8068, -110.9230
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Observed widespread natural wet loose slides, D1-D2, from Bridger Peak to north of Frazier Basin. Biggest on E-SE aspects in large terrain in northern Bridgers. Wet snow on NE up to 8,000 feet. Saw one maybe recent (poor viz) D2 slab in bowl south of Naya Nuki and some fresh small cornice fall/slabs at ridgeline. Widespread, but nothing major destructive.


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Cooke City
Mt Republic
Natural Slab Avalanche Mt. Republic
Incident details include images
Mt Republic
SS-N-R1-D1.5-I
Elevation: 9,600
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 45.0047, -109.9560
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

Natural slab avalanche at the bottom of the Fin on Mt. Republic. Photo: B. Fredlund


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Cooke City
Abiathar Peak
Multiple natural and human-triggered avalanches
Incident details include images
Abiathar Peak
SS-N-R2-D2-I
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Skiers observed natural and human-triggered avalanches on Abiathar, Yellow Mountain, Bridger Bowl, and in the Crazy Mountains. The avalanche in the Crazies partially buried a solo skier, who was luckily uninjured and able to dig himself out. These avalanches failed at the interface between old and new snow, most of which were on wind-loaded slopes. Photos: D. Proudfoot, G. Antonioli


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Out of Advisory Area
Crazy Peak
Skier partially buried in Crazies
Crazy Peak
SS-ASu-R2-D2-S
Elevation: 10,000
Aspect: N
Coordinates: 46.0213, -110.2840
Caught: 1 ; Buried: 1

From e-mail: "[A solo skier] was turning around [on the face of Crazy Peak] after noticing the wind was affecting the snow when he got hit from above and partially buried, losing some belongings. He was able to dig himself out and was uninjured... He said he thought the slide broke 200 feet wide, and ran from the middle of the face to the bowl."


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Bridger Range
Frazier Basin
Small skier triggered and natural wind slabs in N. Bridgers
Incident details include images
Frazier Basin
SS-ASu-R1-D1
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

A group of skiers reported triggering a small wind slab avalanche in the Northern Bridger Range. No one was caught. A separate group also wrote: "On east facing test slopes near 8,000 feet we found very reactive wind slabs, about 8-12 inches deep." And they saw recent natural activity.


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Northern Madison
Beehive Peak
Skier triggered wind slabs in Beehive
Incident details include images
Beehive Peak
SS-ASc-R1-D1-S
Elevation: 9,500
Aspect: SE
Coordinates: 45.3534, -111.4060
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From e-mail on 4/11/19: "We found reactive storm slabs and touchy windslabs near ridgelines. We kicked off a small windslab in 4th of July from the top of the couloir. Attached is a photo of the crown to give you a depth perspective. It was about 6 feet across and 3-4 inches deep."


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Cooke City
COOKE CITY
Numerous natural dry slabs near Cooke
Incident details include images
COOKE CITY
SS-N-R1-D2-S
Elevation: 9,500
Coordinates: 45.0545, -109.9450
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

We rode to Lulu pass and had enough visibility to see a N-SS-R1-D2 slide on the big Henderson slide path.

We could also see at least five N-SS-R1-D1.5 slides along Miller Bench (between Miller and Wolverine).

And, a couple wide R2-D2 crowns on Miller Ridge.

All 1-2' deep, not very wide. Likely ran the last day or two after 2-3' of heavy spring snow earlier this week.


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Cooke City
COOKE CITY
Natural wet slide near Cooke
Incident details include images
COOKE CITY
WS-N-R2-D1.5
Elevation: 8,600
Aspect: W
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0
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Cooke City
COOKE CITY
Natural new snow slab avalanche near Cooke
Incident details include images
COOKE CITY
SS-N-R2-D2-S
Elevation: 9,600
Aspect: N
Coordinates: 44.9776, -110.0300
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Observed on 4/10/19. See photo.


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Cooke City
Mt Republic
Wet and dry slab avalanches Cooke
Incident details include images
Mt Republic
WS-N-R2-D2
Elevation: 8,000
Aspect: N
Coordinates: 45.0095, -109.9490
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

 

From e-mail: "some natural, wet slab avalanche activity from yesterday on Mt. Republic.  North facing, 8,000'.  Triggered by wet loose slides from above.

Also, noted one large slab avalanche on the north aspect of Miller Ridge yesterday.  Probably triggered by a cornice fall."


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Bridger Range
The Throne
Glide avalanche on The Throne
Incident details include images
The Throne
WS-N-R2-D1.5-O
Elevation: 7,200
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 45.8817, -110.9490
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Crown was observed on 4/18/19 and looked old and covered with previous snow. This slope previously had a glide crack, which probably released during rain on 4/7-4/8.


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Bridger Range
Truman Gulch
Natural wet slab West side Bridger
Incident details include images
Truman Gulch
WS-N-R2-D2.5-O
Elevation: 8,000
Aspect: W
Coordinates: 45.8082, -110.9370
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Crown first observed from Gallatin valley with Binoculars on 4/18/19. This was first clear day in a couple weeks. Heavy rain up to 8,500' on 4/7-4/8 and above freezing temperatures created large wet slides. This likely ran during that time.


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Bridger Range
Bridger Bowl
Natural large wet slides at Bridger
Incident details contain video
Bridger Bowl
WL-N-R2-D2.5-O
Elevation: 8,000
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 45.8141, -110.9280
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Evidence seen on Wednesday of large wet slides that likely ran on Monday during heavy rain event. Forecaster observed debris on most steep terrain from Hidden Gully to the Ramp. Debris ran to Goldilocks traverse and the road out of bounds north. Multiple size D2, up to D2.5.

From BBSP email: "Good evidence of wet slide activity across the mtn that prob ran late Monday?
Hidden to the Goldilocks traverse
B Gully past Goldilocks 
Av Gulch/right side? to old lower gulch rd
Colter’s to Reggie’s level
Debris on Z fan at traverse level
Boundary chute to upper gate
Close call to nearly upper traverse."
 


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Out of Advisory Area
Bell Lake
Skier-Triggered Slab Tobacco Roots
Incident details include images
Bell Lake
HS-ASc-R2-D1.5-I
Elevation: 3,250
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 45.5368, -111.9830
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

From the email:

"We toured up to the Bell Lake area with the objective of the adjacent north-facing lines. Dug several pits at the top of the apron of the Good One beside the slide path. Found ECTN6 @ 5cm and ECTN14 @ ~25 cm. Also 15 cm groppel layer at about 70cm. We made a rising traverse across the slide path to test the more cross-loaded west edge and our assumption that the groppel was localized. This traverse caused a very small (D1/R1) slide on the ~5cm interface. We decided to turn around and skied down the apron, then repeated a lap on the apron. The second time we notices some slow moving debris higher in the chute, which was a natural slab of similar size (both us and Bell Lake guides observed a crown about half the width of the chute).

We ended up ascending to the ridge further east in a tightly treed area and adjacent slide path where the snow was less wind effected and less reactive. Our initial goal was to ski the lower angle runouts of the slide paths over to the last slide path I have heard called Exit Chute or Going Home. When we noticed the less wind effected snow we kept pushing the skin track up to the ridge.

At the top of the ridge I skied off a wind lip and ski cut the eastern aspect on the way over the to Exit Chute/Going Home. The slope was being actively loaded and we had discussed briefly how we had not gathered information on this slope - gathering some first would have been smarter. The resulting crown was 24-30" and spanned about 150'. Probably D1.5/R2). After several pits on the North side and a pit on the same aspect that slid (east), we got similar results at the two interfaces. The big difference I noted were hardness and grain type lemons at the lower interface, the sun crust bed surface of the eastern aspect that slid. On the northern aspect the lemons and the crust were not present at that interface."


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Northern Madison
Beehive Basin
Skier-Triggered wind slab near Beehive
Beehive Basin
SS-D1.5-I
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 45.3293, -111.3910
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

Skiers unintentionally triggered a wind slab on an east facing slope near Beehive Basin. From the email:

"Climbed a W-facing couloir to drop over the ridge on our way to Gallatin Peak. Really firm up top.
The E-facing couloir we were gonna ski down had gotten some wind-loading, but didn't look too bad. I entered slowly from the north side, and almost immediately set off a small windslab. It wasn't big (crown maybe a foot at the deepest, most of it more like 6"), all new snow, but riding it down that couloir would really not have been a day-brightener. I slid a couple feet, but I was on the edge and it broke around me, so I wasn't caught. Probably about 8am, when we were up there."


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Cooke City
Goose Creek
Skier-Triggered storm slabs in Cooke City
Goose Creek
SS-AS-I
Coordinates: 45.1307, -109.8990
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

Skiers triggered three storm slabs with 4-12" crown depths near Goose Creek.


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Out of Advisory Area
Other place
Natural avalanche in the Crazies
Incident details include images
Other place
HS-N-R1-D1.5-I
Coordinates: 46.0447, -110.3050
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

Natural wind slab in the Crazy Mountains near Twin Lakes. From the email: 

"Wet slides were not a concern due to low temps but I noticed a hard wind slab on top of a frozen layer on higher elevation slopes." Photo: A. Vadis


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Bridger Range
Fairy Lake
Snowmobile-triggered slab Northern Bridgers
Incident details include images
Fairy Lake
SS-AM-R1-D1.5-I
Elevation: 8,500
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 45.9138, -110.9800
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

A skier in the northern Bridgers saw this snowmobile-triggered avalanche after experiencing a large whumpf on a nearby slope. From the email:

"Skied Fraizer Lake, skinning up the north facing in the bowl. It was light snow on a hard surface with good stability until we got up under the cliffs and I started noticing grauple pouring into the skin track. Tested a few more steps and got a big whomph, dug a quick hand pit and got super poor stability with a 6-8" slab on cold grauple. I skied backwards down the track and away. We saw a bunch of big north facing lines get skied, and I was feeling a bit conservative. As we were leaving we checked out Hardscrabble North bowl and saw this 'biler trigged slide the north facing pocket, same aspect as where we were." Photo and obs: P. Cronin


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Northern Gallatin
Mt Blackmore
New snow instability-Blackmore
Incident details include images
Mt Blackmore
SS-ASc-R2-D1.5-I
Elevation: 10,000
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 45.4434, -111.0030
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

Skiers at Mt. Blackmore saw three flavors of avalanches: dry loose, wet loose, and soft slab. The dry avalanches were triggered intentionally, while the loose wet failed naturally. From the email: 

"Skied the east face of Mt Blackmore. Stability was good, although small loose dry avalanches were easily triggered with ski cuts.We also saw several small loose wet avalanches that released near cliff bands. The snow was starting to become wet when we left." Photo: N. Salsburg


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Northern Gallatin
Maid of the Mist
Skier triggered small wind slab
Incident details include images
Maid of the Mist
SS-ASc-R1-D1-I
Elevation: 10,000
Coordinates: 45.4123, -110.9880
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From an email: "Small cross loaded slopes were easy to trigger. None were very large, but I did kick off numerous small windslabs on multiple aspects. Some large cornices were starting to detach from ridges along Mt. Bole and in the Maid of the Mist area. Numerous had fallen recently and created sizable debris piles. Attached is a picture of one of the cross-loaded ribs that I triggered while skinning by."


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Northern Madison
NORTHERN MADISON RANGE
Long running loose slides in N. Madison
Incident details include images
NORTHERN MADISON RANGE
L-ASc-R1-D1-I
Elevation: 11,000
Aspect: NW
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From instagram: "Easily triggered 3" soft slabs/loose snow slides. NW facing Northern Madison around 11,000' Ran 400' on sun crust. At least 3 intentionally triggered."


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Northern Madison
Dudley Creek
Natural wet avalanche at Dudley Creek
Incident details include images
Dudley Creek
WL-N-D2.5
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 45.2783, -111.2610
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

Hikers reported a wet avalanche near the Dudley Creek trailhead. From the email:

"On Sunday March 31 we observed that several wet slides had occurred during the last week. The slides came almost down to the road beside the FS trailhead and into the backyards of two residences below the steep NE facing slopes. The trail was covered in debris above the uppermost house and their fence was torn up and carried into the yard. We spoke with one of the residents and were told that the slides occurred about a week ago and were the biggest they had experienced." Photo and obs: J. Cummins


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Northern Madison
Yellow Mountain Wet Slab
Incident details include images
WS-NL-R2-D2.5-G
Elevation: 9,000
Aspect: S
Coordinates: 45.2989, -111.3200
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

Large wet slab avalanche on Yellow Mountain. The slab was most likely triggered by a loose avalanche that released just above the slab. Photos: T. Vanyo


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Northern Gallatin
Mt Blackmore
Natural wet slab Blackmore
Incident details include images
Mt Blackmore
WS-N-R1-D1.5-G
Elevation: 7,400
Aspect: W
Coordinates: 45.4663, -110.9840
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

Skiers in Hyalite saw a natural wet slab near Blackmore Lake. From the email: "The slide was located around 300 yards South of Blackmore Lake on a West facing slope at an elevation just above 7400 feet.  It broke below a cliff band about 3' deep (to the ground) and ran a few hundred feet (almost to the skin track)." Photo: JR Mooney


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Bridger Range
Northern Bridgers
Skier triggered wet slab N. Bridgers
Incident details include images
Northern Bridgers
WS-ASu-R2-D1.5-O
Elevation: 7,500
Aspect: SE
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From e-mail: "while skiing a short, SE-facing slope, we triggered a wet slab avalanche. We both skied to the side, but it was a real wakeup call to the current snowpack. Going from below freezing all winter to sudden warming has left a lot of layers. We didn't measure the slope angle, but it couldn't have been more than 32 degrees in the starting zone. The slide was slightly to skier's right of the slope, and the middle of the slope was only 6" deep, but much deeper where the slide occurred. Maybe 30-40' wide at the crown, ran 80'.


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Northern Gallatin
Sourdough Canyon
Wet slab on Sourdough trail
Incident details include images
Sourdough Canyon
WS-N-R3-D2-O
Elevation: 5,700
Aspect: SW
Coordinates: 45.5687, -111.0090
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Observed on Friday (3/22), probably ran late on 3/21. Crossed trail and piled 4-6' of debris in creek.


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Southern Madison
Sage Peak
Snowbike triggered wet slab, Sage Peak
Incident details include images
Sage Peak
WS-AO-R3-D2-O
Elevation: 8,700
Aspect: SW
Caught: 1 ; Buried: 1; Killed: 0

The slide was triggered by a snowbiker. The rider triggered the slide side-hilling and was buried to his chest. 


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Northern Gallatin
Mt Blackmore
Dry Slab, Loose Wet in Hyalite
Incident details include images
Mt Blackmore
HS-NC-R1-D2-G
Elevation: 10,000
Aspect: N
Coordinates: 45.4433, -111.0030
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

A skier reported one natural dry slab avalanche that was triggered by a falling cornice and failed near the ground on the north face of Mt. Blackmore. She also saw multiple loose wet slides on solar aspects in the same area.


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Bridger Range
Texas Meadow
Wet avalanche activity in the Bridgers
Incident details include images
Texas Meadow
WS-N-R3-D2.5-G
Elevation: 7,600
Coordinates: 45.8393, -110.9340
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

Two wet slabs released on the ground on the south-facing chutes off of Texas Meadow. The debris pile from the smaller of the two slides was 6' deep, and the larger of the two slides cleared most of the snow out of the chute with it. Multiple additional loose wet slabs had also released off E-SE aspects over the past 24 hrs. Some of these were large enough to break small trees. Photo: A. Schauer


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Out of Advisory Area
Gravelly Range
Snowmobile triggered outside advisory area
Incident details include images
Gravelly Range
HS-AMu-R2-D2-O
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

A group of snowmobilers reported seeing another group trigger this avalanche on Friday afternoon. Nobody was caught.


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Bridger Range
Fairy Lake
Wet loose slides Bridgers and Big Sky
Incident details include images
Fairy Lake
WL-N-R1-D1-S
Elevation: 8,900
Aspect: S
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

We saw natural and skier triggered wet loose avalanches near Fairy Lake. Big Sky Ski Patrol saw a few small natural wet loose slides in closed terrain.


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Northern Madison
Fan Mountain
Cornice triggered slab near Big Sky
Incident details include images
Fan Mountain
SS-NC-D2.5
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 45.2964, -111.5240
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From BSSP: "...observed a D2.5 avalanche on the NE face of Fan Mtn. that looks to be a bout a 2’ crown likely triggered by cornice fall."


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Northern Gallatin
Mt Blackmore
Dry loose slides in Hyalite
Incident details include images
Mt Blackmore
L-ASc-R1-D1-I
Elevation: 9,800
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 45.4446, -111.0020
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Dry loose avalanches were easily triggered on steep terrain in Hyalite. Six inches of recent snow easily slid on crusts buried below it, and was drifted into small wind slabs near ridgelines. These types of small slides are typically not large enough to bury a person, but are dangerous if they catch and carry you over cliffs or into trees.


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Northern Gallatin
Hyalite - main fork
Small dry loose avalanches Hyalite
Incident details include images
Hyalite - main fork
L-ASc-R1-D1-I
Elevation: 9,500
Aspect: N
Coordinates: 45.4255, -110.9980
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From e-mail: "...today in Hyalite, we were able to get the new snow to slide easily on the older suncrust/windcrust. The new snow was very low density and not cohesive at all. However, places, where the underlying suncrust was most prevalent the snow slid easily. Generally it was just 'sluffs' or small dry/loose avalanches. Enough to knock you off your feet."


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Northern Madison
Beehive Basin
Skier triggered slide NE of Beehive Peak
Incident details include images
Beehive Basin
SS-ASu-R2-D2-I
Elevation: 9,600
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 45.3545, -111.4000
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

A group of skiers watched another group trigger a large wind slab avalanche near Beehive Peak. Luckily, none were caught or buried. From the email:

"On Tuesday (3/12) we observed 3 skiers trigger an avalanche on the north face of Peak 10,602 (the summit just NE of Beehive Peak). We saw the event unfold from a distant ridge, but was able to see that none of them were caught. Later in the day, we ended up at the base of the slope that avalanched and determined the issue to be the same wind slab we had been encountering on numerous N and NE slopes throughout the day. The crown depth was 6-8 inches and was about 100ft wide. The avalanche ran at least 600 vertical feet."


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Cooke City
Fisher Mtn.
Small snowmobile-triggered W. side Fisher Mtn.
Incident details include images
Incident details contain video
Fisher Mtn.
HS-AM-R1-D1-G
Elevation: 9,800
Aspect: W
Coordinates: 45.0649, -109.9630
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

We saw a small slab avalanche on the west side of Fisher Mountain that was triggered by a snowmobile a few days ago. The slab failed on a weak layer near the ground, in a spot where the snowpack was exceptionally thin. There was a smaller, more recent loose wet slide on the same slope about 50 feet away. Photo: GNFAC


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Bridger Range
Fairy Lake
Skier-Triggered wind slabs in the N. Bridgers
Incident details include images
Fairy Lake
HS-ASu-R1-D2-I
Elevation: 8,000
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 45.9045, -110.9570
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

Two groups in the Northern Bridgers noted signs of instability in wind-transported snow and were able to trigger wind slabs. From one email: "My partner and I toured up in the Northern Bridgers today near Ainger Lake and found conditions to be more touchy than we expected. The wind was blowing hard when we entered the basin, and we observed some snow transport. As we got higher, we observed variable wind affected snow and thin wind slab, and dug a pit finding no notable weak layers aside from the wind slab which was breaking off in chunks as we skinned. We witnessed a shooting crack through the wind slab that was 2-5 cm thick where we were, and soon after triggered a small slide and turned around. At its deepest the crown was around 15 cm thick, so a lot thicker than what we had previously been seeing! It wasn't a problem where we were, probably about enough to knock someone down and take them for a short ride, but could have been consequential in more dangerous terrain." Photos: E. Birkeland, E. Marcoux


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Out of Advisory Area
Other place
Large remotely triggered in Absaroka
Incident details include images
Other place
HS-ASr-R3-D3-O
Elevation: 8,000
Aspect: N
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From e-mail: " Partner remotely triggered large R3-3.5 D3 on a north facing slope at around 8,000 ft elevation. Avalanche ran on facets on the ground and took the entire snowpack with it. Avalanche ran about 1200-1500 vertical taking out mature timber. A very close call and glad that no one was caught. " - Anonymous


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Northern Madison
Bear Basin
Skier trigger Deep slab Bear Basin
Incident details include images
Bear Basin
HS-ASu-R3-D2.5-O
Elevation: 9,600
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 45.3436, -111.3790
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

A four person party triggered this avalanche on Saturday night at around 5:30...One of the members wrote: “It broke on the persistent weak layer underneath a hard windslab directly at my feet, a yard or so from the diagonal rock band near the top of the ridge. The crown was roughly 3 feet at skier’s left and 12 feet at the rock outcrop on skier’s right. The avalanche stepped down to the ground on depth hoar around 250 ft from the crown due to the energy of the first slide. One skier was still on the skin track far below us before the track cut into the fall line. Everybody made it out. I’m sure it was triggered because of the shallower snowpack near the rock band. Snow pits were dug and that persistent layer the original avalanche went on was found but wouldn’t propagate”

From different group on Sunday e-mail: "... we saw  a debris pile that had come down from near the bat ears couloir in bear basin, it looked good size and some dirt and small trees so we decided to get a closer look. It appeared that a group skinned up North fork trail..., bootpacked up bat ears couloir, skied it with no problems, and then decided to  skin up a  real rocky  thinner face  slightly east of the couloir, the skin track appeared to make it to the top of the ridge however there was only 1 downhill ski track and that left from low on the skin track.... N-ne slope guessing 9500-10k ft. Crown was between 1and 10 ft deep, average looked about 2-3 deep, down pretty close to the ground in a lot of  spots.”

From separate e-mail: "D2.5 avalanche on an NE aspect in Bear Basin in the Northern Madisons, 9600ft, there were tracks in the run out (covered by the debris pile)... running on basal facets. Terrain was very rocky, steep, and visibly wind loaded."


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Northern Madison
Dudley Creek
Old crowns near Mt. Wilson/Dudley
Incident details include images
Dudley Creek
HS-R3-D2.5-O
Elevation: 9,500
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 45.3239, -111.3220
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From e-mail: "The deep slab on the s face of Wilson was not an isolated incident. We observed a huge one on the east face of Wilson, in addition to numerous others in the head of both Dudley and deer, ranging from s/se to due north, all that looked to have gone sometime in the last few days."


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Northern Madison
Cedar Mtn.
Loose snow and slab on Cedar
Incident details include images
Cedar Mtn.
WL-NC-R1-D2-I
Coordinates: 45.2456, -111.4990
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0
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Northern Madison
Buck Ridge
Cracking and collapsing Buck Ridge
Buck Ridge
Coordinates: 45.1907, -111.3940
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Phone message: "On Buck Ridge in northern Madison Range... Experienced severe cracking then dug a snowpit in the second Yellow Mule. Yielded results of ECTP 24 Q1 on west aspect on layer 16" down on old snow/new snow interface. Total snow depth of 6 feet. 24 degree slope."

45.19073, -111.39432


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Northern Gallatin
Hyalite Peak
Natural avalanches in Hyalite
Hyalite Peak
HS-N-R2-D2-I
Elevation: 10,000
Aspect: N
Coordinates: 45.3809, -110.9610
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

A skier in Hyalite found a buried layer of near surface facets (NSF) that was reactive in stability tests and responsible for several avalanches in the Hyalite Peak area. He described this buried weak layer in an email: "It is currently down anywhere from 10-40 cms, above treeline, primarily on W-N-E aspects (not on S, there is a crust). I was hoping that yesterday’s warm temps may have helped, but things felt funky underfoot, and I got an ECTP13 (E aspect, 33 deg, 9900 ft), and bailed on my primary objective. I also observed several natural avalanches (HS-N-D2R2-I) that appeared to have failed on this layer a couple days ago, on Wind loaded N aspects above 10k. Besides this, there were no other signs of instability, no shooting cracks etc." 


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Cooke City
COOKE CITY
Avalanches in new snow in Cooke City
Incident details include images
COOKE CITY
SS
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

These are observations from Doug Chabot's field trip on 3/8, Friday:

  1. One slide was triggered on a steep (40 deg) southeast facing slope at Round Lake outside Cooke City. It failed 8" deep on a layer of graupel and small facets. An adjacent hill slid at the same depth beforehand. This layer is not on most slopes, but as this slide shows it is on some. Doug was in the area and dug a pit in the crown soon after it was triggered.
  2. A slide under the cornice on the northeast face of Abundance looked to be 1 foot deep and 200' wide.
  3. A snowboarder reported triggering an 8" deep slab on the south face of Scotch Bonnett in one of the Rasta's.

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Northern Gallatin
Mt Blackmore
Skier triggered avalanche on Mt. Blackmore
Incident details include images
Mt Blackmore
SS-ASu-R2-D1.5-I
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 45.4455, -111.0040
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From an email:

"I’d like to report an avalanche incident that occurred today, 3/6, around 2 PM on the NE face of Mt. Blackmore in the Hyalite Canyon area. On the approach, I dug a pit at 9400’ and found a very stable and deep snowpack, with a somewhat definite weak layer in between high and medium density snow about 8” deep. The layer did not slide or propagate in an extended column pit test, so my partner and I decided do ski the direct line from the summit. I skied first, making a ski cut just below the ridge line that did not result in any sloughing. I skied the line without mishap. My partner followed, traversing onto a shallow, steep pocket, releasing the avalanche. It propagated down and out in both directions, resulting in a v-shaped crown about 100’ across and 8-12” deep. The slide ran from around 9800’ to 9400’. My partner was not caught and was able to traverse out and ski down safely."


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Northern Gallatin
Mt Blackmore
Small natural and skier triggered slides - Mt. Blackmore
Incident details include images
Mt Blackmore
SS-N-R1-D1-S
Aspect: E
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Several small skier triggered slides and a small natural slide in the new snow on Mt. Blackmore.


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Northern Gallatin
Lick Creek
Skier triggered wind slab Lick Cr
Incident details include images
Lick Creek
SS-AS-R2-D1-I
Elevation: 7,000
Aspect: N
Coordinates: 45.5180, -110.9380
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From e-mail: "Observed a small slide that appeared to be skier-triggered (tracks entering & exiting) on a wind-loaded, north-facing (21 degrees north) slope, slope angle of approximately 36 degrees." A. Yount


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Northern Gallatin
Hyalite - main fork
Loose snow and cornice fall Hyalite
Incident details include images
Hyalite - main fork
L-N-R1-D1
Coordinates: 45.3989, -110.9640
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

A skier noted cornice falls and fresh loose snow avalanches due to intense spring sun on 3/3.


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Northern Madison
Yellowstone Club
Y.C. explosive triggered slide
Incident details include images
Yellowstone Club
HS-ABc-R2-D2-G
Elevation: 7,280
Aspect: NW
Coordinates: 45.2298, -111.4120
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

"The YC Ski Patrol conducted avalanche mitigation work above another one of our roads today. The area is outside of our ski area boundary and receives no skier traffic. A 4lb explosives charge was detonated from an aerial tram and triggered a R2/D2 avalanche that ran to the ground. The crown was 2', the path width was around 100', and it ran 350 vertical feet (crossing the road) to the bottom of the runout zone. The elevation was 7280' on a NNW aspect and max slope angle of 34 degrees. Other sections of this slope were tested with explosive charges, yielding only black holes." Photos and observation courtesy YC Ski Patrol.


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Southern Madison
Tepee Basin
Natural Avalanches in Tepee Basin
Incident details include images
Tepee Basin
SS-N-R2-D2-I
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Several natural avalanches were since on White Peak and Cone Mountain from Tepee Basin on March 5th, 2019. The avalanches likely occurred several days prior.


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Northern Madison
Fan Mountain
Multiple Naturals, Fan Mountain
Incident details include images
Fan Mountain
SS-N-R2-D2.5-O
Elevation: 9,600
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 45.2976, -111.5240
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

Multiple natural avalanches released on Fan Mountain in the past few days. Some of the smaller slides were confined to the new snow, while two larger slides broke on deep persistent weak layers an ran a long distance. Photo: M. Delguidice


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Bridger Range
Hardscrabble Peak
Natural avalanches on Hardscrabble
Hardscrabble Peak
SS-N-O
Elevation: 9,000
Aspect: NE
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From the email: "While touring Fairy Lake and Frazier Basin, we noticed two large natural slides on the E-facing bowls of Hardscrabble Peak. Low visibility, but crowns looked to be about 2-4 ft. high and 150-300 ft. wide. Fractured at approx. 9,000’, slid approx. 500-800 ft. into the lower angle slopes below. N-facing slopes at 8,800’ were heavily wind-loaded, with a hard wind slab present which made skinning difficult. This 5” wind slab fractured easily under our skis and slid over a layer of light snow from the recent storm."


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Northern Madison
NORTHERN MADISON RANGE
Collapsing in the Northern Madison
NORTHERN MADISON RANGE
Elevation: 8,500
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

A skier heard a large whumpf after stepping out of his skis and punching through supportable snow in the upper snowpack. They dug a pit and found rounding facets near the ground in a relatively shallow snowpack (HS 140 cm). Stability tests propagated at ECTP15 on a layer above the facets.


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Northern Madison
Cedar Mtn.
Snowmobile Triggered- Cedar Mountain
Incident details include images
Cedar Mtn.
SS-AM-R2-D2
Elevation: 8,800
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 45.2368, -111.4850
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

YC ski patrol snapped a photo of this avalanche, which they guessed was triggered by a snowmobile. Photo: YCSP


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Northern Gallatin
Hyalite - main fork
Natural Avalanches in Hyalite
Incident details include images
Hyalite - main fork
HS-NC-R3-D2-O
Coordinates: 45.4032, -110.9750
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

These slides failed on paths that had released previously in late January. Both paths were heavily wind-loaded, and were most likely triggered by cornice fall.


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Southern Madison
Taylor Fork
Natural Avalanches in the Taylor Fork area
Incident details include images
Taylor Fork
SS-N-R2-D2-O
Coordinates: 44.9641, -111.3170
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

A snowmobiler sent in a photo of multiple natural avalanches near Woodward Mtn. He also reported large avalanches near Pika Point and Skyline Ridge that failed at the ground. Photos: P. Honsinger


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Southern Madison
Sage Peak
Snowmobile triggered behind sage peak
Incident details include images
Sage Peak
SS-AMu-R3-D2-I
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0
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Cooke City
Miller Ridge
Natural Avalanches Around Cooke City
Incident details include images
Incident details contain video
Miller Ridge
SS-N-R1-D2-O
Elevation: 10,000
Coordinates: 45.0470, -109.9760
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

A skier reported recent natural slab avalanches on Miller Mtn. near Cooke City. They failed on E-NE aspects just below 10,000'. Another group saw a recent wind slab avalanche on the east face of Mineral Mtn (R1D1.5). A third group sent in a video of a powder cloud from a natural avalanche on Barronette Peak. Photo: B. Fredlund, Video: J. Hodges


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Bridger Range
Bostwick Creek
Natural Saddle west side
Incident details include images
Bostwick Creek
HS-N-R3-D3.5-O
Elevation: 8,800
Aspect: NW
Coordinates: 45.7964, -110.9380
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From BBSP on 3/2/19: "Large natural avalanche pulled out last night/early morning on the backside of north peak of saddle peak in Bostwick canyon, the slide path is known as the 'Y' to local skiers and hasn't run this year, or been skied. Crowns looked to be 3-6ft, it ran further than anything i've seen there in the past decade, knocking over small trees and some old standing dead in the run out. R3 D3.5." 


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Northern Madison
Yellowstone Club
Large explosive triggered slide at Y.C.
Incident details include images
Yellowstone Club
HS-ABc-R4-D3-G
Elevation: 8,400
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 45.2351, -111.4480
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From YCSP: "Today the YC Ski Patrol conducted avalanche mitigation work above one of our roads. The area is outside of our ski area boundary and receives no skier traffic. A 2lb explosives charge was detonated from an aerial tram and triggered a R4/D3 avalanche that ran to the ground on depth hoar. The crown was 4', The max path width was around 250', and it ran 350 vertical feet to the bottom of the runout zone. The elevation was 8400' on a ENE aspect and max slope angle of 36 degrees. Two sections of road, which were controlled for traffic, were buried with an estimated 15-20 feet deep deposition pile. We’ve seen this path go big in the Spring, but we can’t recall it ever going quite this big."


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Northern Madison
Wilson Peak
Large Natural Avalanche, Wilson Peak northern Madison Range
Incident details include images
Incident details contain video
Wilson Peak
HS-N-R4-D3.5-O
Elevation: 9,700
Aspect: SW
Coordinates: 45.3249, -111.3330
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Big Sky ski patrol reported this slide on Friday (3/1). It broke sometime Thursday night or early Friday.


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Cooke City
COOKE CITY
Multiple Naturals, Cooke City
Incident details include images
COOKE CITY
SS-N-I
Coordinates: 44.9744, -110.0870
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

A skier in Cooke City noticed multiple avalanches around Mt. Horinday, Barronette Peak and Mt. Republic. Most avalanches appear to have failed within the new snow or at the interface between new and old snow. However, one of the slides on a steep, rocky convexity on Mt. Republic failed 3-4' deep on a persistent weak layer.


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Out of Advisory Area
Knowles Peak
Large Natural Avalanche- Knowles Peak
Incident details include images
Knowles Peak
SS-N-R2-D2-I
Elevation: 7,800
Aspect: N
Coordinates: 45.3049, -110.5440
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

We received this report of an unusually large natural avalanche in the East Mill Creek drainage: " First time in 17 years we have had an avalanche come into our road. Natural, maybe from a point release that fractured new snow about 20 inches at the crown, propagated 50 yards, ran about 300 feet without stepping down, leaving about 5 foot deep debris. A new 2 inches is covering the debris that likely went during this afternoons warming."  Photo and comments: L. Watson


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Bridger Range
The Throne
Natural avalanches near the Throne
Incident details include images
The Throne
SS-N-I
Elevation: 8,000
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 45.8823, -110.9520
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

A skier reported seeing multiple recent avalanches near the Throne. They dug a pit and got propagating results failing at a density change within the new snow. From the email: "Around a foot of wetter, denser new snow (F+) slid on a dryer new snow interface (F-)". Photo: C. Kussmaul


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Southern Madison
Hebgen Lake
Avalanche across road at Quake Lake
Incident details include images
Hebgen Lake
SS-N-R3-D3
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0
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Northern Madison
Skier triggered slide north of Big Sky
Incident details include images
SS-ASc-R1-D1-I
Elevation: 7,500
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From an email:

"...ski cut this little 100' convex roll slope that is 35 degrees for its majority.  It slid as expected. ESE facing @ 7500' prominent wind loading from SW.  Did not step down through the harder wind crusts.  1-2' deep and 50' wide, ran 100'.  Storm snow was getting very upside-down with moderate SW heavily loading E aspects."


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Bridger Range
Truman Gulch
Skier avalanche fatality on west side of Bridgers
Incident details include images
Incident details contain video
Truman Gulch
HS-ASu-R3-D2.5-O
Elevation: 8,300
Aspect: W
Coordinates: 45.8068, -110.9350
Caught: 1 ; Buried: 1; Killed: 1

Yesterday afternoon a skier was killed in a slide on the west side of the Bridger Range at the top of Truman Gulch on a run called St. Lawrence. The skier was travelling solo and a separate party of two, skinning uphill, witnessed him triggering the slide and getting swept downhill. They responded swiftly, got a beacon signal and saw his hand sticking out of the snow. The dug him up and did CPR, but the skier never revived.  He was carried approximately 1,000 feet vertical down a steep slope causing fatal trauma. The skier was a well known and loved local and we are deeply saddened to report this tragic accident. In the coming days we will release a full accident report.


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Cooke City
Henderson Mountain
Snowmobiler partially buried on Henderson Mtn.
Henderson Mountain
AMu-D2
Coordinates: 45.0521, -109.9450
Caught: 1 ; Buried: 1

The GNFAC talked to the rider on the phone, but he did not have many details as this was his first time riding in the area and he had poor visibility. He was on his sled, mid-slope in a gully, filming a friend when he was hit from behind. He had rescue gear and an airbag pack, but the handle for the airbag was zipped closed and he could not deploy it. His upper body was buried under 3" of snow and his lower body was out. He was dug up quickly without injury. His sled was also buried with a small piece sticking out of the snow.

He thinks he was on the Fisher Creek side of Henderson Mountain.

It was snowing and blowing hard all day.


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Cooke City
Town Hill
Natural Avalanche above Cooke City
Incident details include images
Town Hill
HS-N-R2-D1-O
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

A natural avalanche broke about 3 feet deep on Town Hill above Cooke City (2/25/2019).


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Northern Madison
Big Sky Resort
Skier triggered wind slab, Big Sky
Big Sky Resort
SS-ASu-R2-D1.5-O
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0
 
"Today a partner and I dropped in on a  ne facing chute just out of big resort boundry,  1 by 1 we both put a series of cuts in  the top half of the chute, which had about a foot of snow on top of a firm surface, the snow was  slightly wind  affected but not firm or slabby feeling. As we advanced we discussed another series of slope cuts was smart as we approached the second rollover. My partner again dropped first lightly cutting the slope, when he reached a safe spot under some rocks and away from the rollover. Next  I delivered some hard slope cuts and on my first I cut loose  a 7ft acrossx5ft about 12-14in deep chunk of soft slab which then triggered a slab just below about 40ft across x20 same depth which continued the second half  of the chute. We did not go out thinking there's gonna be slabs and we will deal them, we we're on our toes thats what kept us from going for a ride but  I would say a bad situation to get in. The runout was clean and the debris seemed not to be deeper than 2 ft maybe."

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Cooke City
COOKE CITY
Small, deep avalanche near Cooke City
Incident details include images
COOKE CITY
SS-AMu-R2-D1.5-O
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Avalanche was triggered by fifth rider on the slope (2/19/2019). Avalanche broke 2-6' deep, 50 ft wide.


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Cooke City
Sheep Mountain
Partial Burial on Sheep Mtn.
Incident details include images
Sheep Mountain
SS-ASu-R3-D2-I
Elevation: 10,400
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 45.0723, -109.9280
Caught: 1 ; Buried: 1; Killed: 0

From the email:

"At around 11 we ascended the slope north of sheep mountain and dug a pit at around 10,300’ on a NE aspect. Our pit was unresponsive. We skinned up to the summit of sheep mountain and dropped into the ENE spines directly off the summit. 3 turns into the slope, the entire 40° slope I was skiing propagated 12-18” deep and 250’ wide. I tried traversing out to skiers left to a clean slope but that slope then propagated even deeper, 18-20” and another 150’ wide. Once the larger slab started pulling my tips down I tried to point my skis downhill to gain some control and steer off the slope. Near the bottom of the face I had traversed onto there was a couple rocky outcroppings that I had to turn around, and the force of the liquid soft slab took me off my feet. I deployed my airbag pack, got hit with a couple waves of snow, and ended up on top with my skis and upper body/airbag above the snow. My partner above me had eyes on me for the entirety as well as a large group of sledders nearby, but it was still a scary experience. The bed surface was a hard crust that was not as obvious on the slightly more north aspect."


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Northern Gallatin
Elephant Mountain
Wind slab on Elephant
Incident details include images
Elephant Mountain
SS-ASc-I
Elevation: 9,500
Aspect: N
Coordinates: 45.4401, -110.9890
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

From an email: "...went up the Ribbon on the north shoulder of Elephant Mountain.  Overall found a pretty stable snowpack, but did find some reactive layers where it had been wind loaded.  Attached picture was near the top where the wind was loading the upper bowl of the chute off the ridge line.  There was a variable 1-4” thick windslab that broke and propagated easily on the denser snow below."


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Island Park
Natural activity in Centennials
Incident details include images
HS-N-R3-D2.5-O
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Widespread slide activity from the last storm cycle, e.g. 2/14-2/18 ranging from E-NE to W. Aspects all elevations, creek bottoms slid at 7000' and peaks slide at 9800'. DEEP crownlines. From a dist. 4'-6', mostly in wind loaded terrain, micro-ridges, and corniced areas. More Photos: https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/20180


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Lionhead Range
Lionhead Ridge
Large Avalanche, Lionhead Range
Incident details include images
Incident details contain video
Lionhead Ridge
HS-AM-R3-D2.5-G
Elevation: 9,000
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 44.7135, -111.3160
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

The crown on this slide ranges from 4-6' deep. It occurred on a heavily wind loaded slope and broke on facets near the ground. It's a clear reminder that large avalanches are possible in the mountains near West Yellowstone.  Photo: GNFAC


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Southern Gallatin
Specimen Creek
Large collapses in S. Gallatin
Specimen Creek
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From an email: " While skinning...we felt many large collapses in shallow, wind-affected snow. On the ridge crest, we found a ~3cm crust on the surface with massive (~6mm+), striated facets underneath. After skiing down an east-facing, 400', low angle slope, we felt a large collapse that traveled at least 60 feet, but continued rumbling for several seconds and may have propagated back up the slope that we skied. The collapse was triggered in shallow snow in the flats. This weak snow structure near the surface was not present in the next drainage east."


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Southern Madison
Buck Ridge
Snowmobile-triggered avalanche on First Yellowmule
Incident details include images
Incident details contain video
Buck Ridge
HS-AMu-R3-D2-O
Elevation: 9,300
Aspect: SE
Coordinates: 45.1595, -111.3350
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

This avalanche failed on the ground up on Buck Ridge near the First Yellowmule. It was human-triggered, but nobody was caught or buried. Photo: N. James


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Cooke City
Crown Butte
Avalanche on Crown Butte
Incident details include images
Crown Butte
HS-R1-D2-G
Coordinates: 45.0520, -109.9590
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

This avalanche on Crown Butte failed after multiple sleds had crossed the slope. From the email: "This one broke about 10 minutes after we’d been sledding below and across it. You can see our tracks going into it. Spooked us. The crown up top looked pretty deep, maybe 3 or 4 ft". Photo: S. Strenge


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Northern Gallatin
Hyalite - main fork
Skier-triggered soft slabs in Hyalite
Incident details include images
Hyalite - main fork
SS-AS-R1-D1-I
Elevation: 9,000
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 45.4879, -110.9810
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Skiers reported triggering soft wind slabs in Hyalite on NE aspect at 9000'. Photo: T. Chingas


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Southern Madison
Ernie Miller Ridge
Naturals on Ernie Miller
Incident details include images
Ernie Miller Ridge
SS-N-R3-D2-O
Elevation: 9,200
Aspect: SE
Coordinates: 44.9464, -111.1350
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

Two large avalanches on Ernie Miller ridge. One failed in thin trees, the other was the second time the bowl had slid large this season. Photos: F. Madsen


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Southern Madison
McAtee Basin
Snowmobile triggered Avalanche near Buck Ridge
Incident details include images
Incident details contain video
McAtee Basin
HS-AMu-R2-D2-O
Elevation: 9,600
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 45.1731, -111.4450
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

Snowmobile - triggered avalanche in the McAtee Basin area near Buck Ridge. The avalanche was triggered unintentionally from the runout zone and propagated all the way up to the ridge above the riders. Luckily, nobody was caught or buried. Photo: J. Stoner


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Cooke City
Miller Ridge
Natural Avalanche on Miller Ridge
Incident details include images
Incident details contain video
Miller Ridge
SS-N-R3-D2-I
Elevation: 9,700
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 45.0425, -109.9650
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

We saw this avalanche from the groomed trail to Daisy Pass. It looked as though it was triggered by snow sluffing off the cliffs. It seems to be confined to the new snow from this week.


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Southern Madison
Taylor Fork
Small snowmobile triggered slide, Taylor Fork
Incident details include images
Taylor Fork
SS-AM-R1-D1-O
Elevation: 8,800
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0
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Cooke City
COOKE CITY
Natural Avalanche near Cooke City
Incident details include images
COOKE CITY
N-R2-D2-I
Elevation: 9,400
Aspect: SE
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

This avalanche failed naturally sometime between Feb 13-15 after recent wind and storm loading. SE aspect, 9400 ft elevation, 2-4' deep. Photo: B. Fredlund


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Bridger Range
The Throne
Skier-Triggered Avalanches at the Throne
Incident details include images
The Throne
SS-ASc-R2-D2.5-I
Elevation: 8,400
Coordinates: 45.8821, -110.9520
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

Skiers reported intentionally triggering multiple avalanches failing up to a foot deep at the Throne. From the email: "We dug a pit above the top of the throne (ENE aspect, 8400’, 28°) and got an ECTP17. The pit broke below 55cm of new snow, on top of an old wind slab. Bailed on our objective (the ruler) and skied the main ESE chutes on the throne. Ski cut the top of all 3 chutes and got them all to break out 8-12” deep, 100-200’ wide and they all ran 500-700’ into the trees at the bottom of the gullies. The runout hit the trees at the bottom with enough force to snap 3” trees and piled up debris up to 5’ deep." Photo: M. Cohen


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Northern Madison
Beehive Basin
Natural activity in Beehive
Incident details include images
Beehive Basin
SS-N-R2-D1.5
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

On Saturday (2/16) skiers in Beehive observed "Lots of natural avalanches from Friday nights snow. Notice the large cornice sections at the base of the slope. We were impressed with the size of the cornices on the ridge. We noted no collapsing or cracking on the skin up or ski down."


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Southern Madison
Taylor Fork
Large natural avalanche, Taylor Fork
Incident details include images
Incident details contain video
Taylor Fork
C-R2-D2-O
Elevation: 8,800
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0
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Bridger Bowl
Fresh Soft slabs, Big Sky and Bridger Ski Patrols
Bridger Bowl
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Soft slabs 6-12" deep triggered during control work. 


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Cooke City
COOKE CITY
Small fresh slabs near Cooke
Incident details include images
COOKE CITY
SS-AMc-R1-D1-S
Elevation: 9,000
Coordinates: 45.0260, -109.9310
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Saw natural slabs in the cliffs on Mineral peak south of Silver Gate and triggered a few small test slopes. 6-12" deep. 10-30' wide.


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Cooke City
Henderson Bench
Deep slab on Henderson
Incident details include images
Incident details contain video
Henderson Bench
HS-NC-R3-D3-O
Elevation: 10,200
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 45.0524, -109.9440
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Forecaster Note: We saw this crown at 1545 on 2/15/19 after viewing this slope at least twice earlier in the day. We went to the avalanche on 2/16. It appeared to be triggered by a cornice fall and broke 4-8' deep.


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Island Park
Natural avalanche near Hellroaring Hut
SS-N-S
Elevation: 8,700
Aspect: W
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

e-mail from folks staying at Hellroaring Hut: "...we saw the west facing slope above the Hut around 8700’?? had a new slide with a 2-3 foot crown, possible 200 yards in length running up and over a ridge. "


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Cooke City
Mineral Mountain
Small natural avalanches near Cooke
Incident details include images
Mineral Mountain
SS-N
Coordinates: 45.0297, -109.9980
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0
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Out of Advisory Area
Other place
Snowmobile Triggered Slide - Gravelly Range
Incident details include images
Other place
HS-AMu-R3-D2.5
Caught: 1 ; Buried: 0

A large snowmobile triggered avalanche in the Gravelly Range (Outside of advisory area) on February 10th, 2019.

From email: "One rider was involved in the incident and was fortunate to be on the upper left side of the bowl when he saw the slide start. ... the crown was about 325 wide and varied in depth from 1 to 4 or 5 feet.  The ridge line was wind loaded and this was an issue we had discussed as a group and wanted to avoid.  We had read the reports for the day and knew that wind loading as well as a persistent week layer were both concerns. .... The rider involved entered the area from around where the road switchbacked and did not realize what was above him due to reduced visibility."


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Northern Gallatin
Mt Blackmore
Avalanches on Mt. Blackmore
Incident details include images
Mt Blackmore
N-R2-D2
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 45.4445, -111.0000
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From an email, "Lots of wind slab activity... tough to tell exactly what happened here with everything filling back in so fast. A few quickly-disappearing crowns on ridge line and throughout E face, good debris pile."


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Southern Gallatin
Specimen Creek
Collapsing in Specimen Creek
Specimen Creek
SS
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From e-mail: " Large collapses on any slope with HS of <1m, one pit at 7500 on W aspect and 19 degrees HS 100 cm, yielded ECTP22 sudden collapse on advanced depth hoar 45cm from the ground. Overall just terrible structure. We had collapsing on both E and W aspects. Large shooting cracks. No other avalanche activity apart from large slide on Ernest Miller from several days ago."


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Northern Gallatin
Mt Blackmore
Skier triggered on Mt. Blackmore
Mt Blackmore
HS-ASr-R2-D2.5
Elevation: 10,000
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 45.4440, -111.0030
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From e-mail: "Reporting avalanche on Mt Blackmore, east face. I a skier, remote triggered a wind slab avalanche from about 300 feet above I while skiing the face. I was the 2nd skier. Crown was slightly below ridge line ranging from 6 inches to 2 feet. After noticing the slab breaking under my feet I skied right to safely. Avalanche traveled ~700 feet. Elevation ~10,000 feet."


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Cooke City
Mt. Abundance
Snowmobile triggered on Mt. Abundance
Incident details include images
Mt. Abundance
HS-AMu-R3-D2.5-O
Elevation: 9,900
Aspect: S
Coordinates: 45.0681, -110.0150
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Avalanche triggered by snowmobiler on 2/9/19 on south face of Mt. Abundance near Cooke City (9,500’). One rider was on the slope and another was at the bottom. Both were able to get out of the way and not caught.


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Island Park
Centennials - Idaho
Snowmobiler caught and buried in Centennials
Incident details include images
Centennials - Idaho
SS-AMu-R2-D2-O
Caught: 1 ; Buried: 1

This was shared with me from one of our Fremont County Search & Rescue members. I have no further information.

Video URL

https://www.facebook.com/nate.nygard.5/videos/2347244235309969/


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Northern Madison
Beehive Basin
Cracking on wind slabs in Beehive
Incident details include images
Beehive Basin
Coordinates: 45.3267, -111.3870
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Skiers got 4-6" wind pockets to propagate in the trees at lower elevations in Beehive Basin. Wind slabs were thicker in more exposed areas and likely more reactive at higher elevations.


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Lionhead Range
Lionhead Ridge
Snowmobile triggered at Lionhead
Incident details include images
Incident details contain video
Lionhead Ridge
HS-AMu-R3-D2.5-O
Elevation: 9,000
Aspect: E
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0
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Lionhead Range
Lionhead Ridge
Natural avalanches at Lionhead
Incident details include images
Incident details contain video
Lionhead Ridge
SS-N-R2-D2
Elevation: 9,000
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

GNFAC forecasters' observation: On 2/8/19 we observed 3 recent avalanches with unknown triggers (assumed natural) and one snowmobile triggered avalanche (listed separately as AMu on 2/6/19) along Lionhead Ridge. Three of them, including the snowmobile triggered slide, broke 3-4+ feet deep on sugary weak snow in the lower 1/3 of the snowpack. One avalanche broke 2' deep in the recent storm snow.


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Island Park
Centennials - Idaho
Natural Avalanche on Sawtelle Peak
Incident details include images
Centennials - Idaho
Coordinates: 44.5609, -111.4400
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From an email, "Observed this large avalanche while driving north from Jackson Hole today.  (on the E, NE aspect of Sawtell Peak, in the Centennial Mountains)"

Likely released in the last day or so with the Avalanche Warnings on Sun, Mon and Tuesday.


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Cooke City
Pebble Creek - YNP
Collapsing Cooke City, Pebble Creek
Pebble Creek - YNP
Coordinates: 45.0389, -110.0220
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From an email, "Performed a stability test on a South facing slope, 9400', 190HS, Ectp21, SC 85 cm deep on MFcr rounding facets. We had a very large collapse while in pit and a few others on the climb out. No other signs of instability or avalanches were seen in the Pebble Creek region today."


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Southern Madison
Bacon Rind
Collapse, cracking, and avalanche in distance at Bacon Rind
Incident details include images
Bacon Rind
SS-N-R2-D2
Elevation: 9,600
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 44.9428, -111.1360
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From an email, "My partner and I skied up bacon rind with plans on skiing the <30 degree run on the east face of Ernest miller ridge. On our way out there we had a large collapse, and saw shooting cracks.  We dug a pit at 9,150 ft on a E facing slope and got a ECT P16Q1 about 90 cm down.  Before this off in the distance (photo) we saw a massive avalanche in a 35 degree wind loaded NE slope at 9,600. It appeared to be about 1 - 1.5 m deep and 100 ft across."


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Southern Madison
Taylor Fork
Collapse south facing slope Taylor Fork
Incident details contain video
Taylor Fork
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Large collapse on facets near the ground. The snowpack on this slope was less than 3' deep. 


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Cooke City
Daisy Pass
Snowmobile triggered near Daisy Pass
Incident details include images
Daisy Pass
SS-AMu-R3-D2-I
Elevation: 9,900
Aspect: SW
Caught: 1 ; Buried: 0

Riders reported cutting across this slope and then an hour later a different snowmobiler triggered it. It was a couple hundred feet wide and debris stopped just above groomed trail. The rider that triggered it was caught and deployed his airbag and able to escape, but his sled was towed back to town.


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Lionhead Range
CENTENNIAL RANGE
Multiple large avalanches in Centennials and Lionhead
Incident details include images
CENTENNIAL RANGE
SS-N-R3-D2.5-O
Coordinates: 44.5394, -111.5130
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From e-mail on 2/1/19: "The Reas Peak area had 7 slides that I could see from the bottom of the drainage, most of them looked to have occurred with the last storm and had a northerly influence to their aspect. The largest and most recent slide I included in the [above photo], Reas Peak is the highest peak on the left in the photo and the slide path is on a NE aspect. If you look close at the photo you can see a 2-3’ crown on the far left side of the frame on the north aspect of Reas from another slide."

Another observer saw a large slide near Lionhead (photo) and one on Reas Peak from the same cycle.

 


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Cooke City
Rasta Chutes
Large collapse, Cooke City
Incident details contain video
Rasta Chutes
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0
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Northern Gallatin
Hyalite - main fork
Natural avalanches up Hyalite
Incident details include images
Hyalite - main fork
SS-N-R3-D3
Coordinates: 45.4131, -110.9840
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Two slides, one on Alex Lowe Peak, and another in Maid of Mist Basin:

1. "Newish slide with a fresh looking debris pile. Between Alex Lowe and Peak 9806. Appeared to step down into the old snow. Looked like a D2.5-R3, natural trigger."

2/3. "Large natural avalanche on the south face of peak 10,201. Looked to be a day or two old and the crown looked to be 3-4 feet deep in places."


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Northern Madison
Cedar Mtn.
Natural Avalanche on Cedar Mountain
Incident details include images
Cedar Mtn.
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 45.2981, -111.5240
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

This natural avalanche was seen on a NE aspect of Cedar Mountain today (29 January).


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Cooke City
Mt. Zimmer
Natural avalanches on Mt. Zimmer
Mt. Zimmer
HS-N-R3-D2-O
Coordinates: 45.1172, -109.8920
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

From the email: "Two slab avalanches that looked a day or two old. Both East/NE aspect off of Mount Zimmer. One was storm snow/windslab 12'18" crown that ran 300' wide, D1.5/R3 and the other was a small width deep slab in a pocket below cliffs. 4-5'crown, 50'wide, D2/R1." 


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Northern Gallatin
Mt Blackmore
Natural Avalanche Mt. Blackmore
Incident details include images
Mt Blackmore
SS-N-R2-D2-I
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Natural avalanche observed on January 28th.

From email: "Fresh natural on east face of Blackmore in gently wind-loaded terrain."


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Lionhead Range
Sheep Mountain
Natural Avalanche on Sheep Mountain
Incident details include images
Sheep Mountain
HS-R2-D2
Aspect: S
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

A very deep natural avalanche was observed on Sheep Mountain, on January 28th. 

From email: "This was southern facing slope of sheep mountain... Crown was at least 8’... very heavy wind loading."


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Northern Madison
Big Sky Resort
Deep Slab Avalanche at Big Sky
Big Sky Resort
HS-AEc-R4-D3-O
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Big Sky Ski Patrol triggered a deep hard slab avalanche during control work on January 28th, breaking on a weak layer of facets that formed in early December.

From email: "This slide failed on our layer of greatest concern and had recently been loaded up with 60cm of 1F wind slab from our consistent snowfall over the past 11 days. Crown depth ranged from 3-5’ and consensus is that it was about 300’ wide. " - BSSP


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Northern Madison
Fan Mountain
Natural Avalanche on Fan Mountain
Incident details include images
Fan Mountain
SS-N-R2-D2.5
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Natural avalanche on Fan Mountain. Observed on the morning of January 28th, 2019.


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Southern Madison
Beaver Creek
Natural Avalanches Beaver Creek
Beaver Creek
N
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From email: "we ... observed several natural avalanches in the long, steep gullies on the west side of Beaver Creek."


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Out of Advisory Area
Black Butte- Gravelly Range
Remote triggered near Black Butte
Incident details include images
Black Butte- Gravelly Range
SS-AMr-R3-D2-G
Coordinates: 44.9045, -111.8560
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

Snowmobilers reported triggering multiple avalanches from low slope angles between West Fork and Black Butte in the Gravelly Range. Photo: S. Olson


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Out of Advisory Area
Arrastra Creek
Natural slides near Emigrant
Incident details include images
Arrastra Creek
SS-N-D2.5
Aspect: SE
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

Skiers reported multiple large natural avalanches in the Arrastra drainage in the Absarokas. They estimated the recent storm cycle totals to be 3-5'.

From e-mail: "We observed a rather large natural slide come down within a 100' of us as we were beginning our ascent in some thick old-growth Douglas Fir woods next to the terminus of a large south-facing gully/slide path.

we knew there was a party of at least two above us.  I quickly put my beacon in search mode and scanned the toe of the debris.  No signals.  We separated by a safe distance and I led up the skin track which bordered the lower 400' of the debris field with my beacon in search mode.  No signals.  At 400' up the Arrastra Road crosses the path.  At this point my partner and I met up. I crossed the debris angling downhill to the west continuing to search for any potential signals.  No signals.  I skinned up the remaining west border of the path in search mode.  Back at the road I finally heard and saw the other party of 3 come out of the woods above us.  Very relieved we were.  They thanked us for our concern and we all descended and left for the day.

Since last Friday I would realistically say that 3'-5' of new snow had accumulated.  I'd been in here Mon.-Fri. this week and aside from Tuesday it had been snowing at high rates at all times.

This particular path had slid to within 300' of the upper road around New Year's. It is a south facing path with two distinct gullies and runs from just under 10000' down to 7600'.

Quite a few other large crowns were observed higher in the bowls, mostly being confined to storm snow.  But I'm sure some were failing on PWLs at the ground and within the snowpack."


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Northern Gallatin
Hyalite - main fork
Naturals, collapsing, propagating - Main Fork Hyalite
Hyalite - main fork
N
Coordinates: 45.4588, -110.9570
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

A group of skiers observed propagation in their stability tests and experienced collapsing in the main fork today. A separate group of ice climbers heard two different natural avalanches and observed active wind loading at higher elevations. A climber from a third group watched a natural avalanche next to the Mummy. 


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Southern Madison
Sunlight Basin
Remote Triggered at Sunlight Basin (Taylor Fork)
Incident details include images
Incident details contain video
Sunlight Basin
SS-AFr-R2-D2-O
Elevation: 9,500
Aspect: SE
Coordinates: 44.9756, -111.3130
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

We triggered these avalanches remotely, about 50 feet above the crown up on the ridge. Each crown was 1-2' deep, 100' wide, and both slides ran between 200 and 300 vertical feet through trees and cliffs. The slides failed on a 40 cm thick layer of depth hoar, which composed half of the snowpack. Photo: GNFAC


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Bridger Range
Truman Gulch
Natural Avalanche on the West Side, Bridgers
Incident details include images
Truman Gulch
N-R3-D2-O
Elevation: 7,400
Aspect: N
Coordinates: 45.8077, -110.9460
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

Bridger Bowl Ski patrol snapped a photo of this natural slab avalanche on the west side of the Bridgers near Truman Gulch. Photo: BBSP


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Lionhead Range
LIONHEAD AREA
Cracking and Collapsing in Henry's Mountains
Incident details include images
LIONHEAD AREA
Coordinates: 44.6641, -111.3560
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

Cracking and collapsing on a 31-degree slope near the Lionshead area down south. The slab was 3-4' deep, and the slope was on the verge of being steep enough to avalanche. From the email: " fractured about 20’x10’ area initially, maybe 3-4’ deep. We got off the hill and it continued to fracture in bigger spots but did not slide more than a foot total." Photo: S. Thompson


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Bridger Range
BRIDGER RANGE
Big Natural Avalanches in the Bridgers
Incident details include images
BRIDGER RANGE
HS-N-R3-D2.5-O
Elevation: 8,200
Coordinates: 45.8486, -110.9460
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

Skiers in the Bridgers saw multiple large natural avalanches in the Bridgers that had released during recent snow and wind loading. From the email: "Looks like things really went off in the Bridgers in the last few days. Loads of natural avalanche activity, much of it appearing to fail on deeper layers than the new/old interface." Photo: B. VandenBos


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Northern Gallatin
Mt Ellis
Skier Triggered Avalanche Mt. Ellis
Incident details include images
Mt Ellis
SS-ASu-R2-D2-O
Elevation: 7,500
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 45.5829, -110.9540
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

Skiers triggered this avalanche in dense trees while ascending Mt. Ellis. From the email: "While subsequently skiing up through dense trees climbing to the north to attempt to reach the mid section of the going-home chute, a medium-size bowl-shaped opening in the trees released a soft slab just as we were entering the opening. The crown was ~24” deep and ~80-100’ across. Total snow depth in that area was less than three feet. The avalanche ran probably 500 vertical feet down a shallow gully. Neither my partner nor I where caught but way too close for comfort."


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Out of Advisory Area
Other place
Large avalanche on low angle near Livingston
Incident details include images
Other place
SS-R3-D2
Elevation: 9,000
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 45.6042, -110.4890
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From text: "this one was interesting because it was so low angle and in quite tight trees. We were in a zone south of Livingston today (1/26/19), near 9k’, NE aspect in dense timber not far from a ridge top. The slide may have been remote triggered by us skinning up or a large wind gust that came from the other side of ridge. We were touring up low angle terrain and had multiple large collapses on our ascent. We came to what was going to be our turn around point where my brother and I were discussing where we would rip skins and drop in. Before we proceeded into the timber on a 28deg slope we noticed a lot of tree bombs then saw the slide coming through the trees and taking out a couple of 10” diameter snags along the way. These trees were barely skiable due to how tight they were and the starting zone was only a hair over 30 deg. The crown we could see looked to be 3’, and 300’ wide. I’m unsure on the the distance it ran, but estimate 500-800 vertical ft. The main point I got from this slide was that we were crowding connected terrain, things are sliding at the very relaxed end of the slope spectrum, and don’t be lulled into a false sense of security in fairly dense timber."


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Northern Madison
Cedar Mtn.
Snowmobile triggered avalanche near Cedar
Incident details include images
Cedar Mtn.
SS-AMu-R3-D2
Elevation: 8,600
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 45.2279, -111.4890
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From YCSP: "One of our patrollers spotted a snowmobile triggered avalanche on Cedar Mountain this afternoon. The patroller reported a track entering and exiting the path. The slope was NE facing at approximately 8,600’. It was difficult estimating the dimensions of the slide as the visibility was limited and we were quite a ways from the avalanche."


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Bridger Range
Bradley Meadow
Skier triggered near Bradley's meadow
Incident details include images
Bradley Meadow
SS-ASu-R3-D1.5-S
Elevation: 7,200
Aspect: SE
Coordinates: 45.8295, -110.9270
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

A skier triggered this slide around two o'clock in Bradley's Meadow on 1/26. From e-mail: "The snow propagated when I made my first turn on a convex roll above the slope skiers right of the main meadow, just before the flat area before going up The Ramp. The slab broke right under my feet and propagated 20-25 feet on either side of me. The crown was 7" deep where I triggered it but some spots of it were as deep as 13". My friends and I decided that the slide was R3 and D1-D2. Luckily I was able to ski out of the slide right when it propagated so no one was caught in it."


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Northern Gallatin
Divide Cirque
Widespread Avalanching in Divide Drainage
Incident details include images
Divide Cirque
SS-NCr-R3-D2.5-O
Aspect: SE
Coordinates: 45.3903, -110.9690
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

A skier in Hyalite reported widespread avalanche activity in the Divide drainage. From the email: "Saw this set of crowns just to the looker's left of Divide Peak proper.  Appear to be cornice triggered, I suspect they all released sympathetically, maybe sometime yesterday.  Impressively connected, definite PWL issue. SE aspect. Crowns spanned nearly 1/2 mile of terrain." Photo: B. VandenBos


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Northern Madison
Deer Creek
Large Collapses in Deer Creek Drainage
Incident details include images
Deer Creek
AS
Elevation: 7,400
Coordinates: 45.3016, -111.2070
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

From the email: "We experienced many small, localized collapses below 7400'. Above 7400', the collapses/ whumphing were much larger (propagating far) and louder. We had two occasions where one of us triggered a whumph from 150+ feet away and the other person (standing still) felt and hear it. Dug two pits: first one on S aspect at 7600' got ECTP14 49 cm down on facets below a melt freeze crust. Second pit (E aspect, 8130 feet) got ECTP13 down 78 cm on 2-3 mm facets" - A. Alloway


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Cooke City
Hayden Creek
Hayden Creek Avalanche
Hayden Creek
HS-N-R1-D2.5-O
Coordinates: 44.9946, -109.9090
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

"Small (compared to Climax Path) but deep avalanche on south end of Climax Path east facing Woody Ridge. Appears to have stepped down into deeper layers and looks to be natural trigger. 3-4' crown, approximately 100'wide. Steep wind loaded terrain." - B. Zavorra


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Northern Madison
Red Knob
Cracking and Collapsing near Ennis Lake
Red Knob
Elevation: 8,000
Coordinates: 45.4547, -111.5920
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

From the email: "Went to Red Knob, up Trail Creek at the northeast side of Ennis Lake. Between the two of us, we experienced 16 collapses on slopes above 7000 feet to the top at 8000. Did not dig any pits, stayed on slopes less than 30. One slope at about 30 collapsed and shifted down slope a few inches." - J. Riedel and A. Hjelt


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Bridger Range
Wolverine Bowl
Avalanches North of Bridger Bowl
Incident details include images
Wolverine Bowl
SS-N-R2-D2.5-I
Elevation: 7,500
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 45.8348, -110.9340
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

A group with the MSU advanced avalanches class found multiple slab avalanches that released at various times during this week's storm. Three of the slides ran for a large portion of their slide path. One avalanche was large enough to break small trees in the slide path. Ski tracks nearby suggest this avalanche was skier-triggered. Photo: A. Schauer


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Northern Gallatin
Wheeler Mountain
Another Avalanche on Wheeler
Incident details include images
Wheeler Mountain
SS-N-R1-D2-O
Coordinates: 45.5097, -111.0820
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

A skier in Hyalite noticed an avalanche on Wheeler mountain that failed on the same slope that avalanched earlier this week. Photo: G. Antonioli


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Bridger Range
Battle Ridge
Cracking and Collapsing, Battle Ridge
Battle Ridge
Coordinates: 45.8823, -110.8820
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0

Skiers near Battle ridge found poor snow structure and experienced cracking and collapsing in the snowpack. From the email: "Throughout our tour we experienced "whoomping" and cracking, some localized and some larger. Upon further inspection, the snowpack was basically new snow (making up half of the pack) and large depth hoar (the lower half of the pack) HS 50-150 depending on wind-loading. Things were most reactive in areas where cover was thinner. Snow surface was moist on solar aspects as the afternoon progressed." - C. Pruden


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Bridger Range
The Throne
Northern Bridgers Avalanche
Incident details include images
The Throne
SS-AFu-R3-D2-O
Elevation: 7,600
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 45.8745, -110.9500
Caught: 1 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

A skier unintentionally triggered a slab avalanche in the northern Bridgers. The group did not notice any avalanche activity on the snowmobile ride in to the zone. They dug a pit and found poor snow structure and propagation in the new snow layer in stability tests. From the email: "About halfway up my hike I heard a wumpf and started getting carried down. I was carried about 90 yards, I got fully buried for the middle 30 yards but finally surfaced and came to a stop. My two friends were on their sleds over to the side of the face and had eyes on my the whole time. We all had the proper equipment but luckily didn’t need to use it. The crown broke about 20 yards above me, looked about 3.5 ft deep, it went across the 40 yard wide couloir and continued down and around some cliffs another 20 yards." Photo: C. Histon


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Bridger Range
Frazier Basin
Avalanches, Poor Stability in Frazier
Frazier Basin
L-N
Elevation: 7,600
Coordinates: 45.9236, -110.9770
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

Skiers in Frazier Basin found poor stability, noting multiple debris piles from recent avalanches and propagating test results (ECTP27). 


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Northern Gallatin
Lick Creek
Lick Creek Avalanche
Incident details include images
Lick Creek
SS-ASc-R2-D2-I
Elevation: 8,000
Coordinates: 45.5198, -110.9500
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0; Killed: 0

Skiers near lick creek intentionally triggered this avalanche that failed below the recent snow. From the email: "Ski cut a wind loaded soft slab on 34 degree headwall dropping into Bozeman Cr. drainage. Slope fractured and ran short ways, 100 feet from crown to toe. Crown was 75 feet across and 20 inches deep." Photo: Kenna


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