Trip Planning for Northern Madison

The foreground and ridges are scoured from the recent wind. Cedar Falls is frozen fat with views of the Madison Valley below. Photo: GNFAC

From Obs: "On Saturday we toured up Dudley Creek. At around 1pm we ski cut an isolated, wind loaded pocket on a SE aspect at approximately 9200ft elevation and released a wind slab (see photo). The slab was about 20 feet wide, about 1 foot at it's deepest, and ran for about 200 feet. Staying wary of wind loading, we dug a pit on a NE aspect, in a spot without evidence of significant wind loading, and received an ECTNX. Although we did not identify any failure on buried weak layers in this location, it will remain something to watch for with more snow and warmer temps on the way." E Schreier

On Buck Ridge today (3/5/23) we found fresh, unstable drifts. This fresh slab was 4-6" deep. Cracking like this is a sign that wind slabs will avalanche on steeper slopes. Photo: GNFAC

Skier triggered avalanche on Elephant Mtn. 3/4/23. SS-ASu-R2-D1.5-I

Vertical Fall: ~700' Distance Traveled: ~1000' Aspect: 15 N Elevation of start zone: 9645'

Skier triggered deep slab avalanche on NE face of Hyalite Peak 3/4/23.

From FB message 3/4/23: "Buck ridge. East facing slope. Beaver creek area. Sled triggered. No burials."

A cornice collapsed on Monday, triggering an avalanche on the slope below. Dave Zinn digs in the flank to assess the point of failure. Photo: GNFAC

From the USFS Snow Rangers, "We saw one small wind slab avalanche in the new snow above Beaver Creek on a north aspect."

From IG: Skiers near Mt. Blackmore on 2/24 saw a large avalanche on the east side of Mt. Blackmore that appeared to have happened in the last 24 hours.

From email 2/24/23: "Came across this very large cornice that appeared to have broken naturally sometime in the past 24 hours. Saw a few others that had broken recently throughout our tour, but none as large as this." E. Heiman

From email 2/24/23: "Triggered a small 2’ deep wind slab in new snow this afternoon.  NNE aspect 9,500’, approximately 38° slope.  Riding was excellent on all high North facing slopes and this was the only sign of instability we saw all day.  Wind was howling on the way out, lots of snow coming out of the trees and transporting at ridge tops."

From IG: “Ski cut trigger. West facing. 9800ft. Big sky area.” I. Freeland

We saw a natural avalanche that occurred overnight or the morning of February 20, in 2nd Yellowmule. It appeared to be ~200' wide and broke 1-3' deep. Photo: GNFAC

Small storm slab released on a small piece of terrain. East aspect around 9200.

Went for a ski up the Flanders drainage in Hyalite today. The day was punctuated by light winds and heavy snowfall.

On the skin in, we noted numerous D1 storm slab avalanches about 15cm down in the new snow on many aspects and elevations. Approaching a ridgeline, we experienced a shooting crack that propagated a very small slide in slightly wind affected snow. We dug an ECT on a SE facing aspect at 9000ft. We were unable to get propagation. Snow totals appeared to be higher than forecasted, with 60cm of new snow as of about 12:30. By the time we ripped skins, the area had received an additional 10cm of snow, putting totals around 60-70cm of low density snow on top of a stout melt freeze crust on the aspect we were skiing.
 

we did not observe any cracking collapsing or wumphing in buried weak layers, nor signs of avalanches on those layers. The new snow had very low SWE.

I sunk to the ground on Mt Ellis when I stepped out of my skis. A poor, unsupportable structure is not everywhere, but it certainly was on the ridge. Photo: GNFAC

Karl Birkeland got an ECTP9 under a wind slab on the Throne. We could feel the hard slab and softer, weaker snow under it with our ski pole. Photo: GNFAC

We founds areas that were scoured to the dirt and adjacent areas loaded from the wind. The evidence of strong wind was everywhere. Photo: GNFAC

At the ridgetop of the Throne we found deep wind slabs that had cracked naturally; a sign of instability. Photo: GNFAC

On 2/4/23 we saw evidence of a large avalanche that broke during the avalanche warning last weekend in Going Home Chute, R3-D2.5 (see photos). It appeared to have run to the end of the runout zone and tipped over small trees. Photo: GNFAC

On 2/4/23 we saw evidence of a large avalanche that broke during the avalanche warning last weekend in Going Home Chute, R3-D2.5 (see photos). It appeared to have run to the end of the runout zone and tipped over small trees. Photo: GNFAC

On 2/4/23 we saw a crown of a large avalanche from earlier in the week on the west side of Beehive Basin, on an east facing slope around 8,800'. R3-D2, 2-3 feet deep, 150' wide. Photo: GNFAC

2/4/23: We dug a pit near the top of our ascent on a west aspect at 9,100'. HS was 160cm and we found surface hoar buried 55cm deep (105cm above ground). It did not propagate or easily break in our tests, but it was a clear stripe in the wall and may have contributed to the adjacent large avalanche last weekend. Photo: GNFAC

Avalanche (possibly sled/human triggered) on an easy to northeast facing slope around 9300 feet.  There were lots of sled tracks on the slope, which is located just out of the wilderness at the far end of Buck Ridge.  Slide and sled tracks appeared to be from after the weekend storm and were covered with light snow from the last couple days.  Noted lots of wind transported snow along buck ridge this afternoon. Photo: K Marvinney

From IG “Beehive basin on an east/ northeast slope. Photo was taken at 3:15 in the afternoon.” Photo: JP

Took a drive up and around the Yellowstone Club and saw this slide today. I think that is Cedar Mt with Pioneer Ridge in front and to the left. Stay safe out there. Photo. B. Rode

From IG message: "Another one today. Back of buck creek. Triggered 100 yards above where I crossed below it in the safe zone, after I went by. No burials."

From obs 1/28/23: "While snowmobiling up Little Bear we witnessed this natural avalanche. There was 2-3' of new snow." Photo: J. Otis

From obs 1/28/23: "There were numerous debris piles, point releases, and crowns on the north face of Elephant and the northeast face of Blackmore this morning.  Most of them appeared to have run during the storm (1/27) and had been covered by at least 6 inches of new snow." Photo. S. Regnerus

From IG:

Fairy lake today (1/27/23), remote trigger from top of the ridge

About 2-2.5ft deep about 75-100 ft wide

We saw this rider triggered avalanche along the road to Buck Ridge. It was triggered today, 1/27/23. Photo: GNFAC

Surface hoar can often be seen as a grey stripe on the wall of your snowpit as was the case at Bacon Rind in the Southern Madison Range on 1/23. Photo: GNFAC

From Big Sky Ski Patrol 1/21/23: "skier triggered a surface wind slab in Wyoming Bowl that broke 8-12” deep. It propagated to an estimated 150’ wide- SS, R1/D1.5... The slide was small, no one was hurt, and the avalanche was reported (which we appreciate), with no further public involvement other than the trigger."

Natural soft slab release likely in the last 36 hours. Seen from in-bounds at the Yellowstone Club. Avalanche location at 45.2116512 N 111.47811 W at the headwaters of Muddy Creek. 

On a Jan. 16 tour into Beehive, we found the concerning layer of feathery surface hoar buried under 6" of snow. It is widespread from Big Sky through West Yellowstone and Cooke City. It has produced avalanches near Hebgen Lake, with more snow, it will likely produce avalanches in Beehive too. Photo: GNFAC

Sinking waist deep into faceted snow in the 1st Yellowmule. GNFAC photo. 1/13/23

Darren Johnson was a passionate skier, patroller, and wildland firefighter and this fund helps his memory live on. During the week of January 16, 2023, there are two events happening to help spread awareness about the DJ Fund and generate donations for the next recipients to attend National Avalanche School in October 2024. The first event is at the Independent Theatre on Tuesday, January 17. This charity event has a $10 entry fee which includes a raffle ticket to a silent auction. On Thursday, January 19, join us at Beehive Basin Brewery for a raffle and pint night in which $1 from every pint sold goes into the DJ Memorial Fund.

To donate to the Darren Johnson Avalanche Education Memorial Fund visit djmemorialfund.org, or join us at these two exciting events hosted by Yellowstone Club Ski Patrol. Huge thanks to all who have sponsored and donated to these events.

A rider triggered a small avalanche in First Yellowmule on Sunday that broke approximately 6-8" deep, 60' wide, and ran 20'. Photo: D. Kristensen

While skiing around our boundaries I observed well developed surface hoar that was relatively widespread in undisturbed areas. The photo included seemed to go well with the fx. Photo: J. Aid