Slab avalanche on NE facing slope at 7,500 feet - slid to the ground. Photo: K. Gordon
Trip Planning for Southern Gallatin
Past 5 Days

Considerable

Considerable

Moderate

Moderate

Moderate
Relevant Avalanche Activity

HS-N-R3-D2-O
Elevation: 7,500
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 45.0609, -110.8050
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0
Slab avalanche on NE facing slope at 7,500 feet - slid to the ground.
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SS-N-R3-D2-U
Elevation: 7,300
Aspect: SW
Coordinates: 44.9609, -111.1000
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0
We saw a natural avalanche that likely failed this morning near the Gallatin River across from Bacon Rind.
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Coordinates: 45.0080, -110.8370
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0
Via IG: “Electric peak via Betty gulch avalanches. Assuming they are natural!”
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Relevant Photos
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Slab avalanche on NE facing slope at 7,500 feet - slid to the ground. Photo: K. Gordon
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Via IG: “Electric peak via Betty gulch avalanches. Assuming they are natural!” Photo: R Rose
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Via IG: “Electric peak via Betty gulch avalanches. Assuming they are natural!” Photo: R Rose
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Via IG: “Electric peak via Betty gulch avalanches. Assuming they are natural!” Photo: R Rose
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From IG message: "3 different slides lionhead area. One was very big the run out was 20 feet tall and quarter mile long" Photo: T. Urell
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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
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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'
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Skier triggered deep slab avalanche on NE face of Hyalite Peak 3/4/23.
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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.
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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
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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."
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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
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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
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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.
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Skier unintentionally triggered and was caught in wind slab avalanche on the Y couloir in Sheep Creek Drainage. Skier was carried 10m before self arresting. The slide ran ~250m down and broke across the entire width of the couloir. There were no injuries and skied away.
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We looked at the avalanche that killed a snowmobiler yesterday (12/31/22) on Crown Butte near Cooke City. Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the victim, and those involved with the rescue and recovery. Photo: GNFAC
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On December 31, 2022 a snowmobiler was killed in a very large avalanche north of Cooke City, MT. The avalanche occurred near Daisy Pass on Crown Butte on a southeast facing slope at 9,800’. The avalanche appeared to be 2-4' deep, 500' wide, 600' vertical, and broke on weak snow near the bottom of the snowpack. Photo: GNFAC
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Many slick roofs shed this winter's snow with the above-freezing temperatures. There are some impressive fracture lines at the ice rink in Bogert Park in Bozeman. Photo: GNFAC
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We dug a pit at 9,000 feet on a SE facing slope above Hebgen Lake. We found weak snow under a slab that broke with an ECTP26. Photo: GNFAC
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From obs 12/3/22: "Looking east from the top of [Ernie Miller] ridge, we noted another crown on a west aspect that looked to be about 100' wide and deep." Photo: H. Darby
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From obs 12/3/22: "Looking toward Ernie Miller ridge, we noted an old crown in the main bowl just below the summit. It was on an E-NE aspect, 200 or more feet wide and looked to be filled in with new snow but was still visible." Photo: H.Darby
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From obs 12/3/22: "Toured up to Bacon Rind today and skied meadows off of the ridge. Dug a pit at 8700' on a W aspect. HS was 70cm. We got an ECTP12 45 cm up from the ground at the interface between wind packed snow and a layer of .5-1mm facets and mixed forms. That layer made up the bottom 45cm of the snowpack in that area. Dug another pit at 8800' on an E aspect. HS was 115cm. We got an ECTP 14 50cm up from the ground on that same interface as described above. The bottom 50cm of the snowpack looked to be facets and mixed forms. The upper 65cm in that area was a mixture of different layers of wind packed grains that ranged from F to 4F hardness." Photo: H. Darby
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From obs 12/3/22: "Toured up to Bacon Rind today and skied meadows off of the ridge. Dug a pit at 8700' on a W aspect. HS was 70cm. We got an ECTP12 45 cm up from the ground at the interface between wind packed snow and a layer of .5-1mm facets and mixed forms. That layer made up the bottom 45cm of the snowpack in that area. Dug another pit at 8800' on an E aspect. HS was 115cm. We got an ECTP 14 50cm up from the ground on that same interface as described above. The bottom 50cm of the snowpack looked to be facets and mixed forms. The upper 65cm in that area was a mixture of different layers of wind packed grains that ranged from F to 4F hardness." Photo: H. Darby
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At 1:30pm on 11/23 I intentionally triggered a fresh drift of snow in a narrow avalanche path along the edge of the north bowl at Bridger. Northeast aspect at 7,600’ elevation. The crown was 6-8” deep consisting of snow that fell today, 20’ wide and ran 250’ vertical. SS-ASc-R2-D1.5-I. Photo: GNFAC
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Big Sky ski patrol triggered these slides with explosives on 11/22 during routine avalanche mitigation work. The avalanches were hard slabs that averaged 12" deep and broke on a weak layer above a crust on top of snow that fell in October. Photo: BSSP
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Big Sky ski patrol triggered these slides with explosives on 11/22 during routine avalanche mitigation work. The avalanches were hard slabs that averaged 12" deep and broke on a weak layer above a crust on top of snow that fell in October. Photo: BSSP
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Observer reported "A number of Avalanche Crowns on an east aspect at 9500 ft." in Tepee Basin.
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An observer reported "A number of Avalanche Crowns on an east aspect at 9500 ft." in Tepee Basin
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From obs: "Skied Hyalite Peak today and found a wind slab ~10cm deep. Ski cut a small cornice below the main face and broke a small slide that carried ~20’ with little energy with a ~25’ wide crown" Photo: C. Crowe
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Evidence of wind-loading creating the conditions for avalanches in the Bridger Range. Cracking is an indicator of instability. The observer noted this was "Nothing consequential," but this shows that unstable drifts are forming. They will be more consequential where there is more snow and as the wind creates larger drifts. Photo: E Smith
Videos- Southern Gallatin
Weather Stations- Southern Gallatin
Weather Forecast Southern Gallatin
Extended Forecast for17 Miles SE Big Sky MT
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Today
Chance Snow
Showers then
Snow Showers
LikelyHigh: 30 °F
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Tonight
Chance Snow
ShowersLow: 14 °F
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Wednesday
Snow Showers
High: 30 °F
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Wednesday
NightChance Snow
Showers then
Slight Chance
Snow ShowersLow: 13 °F
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Thursday
Chance Snow
ShowersHigh: 33 °F
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Thursday
NightChance Snow
ShowersLow: 18 °F
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Friday
Snow Showers
and BreezyHigh: 26 °F
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Friday
NightSnow Showers
Likely and
Breezy then
Chance Snow
ShowersLow: 9 °F
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Saturday
Snow Showers
LikelyHigh: 23 °F
The Last Word

Over the last ten days, five people were killed in avalanches in the U.S. A total of 19 people have been killed in avalanches in the U.S. this season. More info on each event is available at Avalanche.org Accidents Page.