Large chunks of debris from a natural avalanche in Targhee Creek. Photo: GNFAC
Trip Planning for Lionhead Range
Past 5 Days

Moderate

Considerable

High

High

Considerable
Relevant Avalanche Activity


N-R2-D2-I
Elevation: 9,400
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 44.7292, -111.3230
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0
We saw many R1-R2 wind slab avalanches below the Lionhead Ridge cornice line. Visibility was limited so I won't estimate the exact number, but nearly every time we had good views of the steep faces, we saw cornice collapses, debris, or small crown lines. There were two slides on east aspects that ran closer to full path and piled debris more deeply. I expect that most of these had run within the last 24 hours, but continuing snowfall and hurricane force winds made precisely dating these a challenge (many trees were blown down during the wind event, these too were already somewhat buried). None of the avalanches broke on persistent weak layers as far as I could tell.
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SS-N-R1-D1-S
Elevation: 9,000
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 44.7145, -111.3180
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0
We rode out Lionhead Ridge and around the north end to the head of Targhee Creek. Skies started overcast, but cleared through the day as wind calmed from moderate to light out of the west and southwest.... there were two or three shallow small wind slabs below Lionhead Ridge.
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HS-AMu-R2-D2-O
Elevation: 9,100
Aspect: SE
Coordinates: 44.7250, -111.3220
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0
Also, on our way out we saw an avalanche in Airplane Bowl that had been triggered during the day today. This slide also broke on the persistent weak layers, 2-3' deep, 150' wide.
More Avalanche Details
Relevant Photos
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We saw many crowns of wind slab avalanches along Lionhead Ridge. Photo: GNFAC
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Cornice collapse and small avalanche at the start of Lionhead Ridge. Photo: GNFAC
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Mar 9. We rode out Lionhead Ridge... there were two or three shallow small wind slabs below Lionhead Ridge. Photo: GNFAC
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Mar 9. We rode out Lionhead Ridge... there were two or three shallow small wind slabs below Lionhead Ridge. Photo: GNFAC
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From obs: "Looks like a recent naturally triggered slide towards the Idaho wilderness boundary on lionhead."
Photo: M. Klahr
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Airplane bowl this afternoon after a rider triggered slide. There is a down track in the middle of the crown face
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Airplane bowl this morning, no avalanche
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A rider triggered a huge avalanche in the uppermost reaches of Targhee creek on a north facing slope at 9200'
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A rider triggered a huge avalanche in the uppermost reaches of Targhee creek on a north facing slope at 9200'
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A rider triggered a huge avalanche in the uppermost reaches of Targhee creek on a north facing slope at 9200'
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At Lionhead a weak layer generally 2-3 feet deep is obvious in this snowpit wall.
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Remotely triggered the avalanche from 150 feet away. It broke 200' wide and 1-3 feet deep. It ran an estimated 200' vertical feet
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Remotely triggered the avalanche from 150 feet away. It broke 200' wide and 1-3 feet deep. It ran an estimated 200' vertical feet
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From FB message: "Small slide in lower elevation back by lionshead"
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From obs: "We saw this today after it happened. Looked like a snowmobile triggered it. I believe it is mostly south facing." Photo: D. Haluptzok
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We saw two recent shallow wind slab avalanches. No recent slides breaking deeper.
This one at NE 9000' -
Plenty of wind slabs ranging in size on Lionhead ridge and on surrounding slopes. Photo: Riley
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Plenty of wind slabs ranging in size on Lionhead ridge and on surrounding slopes. Photo: Riley
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Plenty of wind slabs ranging in size on Lionhead ridge and on surrounding slopes. Photo: Riley
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1 meter deep snowpack showing the obvious facets in the bottom third
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We dug a pit on an East facing aspect below the slope we had planned to ride. The height of snow was about 110 cm and there was a very concerning layer of large facets at 75cm deep going to the ground. Photo: C Culver
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Our results were CT17 SPQ2 and ECTP26 SCQ1. Bother failures during tests were on the layer of facets and on the CT and ECT our columns easily separated from the facet layer after failure. Photo: C Culver
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On Jan 12, we saw 4-5 avalanche crowns that were up to a week old, some had been reported and a few we had not heard of. Two were ~2' deep on less wind affected slopes lower down in the trees, but probably had some previous wind-loading. Photo: GNFAC
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On Jan 12, we saw 4-5 avalanche crowns that were up to a week old, some had been reported and a few we had not heard of. Two were ~2' deep on less wind affected slopes lower down in the trees, but probably had some previous wind-loading. Photo: GNFAC
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On Jan 12 We saw 4-5 avalanche crowns that were up to a week old, some had been reported and a few we had not heard of. The pictured one was a 3-4'+thick slab on a rocky heavily wind-loaded slope off Lionhead ridge. Photo: GNFAC
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From IG Jan4, Photo: J. Urell
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From IG Message Jan 4."They happened today because I did not see the debris on way in". Photo: T. Urell
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Remote triggered this avalanche at Lionhead. We were snowmobiling to the left of where the avalanche occurred. No one was caught.
Coordinates: 44°43'36.8"N 111°19'05.0"W
Photo: Ben
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Settling and collapsing on E-NE slopes above Hebgen. Full slope collapses and cracks, approximately 28 degree slope pictured.
Photo: C Koch
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While touring up a low-angle ridge in the northern Lionhead, I experienced several large collapses, notably one that triggered a cornice fall from 50’ away. Another remote collapse caused about 500’ of an E facing bowl to propagate, but not slide. ~9200’ E-SE
Photo: N Sramek
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While touring up a low-angle ridge in the northern Lionhead, I experienced several large collapses, notably one that triggered a cornice fall from 50’ away. Another remote collapse caused about 500’ of an E facing bowl to propagate, but not slide. ~9200’ E-SE
Photo: N Sramek
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There was a natural avalanche on the landslide face above quake lake. The avalanche failed on a weak layers near the ground and broke several hundred feet wide.
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From obs on 12/29: "On our way out near the cabin I cut a line close to a creek to see if I could trigger something."
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From obs on 12/29: "On our way out near the cabin I cut a line close to a creek to see if I could trigger something."
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Occurred during the day on 12/28 Photo: GNFAC
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Plumes of drifting snow in the Bridger Range as strong winds blasted the mountains. Photo: GNFAC
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From IG: On 12/15 "Storm slab broke about 200’ above us as skinning up the hallway coming from the north side on the throne." Photo: Anonymous
Videos- Lionhead Range
Weather Stations- Lionhead Range
Weather Forecast Lionhead Range
Extended Forecast for10 Miles WNW West Yellowstone MT
Tonight
Low: 13 °F
Mostly Cloudy
then Chance
SnowThursday
High: 21 °F
Snow and
BreezyThursday Night
Low: 12 °F
Chance Snow
then Mostly
CloudyFriday
High: 23 °F
Chance Snow
Friday Night
Low: 22 °F
Breezy.
Chance Snow
then SnowSaturday
High: 24 °F
Snow and
BreezySaturday Night
Low: 10 °F
Slight Chance
Snow and
Blustery then
Partly CloudySunday
High: 27 °F
Partly Sunny
then Slight
Chance SnowSunday Night
Low: 25 °F
Chance Snow