Trip Planning for Northern Gallatin

From obs 5/23/24: "shooting cracks in the top 4 to 5 inches of new snow in middle basin" Photo: N. Greiner

From obs 5/23/24: "Toured to the top of PK during today’s storm. Snow was very wet and heavy. We saw no other slides or signs of instability on the way up. Coming down skiers right of flippers, all 3 of us caused small slides and cracking within the new snow. I triggered the largest slide, which was 6-8” deep and 12’ wide." Photo: T. Jordan

From obs 5/18/24: "Wet snow avalanche at around 9300’ on a northwest aspect in Hyalite basin. Group opinions on crown height ranged from 1-5 feet - hard to tell from a distance." Photo: A. Kautzer

From obs 5/18/24: "Wet snow avalanche at around 9300’ on a northwest aspect in Hyalite basin. Group opinions on crown height ranged from 1-5 feet - hard to tell from a distance." Photo: A. Kautzer

On 5/4/24 Skiers triggered large wet loose slides on the Fin near Cooke City

From IG message 4/17/24: "Remote trigger up little bear today. Went to the groundish."

From IG message 4/17/24: "Remote trigger up little bear today. Went to the groundish."

From IG message 4/17/24: "Remote trigger up little bear today. Went to the groundish."

From IG message 4/17/24: "Remote trigger up little bear today. Went to the groundish."

From IG message: “Rode the banana today.. lots of fast moving sluff. Had a mid elevation pocket pop. New snow seemed to have bonded well, the spot that did pop had formed into 12” slab below rock face.”

We toured up to Flanders Mtn and saw a big, deep 2-6' deep avalanche that broke 300-500' wide in weak snow at the bottom of the snowpack. It broke across two separate start zones and included a lower angle ridge (still around 30 degrees) in between that slid. E-NE aspect at 9,800'. HS-N-R3-D3-O.  Photo: GNFAC

We toured up to Flanders Mtn and saw a big, deep 2-6' deep avalanche that broke 300-500' wide in weak snow at the bottom of the snowpack. It broke across two separate start zones and included a lower angle ridge (still around 30 degrees) in between that slid. E-NE aspect at 9,800'. HS-N-R3-D3-O.  Photo: GNFAC

We toured up to Flanders Mtn and saw a big, deep 2-6' deep avalanche that broke 300-500' wide in weak snow at the bottom of the snowpack. It broke across two separate start zones and included a lower angle ridge (still around 30 degrees) in between that slid. E-NE aspect at 9,800'. HS-N-R3-D3-O.  Photo: GNFAC

We toured up to Flanders Mtn and saw a big, deep 2-6' deep avalanche that broke 300-500' wide in weak snow at the bottom of the snowpack. It broke across two separate start zones and included a lower angle ridge (still around 30 degrees) in between that slid. E-NE aspect at 9,800'. HS-N-R3-D3-O.  Photo: GNFAC

We toured up to Flanders Mtn and saw a big, deep 2-6' deep avalanche that broke 300-500' wide in weak snow at the bottom of the snowpack. It broke across two separate start zones and included a lower angle ridge (still around 30 degrees) in between that slid. E-NE aspect at 9,800'. HS-N-R3-D3-O.  Photo: GNFAC

Skiers on 03/29/2024 saw this small avalanche on Hyalite Peak that had likely happened early that morning or the day before. Photo: W. Hubbard

From obs: "Spotted this big guy on the east face of Blackmore today. Seemingly natural and I believe it occurred in the last 36 hours or so. Debris had last nights snow on it. I’d estimate it at D2." Photo: E. Heiman

From obs: "Spotted this big guy on the east face of Blackmore today. Seemingly natural and I believe it occurred in the last 36 hours or so. Debris had last nights snow on it. I’d estimate it at D2. " Photo E. Heiman

Skiers on 03/29/2024 saw this avalanche on the N face of Hyalite Peak from Divide Cirque. This avalanche likely occurred in the last 24 hours. Photo: E. Webb 

On 03/29/2024 skiers saw this recent avalanche on a NE aspect in the Divide Cirque at 9800'. This likely happened in the last 24 hours. Photo: E. Webb 

The avalanche occurred on the northernmost ridgeline in the Mt. Blackmore system near the waypoint at the top of the image. GNFAC/ Gaia

Two skiers were ascending a northeast-facing avalanche path on the northernmost ridgeline of Mount Blackmore around 1 PM when they triggered a large, dry slab avalanche that failed 3 feet deep, 150 feet wide, and ran 500 feet vertical. Debris piled up 4-8 feet deep and broke a number of mature trees. Photo: GNFAC

Two skiers were ascending a northeast-facing avalanche path on the northernmost ridgeline of Mount Blackmore around 1 PM when they triggered a large, dry slab avalanche that failed 3 feet deep, 150 feet wide, and ran 500 feet vertical. Debris piled up 4-8 feet deep. This photo captures the first area to avalanche on the climber's right side of the path. Photo: GNFAC

Two skiers were ascending a northeast-facing avalanche path on the northernmost ridgeline of Mount Blackmore around 1 PM when they triggered a large, dry slab avalanche that failed 3 feet deep, 150 feet wide, and ran 500 feet vertical. Debris piled up 4-8 feet deep. One skier was carried to the bottom left of the runout zone. Photo: GNFAC

Two skiers were ascending a northeast-facing avalanche path on the northernmost ridgeline of Mount Blackmore around 1 PM when they triggered a large, dry slab avalanche that failed 3 feet deep, 150 feet wide, and ran 500 feet vertical. Debris piled up 4-8 feet deep. One skier was carried to the bottom left of the runout zone. Photo: GNFAC

Two skiers were ascending a northeast-facing avalanche path on the northernmost ridgeline of Mount Blackmore around 1 PM when they triggered a large, dry slab avalanche that failed 3 feet deep, 150 feet wide, and ran 500 feet vertical. Debris piled up 4-8 feet deep. Photo: GNFAC

My partner and I were approaching Responsible FamilyMan via Avalanche Gulch early yesterday morning (3/18), and once we broke through the trees into the runout zone, we stumbled across a pretty large wet avalanche debris field. The debris terminated within ~50 yards of the max runout zone. Photo: R. Parsons

My partner and I were approaching Responsible Family Man via Avalanche Gulch early yesterday morning (3/18), and once we broke through the trees into the runout zone, we stumbled across a pretty large wet avalanche debris field. The debris terminated within ~50 yards of the max runout zone. Photo: R. Parsons

A wet loose snow avalanche on the southeast aspect on Mt Blackmore at 9700 to 9800 feet elevation. Photo: C Daniels

Skiers a few days ago saw several deep natural avalanches near the head of Swan Creek. These avalanches broke 2-5' deep, 2000' wide, and ran "full track". The exact date of when these avalanches happened is unknown but they likely happened over a week ago in the first few days of March. Photo: S. Reinsel

Skiers a few days ago saw several deep natural avalanches near the head of Swan Creek. These avalanches broke 2-5' deep, 2000' wide, and ran "full track". The exact date of when these avalanches happened is unknown but they likely happened over a week ago in the first few days of March. Photo: S. Reinsel

Skiers noted a large natural avalanche on the North face of Mt Blackmore that broke overnight. The crown was around 8 feet deep. Photo: E. Roman

Skiers noted a large natural avalanche on the North face of Mt Blackmore that broke overnight. The crown was around 8 feet deep. Photo: E. Roman

Skiers noted a large natural avalanche on the North face of Mt Blackmore that broke overnight. The crown was around 8 feet deep. Photo: E. Roman

One of several natural avalanches in the upper South Cottonwood drainage that skiers saw while in Hyalite. Photo: L. Gabrielson

One of several natural avalanches in the upper South Cottonwood drainage that skiers saw while in Hyalite. Photo: L. Gabrielson

One of several natural avalanches in the upper South Cottonwood drainage that skiers saw while in Hyalite. Photo: L. Gabrielson

This large avalanche was observed on Sunday, 03/03/2024 by riders in Portal Creek. Photo taken today, 03/07/2024. Photo: G. Edwards

Skiers from History Rock saw a few recent natural avalanches on Mt. Blackmore that likely happened during or near the end of a storm on 03/02-03/03. Photo: E. Webb

From obs: "Shot from the top of Flanders, ~1400 this afternoon, 3/3/2024. Big slide(s) on Arden and in Maid of the Mist. Looks like the skin track and ski track between the two slides got taken out. At first glance from across the way it looked like the skin track was crossing over the debris, but when zoomed in it looks like the debris overran the skin track and the ski track." Photo: M. Zia