Trip Planning for Bridgers

image of surface hoar crystals seen in the snowpit wall

Digging snowpit near top of the ramp Dec 22

Image of snowpit from just south of the top of the ramp on Dec 22

Avalanche in Hourglass chute above Wolverine. It looked to be triggered by an intentional cornice drop, was around 12 inches deep at the crown, 100' wide and ran 850' vertical feet. It looked around three days old.

Dug a pit at 7600 ft on a NE facing slope. Full propagation on isolation of the column on the layer of concern about 16 inches down in this zone. Photo: Anonymous

Photo of a natural on Saddle Peak taken from the highway. Slide occured on 12/18 and was previously reported. Photo: GNFAC

There was a natural avalanche on Saddle Peak on Wednesday, December 18. Strong winds ripped through new snow and loaded many slopes. The avalanche broke an estimated 250 feet wide, 1-3 feet deep, and ran 1500 vertical feet. Photo: T Barber

HS-ASr-R1-D1-I

Fraizer Basin, 8500', North facing, 35-37 degree slope, 1pm

Photo: T Guarino

Plumes of drifting snow in the Bridger Range as strong winds blasted the mountains. Photo: GNFAC

Triggered a small slide (r2 d2) in a north east facing chute at around 8300 ft. Photo: J Alford

Triggered a small slide (r2 d2) in a north east facing chute at around 8300 ft. Photo: J Alford

These avalanches occurred 12/15. They broke naturally towards the end of a period of heavy snowfall that totaled 10"=1.22" SWE. Photos taken 12/16 at 1045-1100. Photo: GNFAC

These avalanches occurred 12/15. They broke naturally towards the end of a period of heavy snowfall that totaled 10"=1.22" SWE. Photos taken 12/16 at 1045-1100. Photo: GNFAC

These avalanches were reported yesterday 12/15 by ski patrol who heard them run and saw debris around 1230. They broke naturally towards the end of a period of heavy snowfall that totaled 10"=1.22" SWE. Photos taken 12/16 at 1045-1100. Photo: GNFAC

These avalanches were reported yesterday 12/15 by ski patrol who heard them run and saw debris around 1230. They broke naturally towards the end of a period of heavy snowfall that totaled 10"=1.22" SWE. Photos taken 12/16 at 1045-1100. Photo: GNFAC

These avalanches were reported yesterday 12/15 by ski patrol who heard them run and saw debris around 1230. They broke naturally towards the end of a period of heavy snowfall that totaled 10"=1.22" SWE. Photos taken 12/16 at 1045-1100. Photo: GNFAC

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

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

Photo: E Heiman

On December 15th, 2024 at 12:09 p.m., a skier in open ski area terrain was caught and buried by an avalanche in the Papa Bear region below Bridger Gully. The skier was, who was with a partner, was buried just below the snow surface and was able to punch a hole up through the top of the snow. The skier's partner and other members of the skiing public responded quickly and were able to extricate the uninjured skier.

Although rare, inbounds avalanches may happen and are defined in the skier's responsibility code as an inherent risk of skiing, even within ski area boundaries. This is a reminder of the importance of skiing and riding with a partner, especially in deep snow conditions. Photo: Bridger Bowl

Gusty winds transporting snow in Taylor Fork on Saturday. Triggered a 4-5 inch deep wind slab that propagated about 50 ft at the top of a north east facing slope at 9,500 ft.

Photo: JP

Drifted snow at Bradley Meadow

Photo: GNFAC

Skiers north of Bridger Bowl Ski Area noted that solar aspects (south-facing) were beginning to shed and there were a number of wet loose avalanches. Photo: E. Heiman

Wind-rippled snow surface near the top of Slushman's Lift. Photo: GNFAC

Mark investigates a thin and weakening snowpack. Despite air temperatures near 40 degrees F mid-day on Monday, the snow surface was 21 degrees F. These large temperature gradients will drive rapid faceting. Photo: GNFAC

Despite air temperatures near 40 degrees F on Monday, the snow surface was 21 degrees F. These large temperature gradients will drive rapid faceting. Photo: GNFAC

The runout of a wet snow avalanche that occurred on Sunday. This is a rocky, south-facing run. Photo: GNFAC

On Sunday, there was an R2-D2 wet snow avalanche out of the run Close Call (see photo). This is a rocky, south-facing run. Photo: GNFAC

 A decent sized loose/ wet D1.5 came down between laps (probably 1300) in what i believe is called gangstas. South facing, steep, thin and rocky. Photo: A. Newman

"Dug a quick pit at 8000', NE aspect, ~30deg slope

Total Height of snow: 80cm

The snowpack is generally in quite good shape for this time of year. Right side up and wet snow at the ground! No primary layer of concern where I dug and the new snow seems to be bonding well. Because of this I did not perform any stability tests." Photo: A. Newman

WE facing snow at 8100 ft Cabin Ck

SE facing snow Cabin Creek

N facing snow Cabin Creek, 9000 ft

Big Sky Ski Patrol triggered this avalanche during mitigation work in The Wave on 11/26/24... "2-3' deep on an ice crust just above the ground with a 2# shot in the Upper rodeo. Volume was limited as most of the snow was loaded just underneath the cornice, but still produced a sizeable size 2... Other paths in the Lenin region ran meaty wind slabs, full track with no significant step downs." Photo: BSSP

Driving up Bridger Canyon this morning, we noted several natural avalanches in wind loaded terrain on Saddle Peak, the Football Field, and in Mundy’s Bowl. All The avalanches seems to be a similar wind slab problem. They broke just below the cornice line. Photo: GNFAC

Cracking on old, faceted, October snow hundreds of feet long. North facing near treeline. Photo: BSSP

Intentional, human-triggered avalanche by a ski patrol breaking at the ground on a north facing slope near treeline. Photo: BSSP

From obs: "I dug a quick pit just off from the ridge and noted an HS of 55cm with an 3cm decomposing crust about 29cm up from the ground. Snowpack ranged from fist hardness down to 1 finger at the base. And though the grains at the ground had some edges and corners, I did not note truly faceted snow at the base."

Photo: H. Darby 

Wind was ripping on the ridge and creating hard wind slabs 3-6” in depth. Photo: C. Avis