Northern Gallatin

Good mellow dust on crust skiing with 1”-3” of poorly bonded new snow. Widespread shooting cracks observed on new snow interface on all aspects traveled through the day (primarily E and S facing aspects). Lots of wind transport filling in the skin track between laps and creating light reactive slabs ~5” deep in places (see photo) primarily out of the west but generally inconsistent in direction. 

Skied into South Cottonwood basin from Blackmore today. Skiing was sub-par with lots of wind scouring and intense active snow transport. Along with the slides observed yesterday, two recent R1-D1 slides were observed in South Cottonwood Basin: below the Dogleg and on N Twin's west wall via cornice break. No surface hoar, slides from today, or cracking/collapsing were observed. 

From obs: "Wind was rocking in alpine today, fresh windslabs forming and naturally releasing. I could make out 3 on E face, but rough vis with blowing snow. Exposed terrain in alpine had about .5” ice crust from yesterday’s sunshine.

This slab (in pic) released around 11-noon-ish." Photo taken 1/31/25

Wind was rocking in alpine today, fresh windslabs forming and naturally releasing. I could make out 3 on E face, but rough vis with blowing snow. Exposed terrain in alpine had about .5” ice crust from yesterday’s sunshine.

This slab (in pic) released around 11-noon-ish. 

Large surface hoar across a variety of elevations and aspects at Lick Creek. It was 2-5mm large and present on almost all flats and non-solar aspects. Photo: W Hubbard 

Large surface hoar across a variety of elevations and aspects at Lick Creek. It was 2-5mm large and present on almost all flats and non-solar aspects, and from the road up to 8500 ft and above. The most recent snow was wetting out on the solars, and temperatures were well above freezing at my car when I got back to it in the early afternoon.