Northern Gallatin

From email: "Noted one natural crown off Elephant, NW aspect, 9,600', D2 HS, estimated crown depth around 2 feet, appeared several days old." Photo: G. Antonioli

Strong wind over the weekend deposited fresh drifts, about 10" deep, over weak snow. Bridger Bowl ski patrol triggered a few of these drifts on Monday (12/21) during avalanche mitigation. Photo: BBSP

Went for a quick lap on the Blackmore shoulder to check out conditions up higher in Hyalite. Temps hung in the upper 30s/low 40s with overcast skies and light gusting moderate SW winds throughout our tour.

- Dug a quick pit @9650' on a 27deg SE slope (65cm total depth) and found a mixed bag of well-developed fist-hard facets with a couple of pencil-hard melt-freeze crusts mixed in with ~10cm of decomposing new snow on the surface. The faceted layer from 20-40cm contains grains that are striated and 2-4mm in size, with some forming small chains. Test results: ECTN13@53cm and CT12PC@53cm on facets below a pronounced 4cm thick MF crust.
- Took a peek on the northerly aspect as well and found far more spatially variable snow depths, and more wind-effected surface conditions. The stratigraphy was relatively more simple with soft-to-hard slabs (hardness and thickness depending on location) sitting atop well-developed fist hard facets.
- Spatial variability seems to be the name of the game with snow depths and wind slab formation, but the lower ~40cm of well-developed facets seems pretty darn widespread... bummer!

We were ice climbing below Divide Peak today. I heard and saw a natural avalanche across the basin on the west facing slopes below Overlook Mountain, I also observed recent avalanche debris below “The G Spot” which is in a couloir below Overlook. Even though there isn’t any recent snow, the snow that is there is getting actively blown around.

A skier kicked off a larger than expected cornice as they skinned up the ridge on the W side of Beehive basin on Sunday (12/20/20).

From obs.: "Kicked off a larger than expected cornice as we skinned up the ridge on the W side of Beehive basin. Wind was blowing 20-ish across the opening, cornice had grown pretty good-sized for so little snow. I was making a turn on skins to get back away from the edge when the cornice gave way, probably pulled 25 feet end to end and broke a good 5 feet back from the lee edge of the cornice. I was able to get off the cornice and avoid going over the edge. No activity on the slope below after cornice drop,...