2/17 Immediately noticed signs of wind loading and wind slabs on NE-E aspects once in the basin. New cornices have formed in the last couple days along the North ridge to the summit. Cornice collapse on the summit triggered a small wind slab on an isolated slope.
At 16:10 I arrive at the sumit of Ellis. The wind was Westerly 0-5mph. I planned to ski the South Face of Ellis and then come up and ski the typical East face slides back to the car. The south face was skied on Saturday and I was told there was a stout melt freeze crust with roughly 6 inches of new snow. I was also told it was skied out after 4 skier had skied the face.
From the summit I make 2 ski cuts to safe spots. The snow was unreactive, but it was wetter/ denser than expected. There was 6-8 inches of new snow. Roughly 150-200 vertical feet down the face I bailed. Wind affected snow was becoming widespread and I noticed the new snow falling at the apex of my turns (storm slabs). The new snow was thinner, 4-6 inches and the crust was very noticeable. In tight trees I transitioned and skinned over to east face. Skiing through newly formed wind slabs there were small shooting cracks (not particularly energetic) that extended roughly 10 feet. Wind slabs were up to 2 feet deep. The melt freeze crust was easily breakable in some places and unbreakable in others.
Long winded, but the new snow and wind loading lined up exactly with the forecast.
SS-ASc-R1-D.5-I
310 Degrees NW
8129ft
SS-ASc-R1-D.5-I
310 Degrees NW
8129ft
Photo: Tagg Cole
Storm slab avalanche between Blackmore and Elephant. Photo: Anonymous
We toured from Gallatin River up to 8000'. Generally strong, deep, snowpack. We did not look at north-facing snow at the lowest elevations - that could be weak but doesn't have much of a load. Pretty amazing to have such good coverage all the way down the to river level.
11:40
8017ft
147 SE
HST 85cm
25 degrres
ECTN 14 20 down
CT 11 q1 20 down
ECTN 19 20 down
CT5 q2 20down
12:10
8129ft
33 NE
HST 165 cm
10 Degrees
ECTN 26 34 down
CT 16 Q1 32 down
ECTN 19 30 down
SS-ASc-R1-D.5-I
310 Degrees NW
8129ft
