22-23
Many natural slides in Taylor Fork
We rode to the Taylor Fork weather station (near Pika Point on the rim of Sunlight Basin) and noticed a few slides along the way. At the weather station we could see that the north end of the basin natural avalanched: the slopes from where the cornices end in Sunlight Basin past Pika Point. It broke up to 2.5 feet deep on an old layer of facets and surface hoar. The slide was R2 D2, 3-400 feet vertical and at least 750 feet wide. It was a large Hard Slab. We spent time at the crown digging, making a movie and getting cold. No surprises, just great to see a real avalanche. We also saw smaller slides looking west from the station, close by. Afterward, we rode to the Sage/Carrot divide in deep snow; hero riding. Skyline Ridge was obscured in clouds.
On the drive back to Bozeman we could see many slides on road cuts and on slopes across the river; low elevation avalanches that we don’t get to see often.
The avalanche recorded in this form is the one in Sunlight Basin that we made the movie about.
Rider triggered slide on Buck road cut
We rode through 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Yellowmule. Measured 13” of new snow with 0.6” SWE in 1st Yellowmule at 10 am. This brought the two day snow total to approximately 20”. Snowed all day with varying intensity and there were strong west winds along the ridge.
Visibility wasn’t great, but we saw most of the avalanche terrain in the Yellowmules. ..... saw a very small snowmobile triggered avalanche on a roadcut on the way out (6-12 inches deep, ~20 ft wide) that broke on facets in the thin snowpack.
GNFAC Avalanche Forecast for Sat Jan 28, 2023
<p><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/weather/wx-avalanche-log"><span><span><span… totals are impressive</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>:</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>29” (3.5” snow water equivalent, SWE) in the Bridger Range</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>18” (1.7” SWE) in Hyalite</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>24” (1.7” SWE) in Big Sky</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>It is very dangerous in the backcountry. Heaps of snow are creating avalanches, both natural and human triggered. Today is a day to stay out of avalanche terrain, including runout zones. Avalanches can be triggered from afar (remotely) and can propagate uphill. Weak snow near the ground and/or other weak layers will break and avalanche with this new load. This is not a day to dig snowpits to try and outsmart the avalanche. Avoidance is the only tactic that works. Ian and Alex rode into Buck Ridge yesterday and confirmed the Avalanche Warning (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/_AKiCAbhppk"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span>…;). There was also a skier triggered avalanche in Lick Creek that was 2-4’ deep (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/RBkECAuBzKg?feature=share"><span><span><span…;) and a 2.5’ deep slide was remotely triggered in Fairy Lake (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/27849"><span><span><span><strong><span…;). Triggering avalanches is </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><em><span>very likely</span></em></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span> today. During and immediately after storms is when avalanches are ripe to occur. As weather and visibility improves, do not err and assume the danger has passed, because it has not. Today the snowpack needs time to adjust to its new load. It can’t be rushed and the avalanche danger is rated HIGH. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Near West Yellowstone and Cooke City the mountains have dangerous avalanche conditions. In Cooke City yesterday, Beartooth Powder Guides reported 2-3 feet of new snow at higher elevations, far more than the automated weather stations are recording. Even with limited visibility, avalanches in the new snow were seen around Cooke City (</span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><span>observation </span></span></strong></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/27848"><span><span><span><strong><span…; </span></span></strong></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/27843"><span><span><span><strong><span…; </span></span></strong></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/27840"><span><span><span><strong><span…;). The southern Madison Range, southern Gallatin Range and Lionhead area have gotten at least a foot of snow in the last 2 days. A buried weak layer (feathery surface hoar crystals) was avalanching </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><em><span>before</span></em></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span> the storm, which means today it will be easy to trigger avalanches. While the southern mountains are not quite at Avalanche Warning criteria, they still warrant serious respect. Give all avalanche terrain a wide berth today and don’t poke the bear.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>For today, the avalanche danger is rated CONSIDERABLE on all slopes since triggering avalanches is likely. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Please share avalanche, snowpack or weather observations via our</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/add/snow_obs"><span><span><span><span>…; </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span><span>website</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, email (</span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><span>mtavalanche@gmail.com</span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>), phone (406-587-6984), or Instagram (#gnfacobs). </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The mountains have dangerous avalanche conditions. A buried weak layer (feathery surface hoar crystals) was avalanching </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><em><span>before</span></em></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span> the storm, which means today it will be easy to trigger avalanches. While the southern mountains are not quite at Avalanche Warning criteria, they still warrant serious respect. Give all avalanche terrain a wide berth today and don’t poke the bear.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
KING AND QUEEN OF THE RIDGE, FEBRUARY 4TH
Weather and Avalanche Log for Sat Jan 28, 2023
AVALANCHE WARNING continues for N. Gallatin, N. Madison, and Bridger Ranges
Remotely triggered avalanche in Fairy Lake
From IG:
Many naturals, Cooke City
2-3 feet of new snow was reported above Round Lake in Cooke City. Many natural avalanches were seen on S-SE slopes. From afar they look to be breaking on new-old snow interface.
We saw this rider triggered avalanche along the road to Buck Ridge. It was triggered today, 1/27/23. Photo: GNFAC
Forecast link: GNFAC Avalanche Forecast for Sat Jan 28, 2023