Trip Planning for Bridgers

Toured up to the NE shoulder on Mt. Blackmore yesterday. Winds were strong and variable, but mostly gusting from the S-SW. A lot of snow was moving around, skin tracks were filled in very quickly, and you could actively see small cornices starting to build on the lee side of the ridge. Photo: H. Darby

Saw a group of skiers trigger a small wind slab avalanche on an eastern aspect at around 8,300' in the main fork of Hyalite in "Candy Land" just south of the climb Big League Chew at 2:00pm on Saturday (11/26). Crown looked to be around 2" to 1' and 90' wide. The slide ran maybe 100'. No skiers were caught. Photo: Anon

Saw a group of skiers trigger a small wind slab avalanche on an eastern aspect at around 8,300' in the main fork of Hyalite in "Candy Land" just south of the climb Big League Chew at 2:00pm on Saturday (11/26). Crown looked to be around 2" to 1' and 90' wide. The slide ran maybe 100'. No skiers were caught. Photo: Anon.

Looking up Skier triggered slide at Bridger on 11/27.

View from top of skier triggered slide at Bridger on 11/27: "NE face. Rollover around 35 degrees mellowing throughout the run. The face had tracks from earlier today before i triggered the slide. I was able to self arrest and stop myself before being carried. The crown was around 20-25 ft wide and the slide ran roughly 100ft downhill before stopping. Both myself and my partner skied away unharmed."

Crown of skier triggered slide at Bridger on 11/27: "NE face. Rollover around 35 degrees mellowing throughout the run. The face had tracks from earlier today before i triggered the slide. I was able to self arrest and stop myself before being carried. The crown was around 20-25 ft wide and the slide ran roughly 100ft downhill before stopping. Both myself and my partner skied away unharmed."

Toured to the ramp and Bradley's Meadow on 11/25 around noon. Temperature was 45 F and wind was calm. Snow surface was moist 5-10cm deep on most slopes. The snow surface on shady slopes above about 8,000' remained dry, despite temperatures above freezing at all elevations. Natural rollerballs and pinwheels on steep, rocky southerly slopes around 7,800'. Photo: GNFAC

A skier was caught and carried 40-45 yards in an avalanche on Thanksgiving Day in an area known as Papa Bear at Bridger Bowl. Bridger Bowl is not open, and there are no avalanche mitigation or ski patrol services. Photo: Anonymous

A group of skiers sent in this photo to show how windy it was up at Bridger on Thanksgiving Day. The wind was focused at mid-mountain levels and blew from the north to northwest. There was a lot of snow moving around and stripping of snow surfaces. Photo: H Darby

Skiers at Bridger Bowl observed a small avalanche near the lower Nose that was likely human-triggered. Photo: T. Chingas

Skiers observed a small avalanche below the Nose at Bridger Bowl. They believed it may have been human triggered. Photo: T. Chingas

From Obs: "Moderate to strong wind at mid-mountain level with visible transport across and downslope in many locations. Skiing conditions deteriorating in wind affected zones." 

From Obs: "Moderate to strong wind at mid-mountain level with visible transport across and downslope in many locations. Skiing conditions deteriorating in wind affected zones."

At 1:30pm on 11/23 I intentionally triggered a fresh drift of snow in a narrow avalanche path along the edge of the north bowl at Bridger. Northeast aspect at 7,600’ elevation. The crown was 6-8” deep consisting of snow that fell today, 20’ wide and ran 250’ vertical. SS-ASc-R2-D1.5-I. Photo: GNFAC

At 1:30pm on 11/23 I intentionally triggered a fresh drift of snow in a narrow avalanche path along the edge of the north bowl at Bridger. Northeast aspect at 7,600’ elevation. The crown was 6-8” deep consisting of snow that fell today, 20’ wide and ran 250’ vertical. SS-ASc-R2-D1.5-I. Photo: GNFAC

Big Sky ski patrol triggered these slides with explosives on 11/22 during routine avalanche mitigation work. The avalanches were hard slabs that averaged 12" deep and broke on a weak layer above a crust on top of snow that fell in October. Photo: BSSP

Big Sky ski patrol triggered these slides with explosives on 11/22 during routine avalanche mitigation work. The avalanches were hard slabs that averaged 12" deep and broke on a weak layer above a crust on top of snow that fell in October. Photo: BSSP

Toured into divide basin on Friday. Looking at the north face of hyalite peak we saw a slide that went to the ground, and was about 150 feet wide. It possible this slide propagated further, but severe wind loading was actively occurring and it was hard to tell if the crown had been filled back in. We dug a pit at 9300 feet on a SÉ aspect and found a 80-100 cm HS and right side up snow pack with minor faceting below a crust 30 cm from the bottom. 

This natural avalanche of wind blown snow narrowly missed hitting two skiers.

Photo: Anonymous

submitted to us via IG: "triggered this large wind slab below Bridger Lift this morning [11/18]. It propagated quite a ways."

From obs: "triggered a small wind slab in sluice box today. this was not a surprise as all of the wind loaded areas had shown cracking and instability on the way up. though these other areas exhibited the same instability, this little pocket in sluice was the only spot steep enough to run. wanted to stop and measure slope angle but the dog was getting cold"

Photo: J. Armer

The Bridger Mountains look good with a fresh layer of snow. Photo: GNFAC

From obs: "Photos of a small wind slab avalanche (R1 D1)  from yesterday at approximately 7800 feet on the northern end of bradleys meadow. The slide was initiated by the second skier and although the rest of the slope was <30 degrees the starting zone was a NE facing steep cross loaded wind pillow just below the ridge. 

As my friend was skiing down he saw a crack propagate up and to his left and was able to stop on the side of the path as the snow ran past him. The  crown was approximately 30-40 feet and ran about 100 feet." Photo: G. Roe

From obs: "Photos of a small wind slab avalanche (R1 D1)  from yesterday at approximately 7800 feet on the northern end of bradleys meadow. The slide was initiated by the second skier and although the rest of the slope was <30 degrees the starting zone was a NE facing steep cross loaded wind pillow just below the ridge. 

As my friend was skiing down he saw a crack propagate up and to his left and was able to stop on the side of the path as the snow ran past him. The  crown was approximately 30-40 feet and ran about 100 feet." Photo: G. Roe

From IG: "Remotely skier trigger wind slab up on white worm near sac bowl". Photo: C. Howell

Small slab avalanche triggered by skier in a small chute near The John and Bronco runs in Bridger Bowl. Propagation from skier’s ski, slab slid down through the chute. Crown maybe 10 feet wide. Slab looked about 6 or 7 inches thick. Looked like a layer of new snow from today and yesterday’s storm sliding on top of an old crust layer. Nobody harmed, just spooked.

From obs: "Saw some cracking and propagation of a 6-8" storm slab on steeper terrain near the Bridger Lift. Gentle upslope winds seem to have compacted a slab near some terrain features, and I got a small propagation at the edge of the Sluice Box gully where the slope angle tipped up near 40." Photo: C. Avis

While traveling up the Fairy Lake road, we observed the aftermath of an avalanche in October Bowl. The avalanche was D2-D3, start zone was at approximately 9000 ft, north east aspect, crown depth and width is unknown. Photo: H. Bigos-Lowe

Skiers found a thin snowpack that is beginning to weaken (facet). Read observation here. Photo: T McCutcheon.

Evidence of wind-loading creating the conditions for avalanches in the Bridger Range. Cracking is an indicator of instability. The observer noted this was "Nothing consequential," but this shows that unstable drifts are forming. They will be more consequential where there is more snow and as the wind creates larger drifts. Photo: E Smith