Trip Planning for Cooke City Area

Natural avalanche that occurred at Bridger early on 5/9/22. There were many similar depth natural crowns along the ridge that broke within the recent snow that fell over the weekend.

Crown of a natural avalanche that occurred at Bridger on 5/9/22. There were many similar depth natural crowns along the ridge that broke within the recent snow that fell over the weekend.

Natural slab avalanche on Crown Butte. Appears to be a wet slab that likely occurred 5/3 or 5/4/22. This same slope slid after a heavy snow storm on 4/23. Photo: @markass406

"Recent natural, slab avalanche, near Cooke City.  A northerly aspect around 9,000'.  It looks like it happened late morning yesterday, May 4th." Photo: B. Fredlund

Natural wet loose avalanche in Beehive Basin. Occurred on Wednesday 5/4 after new snow fell on Tuesday.

Wet loose snow avalanches of recent 6" of snow. They likely occurred when the sun came out Wednesday morning, or at the end of the storm on Tuesday. GNFAC

Avalanche on the NW face of Crown Butte. Estimated 4/24/22. Photo taken 4/25/22. Photo: M. Sirounian

From email: "I'd hypothesize that this avalanche might have happened sometime yesterday.  There was a light rain event on April 21, and an associated widespread (but minor) wet loose avalanche cycle on steep northerly aspects the same day.  And it appears from the photo that the slab avalanche might have happened subsequent to all the roller ball/ well loose activity.  Yesterday was very warm here also, with a high of 47 deg F at the NE Entrance at noon." B. Fredlund

Skiers reported shooting cracks from their skis while ascending the terrain at Bridger Bowl. The group later remotely triggered an avalanche from 100'+ away that ran through the "Pearly Gates" and "Patrol Chute". 

On 4/18/22 near Cooke City we witnessed natural rollerballs and pinwheels by 11 am, and a couple wet loose slides below cliffs on southerly slopes around noon, and were able to easily trigger pinwheels on west-southwest aspects around 1230-1pm. Photo: GNFAC

On 4/18/22 near Cooke City we witnessed natural rollerballs and pinwheels by 11 am, and a couple wet loose slides below cliffs on southerly slopes around noon, and were able to easily trigger pinwheels on west-southwest aspects around 1230-1pm. Photo: GNFAC

On 4/18/22 near Cooke City we witnessed natural rollerballs and pinwheels by 11 am, and a couple wet loose slides below cliffs on southerly slopes around noon, and were able to easily trigger pinwheels on west-southwest aspects around 1230-1pm. Photo: GNFAC

On 4/18/22 we saw this large natural slab on east facing Mineral Mtn. around 9,800', on a wind loaded slope below cliffs. Happened yesterday or maybe this morning. Photo: GNFAC

On 4/17/22 near Cooke City we saw a couple natural 2-4" deep, 10' wide slabs on small hills lower down (pictured); natural 6-16" slabs on heavily wind loaded slopes on east aspect of Sheep Mtn., north face of Miller and east Wolverine mostly D1-1.5 (no photos); and two skier triggered D1.5 loose snow/storm slabs on the east aspect of Miller Ridge (no photo). Photo: GNFAC

From obs 4/16/22: "My partner and I observed relative instability (ECTP 14) on a thick ice crust on a SW-facing slope at the base of Henderson Ridge. In addition to the propagation, there was a fracture at the new snow interface roughly 10cm deep, which was noticeably less consolidated than the snow between it and the buried sun-crust. We did not witness any cracking or whumphing along the skin track and decided to ski a similar aspect. As we quickly navigated across a steep, 33-degree slope, two small loose slides broke from under our cuts, each roughly 10' across and traveling 30'. Each of these broke on the shallower new snow that rendered a fracture in our ECT."

From obs 4/17/22: "Ski cut on belay a SS avalanche out of the start zone of this N facing slope in Sheep Creek basin. The crown was 4-16" deep and broke into the rocks on skier's right, as well as skirted the bottom of the rock wall skier's left. Winds along the Mineral ridge were moderate gusting strong from the south with active transport observed."

We saw this natural avalanche on the Fin that occurred overnight on April 17th. It was the result of new snow and strong winds over the weekend. Photo: GNFAC

Avalanche on Wolverine Peak. Photo taken 4/7/22. Likely broke on 4/5 or 4/6 during the storm. Photo: GNFAC

Avalanche on Wolverine Peak. Photo taken 4/7/22. Likely broke several days earlier, during the storm. Photo: GNFAC

Avalanche on Scotch Bonnet Mtn. Photo taken 4/7/22. Likely broke several days earlier, during the storm. Photo: GNFAC

A large drift on the Ramp just north of Bridger Bowl. Photo: GNFAC

Drifts cracked and slid on steep rollovers north of Bridger Bowl. Photo: K Hammonds

From email 4/3/22: "I noticed [this dry slab] this morning from town. I saw tracks on it yesterday afternoon (when we arrived) but didn’t notice the slide with naked eye, also super flat light yesterday afternoon... Looks like it could’ve been skier triggered, but maybe not, as there aren’t any tracks going through the path, must’ve been the last skier if that were the case.The debris can be spotted almost to the bottom of the bowl, so quite lengthy." Photo: P. Whitmire

An avalanche on Wilson Peak that caught two skiers and injured one on 4/3/22. Photo: GNFAC

Natural slab avalanches in Sheep Creek north of Cooke City. These crowns were first observed the morning of 3/25/22 and likely occurred on 3/24. Photo from 3/30/22, GNFAC

Skiers noted wet slab and wet loose avalanche activity on March 28th in the mountains near Cooke City. Photo taken March 30. Photo: B. Fredlund

Skiers noted wet slab and wet loose avalanche activity on March 28th in the mountains near Cooke City. Photo was taken March 30. Photo: B. Fredlund

Skiers noted wet slab and wet loose avalanche activity on March 28th in the mountains near Cooke City. Photo: B. Fredlund

Skiers noted wet slab and wet loose avalanche activity on March 28th in the mountains near Cooke City. Photo: B. Fredlund

Skiers noted wet slab and wet loose avalanche activity on March 28th in the mountains near Cooke City. Photo: B. Fredlund

Natural avalanches on peak 9595' east of YNP and north of Silver Gate. 3/27/22. Photo: GNFAC

Observed this avalanche crown on 3/27/22 south of Silver Gate and east of Yellowstone N.P. Appeared to be a wet slab within 24 hours old. Photo: GNFAC

On March 26 many natural wet slides occurred in closed terrain at Bridger Bowl. Photo: BBSP

Slab avalanche on Mount Abundance. Observed 3/25/22. It either broke naturally or was remotely triggered. Photo: D. Green

Portion of the crown of an avalanche that was triggered by a group of skiers on 3/24/22 on Woody Ridge south of Cooke City. Photo: GNFAC

View down the path of an avalanche that was triggered by a group of skiers on 3/24/22 on Woody Ridge south of Cooke City. Photo: GNFAC

Looking up the debris of the avalanche that caught three skiers in Republic Creek. Photo: Anonymous

Slab avalanche that caught three skiers and partially buried one in Republic Creek, south of Cooke City. Photo: Anonymous

Slab avalanche on south facing slope on Sawtooth Mountain in the Wilderness north of Cooke City. Observed 3/23 and appeared to be recent. Photo: S. Gill