Checking the slope angle on the west side of Henderson Mountain outside Cooke City. Selecting terrain less than 30 degrees steep is the most reliable way to avoid avalanches. The most reliable way to know the slope angle, measure it. Photo: GNFAC
Trip Planning for Cooke City Area
Past 5 Days

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Moderate

Moderate
Relevant Avalanche Activity

HS-AMu-R3-D2-O
Elevation: 10,000
Aspect: SW
Coordinates: 45.0550, -109.9530
Caught: 2 ; Buried: 0
On the morning of March 23, 2023 near Daisy Pass, two snowmobilers were stuck on a slope and a third was snowmobiling up to help when a large avalanche was triggered. The two stuck riders were caught and carried, and one of them sustained potentially life-threatening leg injuries (later determined as a broken femur). The third rider was able to safely ride off the slope and was not caught by the avalanche.
One rider in the group rode into Cooke City to contact Search and Rescue. Cooke City/Park County Search and Rescue transported the injured rider back to Cooke City where he was transferred to an air ambulance.
The avalanche was on a southwest facing slope at 10,000’, it broke up to 4’ deep and 150’ wide, and is classified HS-AMu-R3-D2-O.
More Avalanche Details

SS-N-R0-D1
Elevation: 9,700
Aspect: W
Coordinates: 44.9739, -109.9240
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0
Skied on west and east sides of Woody Ridge. Observed a few small soft wind slab avalanches involving only new snow around the submarine. Dug a pit about a meter deep on west aspect about 9,700 feet. HS was 290cm. No result on extended column test. Fist to 265, 4F to 245, 1f to 200 where there is a crust layer, back to 1f below that.
More Avalanche Details


HS-AMu-R4-D3-O
Elevation: 10,000
Aspect: NE
Coordinates: 45.0576, -109.9520
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0
From obs 3/18/23: "Watched two riders on the north side of Henderson / Daisy pass high marking. One triggered an large avalanche and got stuck at the crown. Crown was taller than him. Guessing 8-10’ deep and 200+ yards wide. His friend had his back turned to the slide and didn’t see it happen. We were across around the sheep mtn/ Scotch Bonnet area and watched the whole thing happen. We boogied over there as fast as possible to help."
More media and story: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp8qvlfO4sM/ (Credit: C. Diffley)
More Avalanche Details
Relevant Photos
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Beartooth Powder Guides investigated the crown of the slide that was triggered by a snowmobiler near Daisy Pass on 3/23/23. Photo: Z. Peterson
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One of the snowmobiles that was involved in the avalanche near Daisy Pass on 3/23/23. Photo: @maria_elizabeth521
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On the morning of March 23, 2023 near Daisy Pass, two snowmobilers were stuck on a slope and a third was snowmobiling up to help when a large avalanche was triggered. The two stuck riders were caught and carried, and one of them sustained potentially life-threatening leg injuries. The third rider was able to safely ride off the slope and was not caught by the avalanche. Photo: B. Zavora
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On the morning of March 23, 2023 near Daisy Pass, two snowmobilers were stuck on a slope and a third was snowmobiling up to help when a large avalanche was triggered. The two stuck riders were caught and carried, and one of them sustained potentially life-threatening leg injuries. The third rider was able to safely ride off the slope and was not caught by the avalanche. Photo: B. Zavora
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On the morning of March 23, 2023 near Daisy Pass, two snowmobilers were stuck on a slope and a third was snowmobiling up to help when a large avalanche was triggered. The two stuck riders were caught and carried, and one of them sustained potentially life-threatening leg injuries. The third rider was able to safely ride off the slope and was not caught by the avalanche. Photo: B. Zavora
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On the morning of March 23, 2023 near Daisy Pass, two snowmobilers were stuck on a slope and a third was snowmobiling up to help when a large avalanche was triggered. The two stuck riders were caught and carried, and one of them sustained potentially life-threatening leg injuries. The third rider was able to safely ride off the slope and was not caught by the avalanche. Photo: B. Zavora
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Skied on west and east sides of Woody Ridge. Observed a few small soft wind slab avalanches involving only new snow around the submarine. Dug a pit about a meter deep on west aspect about 9,700 feet. HS was 290cm. No result on extended column test. Fist to 265, 4F to 245, 1f to 200 where there is a crust layer, back to 1f below that.
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"Attached are a few photos of old deep slab avalanches north of town... the south face of scotch bonnet. Hard to tell the depth of the crown but it’s very visible from the lulu road, so probably pretty deep." Photo: Z. Peterson
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Attached are a few photos of old deep slab avalanches north of town... a south face north of round lake above 10,000’. The crown was mostly filled in but the deepest exposed part was 2-3’ deep. Photo: Z. Peterson
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From 3/18/23: "Watched two riders on the north side of Henderson / Daisy pass high marking. One triggered a large avalanche and got stuck at the crown. Crown was taller than him. Guessing 8-10’ deep and 200+ yards wide.... We were across around the sheep mtn/ Scotch Bonnet area and watched the whole thing happen. We boogied over there as fast as possible to help." Photo: C. Diffley
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From 3/18/23: "Watched two riders on the north side of Henderson / Daisy pass high marking. One triggered a large avalanche and got stuck at the crown. Crown was taller than him. Guessing 8-10’ deep and 200+ yards wide.... We were across around the sheep mtn/ Scotch Bonnet area and watched the whole thing happen. We boogied over there as fast as possible to help." Photo: C. Diffley
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A few recent slides were visible today on south, east and west aspect around goose lake zone. Looked like mostly wind slabs in the new snow. Photo: P. Hinmon
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A few recent slides were visible today on south, east and west aspect around goose lake zone. Looked like mostly wind slabs in the new snow. Photo: P. Hinmon
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Saw this natural D2 soft slab off the east aspect of Miller Ridge. The crown looks shallow, so I’m guessing it ran at the storm interface. 3/16/23. Photo: N. Hance
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From Obs: "Heard tree breakage, saw plumes of snow and sliding snow at the bottom of the slide path. Our group spoke with the sledders and skiers that were on the slope and confirmed none were caught. Skiers reported feeling slide tremble and backed down the mountain. The main breakage was near top of the third shoot from the lookers right." Photo: N. Repphun
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From obs: "I triggered an avalanche on the way back down the mountain. I'm unsure of the exact location but a buddy said it was under bear tooth butte. I was able to outrun the avalanche, and there were no injuries."
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From obs: "I triggered an avalanche on the way back down the mountain. I'm unsure of the exact location but a buddy said it was under bear tooth butte. I was able to outrun the avalanche, and there were no injuries."
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From obs: "Large avalanche with small tree and branch debris. Located on the lower NE bench face of Mt Abundance, near Lake Abundance. There were snowmobile tracks near the slide but could not determine if that was the cause. Approx 2000 feet across. Possibly 4-6 feet deep but couldn't tell from the bottom of the hill." Photo: D Green
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From obs: "Large avalanche with small tree and branch debris. Located on the lower NE bench face of Mt Abundance, near Lake Abundance. There were snowmobile tracks near the slide but could not determine if that was the cause. Approx 2000 feet across. Possibly 4-6 feet deep but couldn't tell from the bottom of the hill." Photo: D Green
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Snowmobile triggered on a path called "Marty's" above Daisy Pass road. This was similar aspect as the slide on Crown Butte yesterday, and likely had a similar snowpack structure. We checked the debris for a beacon signal to be sure no one was caught, and did not find one. This may have been triggered today (3/12). Photo: GNFAC
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Snowmobile triggered on a path called "Marty's" above Daisy Pass road. This was similar aspect as the slide on Crown Butte yesterday, and likely had a similar snowpack structure. We checked the debris for a beacon signal to be sure no one was caught, and did not find one. This may have been triggered today (3/12). Photo: GNFAC
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Snowmobile triggered on a path called "Marty's" above Daisy Pass road. This was similar aspect as the slide on Crown Butte yesterday, and likely had a similar snowpack structure. We checked the debris for a beacon signal to be sure no one was caught, and did not find one. This may have been triggered today (3/12). Photo: GNFAC
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Slide on Crown Butte that was triggered by a snowmobiler yesterday (3/11/23). This was on a SW aspect at 9,600'. It was 1-3 feet deep and broke on a layer of surface hoar and large facets below a hard slab of wind-drifted snow. Photo: GNFAC
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Natural on the east side of Sheep Mtn. that was a hard slab of wind-drifted snow on a heavily wind loaded slope near the high ridgeline at 10,500', East aspect. Photo: GNFAC
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This slide on Fisher Mtn. was a very large natural that broke the night of 3/10-3/11, and appeared up to 10 feet deep. 10,200', E aspect. Photo: GNFAC
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This slide on Fisher Mtn. was a very large natural that broke the night of 3/10-3/11, and appeared up to 10 feet deep. 10,200', E aspect. Photo: GNFAC
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This slide on Fisher Mtn. was a very large natural that broke the night of 3/10-3/11, and appeared up to 10 feet deep. 10,200' E aspect. Photo: GNFAC
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From FB message: "triggered this today (3/11/23) in Cooke City south side of Crown Butte."
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Large natural avalanche on Fisher Mtn. observed 3/11/23 (screenshots from IG story, A. Mulkey)
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Large natural avalanche on Fisher Mtn. observed 3/11/23 (screenshots from IG story, A. Mulkey)
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From obs 3/11/23: "Saw a deep crown today in Republic Valley. This is peak 10383 (just north east of republic peak). Crown looks about 100 feet wide and probably 5 feet deep. Couldn’t see debris or how far it ran." Photo: J. Mundt
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On the afternoon of 3/11/23 there was a large avalanche in the main gully on Town Hill (southerly aspect) above Cooke. Photo: GNFAC
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Several avalanches observed D2-D2.5.
Crown depth 80-120cm
SSW @ 8800’Photo: B. Hoiness
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Several avalanches observed D2-D2.5.
Crown depth 80-120cm
E @ 9700’
Photo: B. Hoiness -
Several avalanches observed D2-D2.5.
Crown depth 80-120cm
ENE @ 10,000’
Photo: B. Hoiness -
Observed 3/11/23: E aspect, around 9,000'. Photo: B. Fredlund
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Seen 3/11/23, NW aspect, around 10,000'. (This starting zone also avalanched in a similar way around Feb. 21). Photo: B. Fredlund
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Photo attached of a recent avalanche near Cooke, on the north face of Mt. Republic. Steep, rocky, north facing. Everything that I have been seeing the last 2 days has been similar: steep, rocky north faces above tree line, often associated with wind loading, and cornices. We observed 4 other similar avalanches yesterday, like the photo attached.
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A group of snowmobilers captured an image of what we believe was a skier-triggered avalanche on Miller Mountain from 3/2. Photo: R. Stacy
Videos- Cooke City Area
Weather Stations- Cooke City Area
Weather Forecast Cooke City Area
Extended Forecast for2 Miles NNE Cooke City MT
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This
AfternoonSnow Likely
High: 29 °F
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Tonight
Snow Likely
and Patchy
Blowing SnowLow: 16 °F
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Saturday
Snow and
Patchy
Blowing SnowHigh: 29 °F
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Saturday
NightSnow and
Patchy
Blowing SnowLow: 11 °F
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Sunday
Snow
High: 24 °F
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Sunday
NightSnow Likely
Low: 8 °F
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Monday
Chance Snow
then SnowHigh: 26 °F
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Monday
NightSnow
Low: 8 °F
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Tuesday
Snow
High: 19 °F
The Last Word

Avalanches have killed 23 people in the United States so far this season. On Monday, March 27th, a snowmobiler was killed in an avalanche in Utah. This was the tenth fatality in March.
More info on each event is available at the Avalanche.org Accidents Page.