Photos
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Northern Madison, 2012-01-22 There was a foot of new snow adding stress to the facets near the ground. This was on an east facing slope off the ridgeline. I did not get propagation in all my pits on this aspect, but did here. Eric triggered an avalanche two days ago a few hundred yards up the ridge on this aspect. As long as the buried facets continue to propagate, I'll be cautious. We did not ski the slope. Photo: GNFAC |
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Bridger Range, 2012-01-22 New snow and strong winds produced a thick slab resting over facets. Although it took some force for the ECT to propagate, we did not trust the structure. Photo: GNFAC |
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Cooke City, 2012-01-21 This is the SE bowl on Scotch Bonnet Mountain near Cooke City. The yellow line is roughly the location of the avalanche crown. About the same time this picture was taken, a rider triggered and was caught in an avalanche on the south end of Henderson Mtn near the burned area. Photo: GNFAC |
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Southern Madison, 2012-01-20 This slide occurred in either Cabin Creek or Tepee Basin in the southern Madison Range. Over a foot of dense snow has pushed many slopes past their breaking point. Photo Taylor DeTienne |
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Southern Madison, 2012-01-20 This snowpit was dug near a recent natural avalanche. Facets under the new snow were obvious while snowmobiling because the track would carve into the facets and make the powder seem deeper than it was. When we stepped off the sleds, we would immediately sink to the ground. See a photo of the avalanche at: http://www.mtavalanche.com/images/12/small-natural-avalanche-cabin-creek Photo: GNFAC |
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Southern Madison, 2012-01-20 This small natural avalanche was spotted near Cabin Creek under Skyline Ridge on a South facing slope at 9000 ft. Photo: GNFAC |
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Northern Madison, 2012-01-20 A small cornice drop sympathetically triggered a larger slide along the ridge. Any slope that has been wind loaded will be sensitive to the weight of skier or rider. Photo: GNFAC |
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Northern Madison, 2012-01-20 Weak layers near the surface and near the ground are producing unstable test results in Middle Basin. Photo: GNFAC |
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Cooke City, 2012-01-20 This avalanche was triggered by a skier on the adjacent low angle slope on "Town Hill" which is the terrain just above Cooke City. The gully where this avalanche occured had received a heavy load of wind blown snow. Another avalanche was observed nearby that was triggered by a falling cornice. Photo: B. Fredlund |
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Lionhead Range, 2012-01-19 We triggered this avalanche from a cornice drop. It propagated about 600 feet wide. It broke on the thick layer of facets underneath the wind-loaded snow. We also triggered three more along the ridge: one from a cornice drop, one from a collapes and another remotely. Photo: GNFAC |
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Lionhead Range, 2012-01-19 The slide was triggered by a cornice drop. It was a hard slab and avalanched on the same slope that slid on Dec 31. Photo: GNFAC |
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Southern Madison, 2012-01-14 This snowpit in the Cabin Creek area of the Southern Madison Range has a total snowpack depth of almost 4 feet. The bottom 2 feet is all weak, sugary facets and the upper 2 feet is a slab. See the complete snow profile graph here. Photo: B. Radecky
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Northern Madison, 2012-01-13 Variable snow conditions exist around Buck Ridge. Some slopes are comprised almost entirely of weak faceted snow. These slops lack a slab and therefore are currently stabel, but once more snow falls they will become unstable very quickly. Other slopes have existing slabs resting over facets, these slope were producing unstable results in stabilty tests. See snow profile with a slab here, and one without a slab here. Photo GNFAC |
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Northern Gallatin, 2012-01-11 A layer of surface hoar is buried on Mt. Ellis and breaking in our stability tests. This layer is not found everywhere. Digging is the only way to find it. Photo: GNFAC |
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Lionhead Range, 2012-01-11 These surface hoar crystals formed from West Yellowstone through the southern Madison Range. They are now buried under yesterdays snow. Photo: J. Watt |
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Southern Madison, 2012-01-11 Another photo of the slope triggered on Saturday by snowmobilers. Not very big, but the debris funneled into a terrain trap. Photo: J. Watt |
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Southern Madison, 2012-01-10 Seven snowmobilers were playing on a slope when one person triggered this slide, but was not caught. This avalanche happened on Saturday, Jan 7 in Cabin Creek. Although it was not very deep, the debris ran into a terrain trap. Photo: J. Noorlander |
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Southern Madison, 2012-01-10 The avalanche path funneled into a drainage...a dangerous terrain trap. Luckily no one was caught. This was triggered by snowmoblers on Saturday, Jan 7. Photo: J. Noorlander |
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Cooke City, 2012-01-08 Heavy snow and strong winds during last week's storm pushed many slopes past their breaking point. This natural avalanche occurred on a NE facing slope outside of Cooke City. Photo: Beau Fredlund |
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Northern Madison, 2012-01-06 A buried layer of surface hoar and well developed facets near the ground are producing unstable results during stability tests. This photo was taken on Spanky's, a NE facing slope at 8500 ft in Bear Basin. Photo: GNFAC |