Photos

Another view of the large, hard slab avalanche that was snowmobiler triggered on 1/16/2020. Photo: GNFAC

Snowmobiler triggered avalanche near Reas Peak on Sunday, 1/19/20. He was able to ride through it uphill. Photo: R. Gravatt

Snowmobiler triggered avalanche near Reas Peak on Sunday, 1/19/20. He was able to ride through it uphill. Photo: R. Gravatt

From obs: "I was on the west side of Pioneer Mtn digging a pit for YC Ski Patrol. I heard a few groups of snowmobiles cruising around the foothills of cedar. I turned and saw two snowmobilers cresting the ridge above the slide pictured as the debris was settling down. The sledders enjoyed the view for a few minutes before turning back the way they came and stumbled upon the slide they had unknowingly triggered. They skirted around the side of the crown and stopped for a few minutes. Based on the height of the rider off his sled, I would estimate the crown to be roughly 10’ at its max height. NE aspect below Cedar" Photo: J. Marcinko

"A south and southeast aspect of Mt. Wolverine around 9,500'-10,000'.  I'd estimate the lower crown to be about 3' deep.  And timing of the event maybe around Jan. 16.?" Photo: B. Fredlund

A skier was skinning uphill, breaking trail and triggered this avalanche on 1/19/20. They reported, " released a small pocket near texas meadow. Maybe 50 ft wide, 2 ft crown and ran 150 ft....I was not caught and nobody was buried or injured. I was skinning up at about 1130...I got to where it was steeper and as I reached thinner snow near rocks I felt a whump. I took one more step and the pocket released."

A skier was skinning uphill, breaking trail and triggered this avalanche on 1/19/20. They reported, " released a small pocket near texas meadow. Maybe 50 ft wide, 2 ft crown and ran 150 ft....I was not caught and nobody was buried or injured. I was skinning up at about 1130...I got to where it was steeper and as I reached thinner snow near rocks I felt a whump. I took one more step and the pocket released."

A skier was skinning uphill, breaking trail and triggered this avalanche on 1/19/20. They reported, " released a small pocket near texas meadow. Maybe 50 ft wide, 2 ft crown and ran 150 ft....I was not caught and nobody was buried or injured. I was skinning up at about 1130...I got to where it was steeper and as I reached thinner snow near rocks I felt a whump. I took one more step and the pocket released."

Fresh wind slabs releasing naturally near the top of Lionhead Ridge. Photo: GNFAC

This was an older slide on Lionhead Ridge. It broke 3 to 4 feet deep and propagated on a buried weak layer. Probably from a few days ago. Photo: GNFAC

With only 3" of new snow overnight, a cornice triggered a large avalanche at Lionhead early this morning. It broke 3 to 4 feet deep and propagated on a buried weak layer. This is the only stability test we need today, human triggered avalanches possible and the management strategy is to avoid steep slopes or be clear about your risk tolerance if you are poking into avalanche terrain. Photo: GNFAC

With only 3" of new snow overnight, a cornice triggered a large avalanche at Lionhead early this morning. It broke 3 to 4 feet deep and propagated on a buried weak layer. This is the only stability test we need today, human triggered avalanches possible and the management strategy is to avoid steep slopes or be clear about your risk tolerance if you are poking into avalanche terrain. Photo: GNFAC

January 20^th from 4-8pm at Beehive Basin Brewery, join the YC and Big Sky Ski Patrols to support the Darren Johnson memorial fund. Darren was a ski patroller at the Yellowstone Club who was killed in an avalanche on January 19^th, 2016. The memorial fund gives scholarships to send patrollers to the National Avalanche School.

Avalanche triggered by skiers on Flander's peak in Hyalite on 1/18/20. Nobody caught or buried, but they were surprised and it covered another groups skin track. Photo: J. Riedel

Avalanche triggered by skiers on Flander's peak in Hyalite on 1/18/20. Nobody caught or buried, but they were surprised and it covered another groups skin track. Photo: J. Riedel

From e-mail: "2nd hand observation arrived at site about 5 minutes after slide. Triggered by sidehilling snowmobiler but was not caught up in it... looked approximately 50 ft wide 150 ft vertical. Did not appeared to be very deep" Photo: P. Gish

The crown of this snowmobiler triggered avalanche tapered to a thin slab. These thin areas of the slope are prime zones to trigger a slide from. Photo: GNFAC

This avalanche was triggered on 1/16/20. The crown was measured 15' deep and was knife hardness wind slab. The slide broke on a layer of faets that is found on many slopes in our forecast area. Photo: GNFAC

Photo: C. Kussmaul

From obs: "There is a small east facing basin that’s between Divide Peak and Maid of the Mist Basin. While walking along the ridge that connects the two, my partner intentionally broke off a large piece of a cornice, which then triggered two substantially sized avalanches in the basin below. The first avalanche was directly beneath the collapsed cornice with a crown 6-12 inches deep and about 30 ft across. The second avalanche was triggered by the 1st avalanche and had a crown of similar depth but was substantially larger. It was hard to see as the crown travelled uphill and around a corner. The ascpet was E and SE, at the elevation of 9,600ft. The pictures I got are poor, but should give you an idea of the size." Photo: C. Kussmaul