Bridger Range

West side avalanche photo

Date
Activity
Skiing

Impressive avalanche cycle in the Bridgers to view as the skies clear.  Most slides seemed to have happened mid storm.  Here’s some photos of a large slide on the west side/behind north boundary.  Not sure the name.

Region
Bridger Range
Location (from list)
BRIDGER RANGE
Observer Name
Brian Sienkowski

The Throne - Fewer Signs of Instability

Date
Activity
Skiing
Snowmobiling

We skinned up the ridge of the Throne, and we dug two quick pits on the lower half of the slope. On the E aspect at 7,800' we had a HS of 4 feet. We got an ECTP 24 and 30 on the facets at the ground. 30 feet away, we dug a pit with less than 3 feet of snow, and we got an ECTX in that pit. This showed how spatially variable this area is after the new snow and wind. We continued skinning up the ridge to the top of the Throne, and we dug another pit. Here, we found 190 cm of snow, and we had an ECTP 14, 1.5' below the surface within the new snow from the last week. We did not see other signs of instability while touring or riding today. 

Region
Bridger Range
Location (from list)
The Throne
Observer Name
Ian Hoyer, Alex Haddad

Sympathetic Release of the Football Field

Saddle Peak
Bridger Range
Code
HS-AE-R3-D3-O
Aspect
E
Latitude
45.79430
Longitude
-110.93600
Notes

From BBSP: "Most of the Football Field pulled with the top Bitter End shot."

Number of slides
1
Number caught
0
Number buried
0
Avalanche Type
Hard slab avalanche
Trigger
An explosive thrown or placed on or under the snow surface by hand
R size
3
D size
3
Bed Surface
O - Old snow
Problem Type
Wind-Drifted Snow
Slab Thickness units
centimeters
Single / Multiple / Red Flag
Single Avalanche
Advisory Year
22-23

Avalanches seen from bridger canyon road

Date

On the drive up to bridger bowl, I saw debris from several avalanches at the top of the ridge south of saddle peak. Aspects E-SE. I didn't get a super good view, but I'm estimating they were size R1-2  / D1-2 and couldn't tell for sure if they were loose or slab avalanches.

Region
Bridger Range

Many large natural new snow avalanches, Bridger Ridge

BRIDGER RANGE
Bridger Range
Code
SS-N-R3-D2.5
Elevation
9000
Aspect Range
E, NE, N, NW, W, SE
Latitude
45.85120
Longitude
-110.94800
Notes

From obs 1/29/23: "Noticed multiple crowns while driving up to bridger bowl this morning. Most evident was wide crown line on saddle peak below the corniced ridge stretching from the summit towards football field. Another was an obvious crown on what I believe is Argentina Bowl south of Saddle peak. From a distance, this all looked like new snow crowns and didn’t seem like anything stepped down to our buried weak layers. East wind had an interesting effect on the ridgeline above bridger bowl."

BBSP noted on 1/29/23: "A crown on Saddle Peak could be seen in today's bright light.  It began at the football field, extended to the top of the peak and a flank was visible extending down the skyline.  A secondary pocket pulled on the north facing slope below the Going Home Chute.  On the west side St Lawrence pulled out wall to wall, and behind Mountain Mother had a crown that was more filled in on the south facing side that began about half way down.  Also, a crown was noted on the south facing ridge of Bradley's Meadows ridge below the cliffs."

From 1/30-2/4 we also noticed old crowns "Between the Peaks" on Saddle, in the Y-couloir on the West side of Saddle Peak and in Jones creek on the west side.

Number of slides
9
Number caught
0
Number buried
0
Avalanche Type
Soft slab avalanche
Trigger
Natural trigger
R size
3
D size
2.5
Problem Type
New Snow
Slab Thickness
30.0 inches
Images
Debris from avalanche on west Bridgers
West side avalanche late Jan 2
West side Bridger slides from late Jan
Snow Observation Source
Bridger Ridge Slides
Slab Thickness units
inches
Single / Multiple / Red Flag
Multiple Avalanches
Advisory Year
22-23
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