Northern Madison
Small natural windslab along Beehive Ridgeline around noon on 12/18. It broke up to around a foot deep, 20 ft wide, and ran about 15 vertical feet. Photo: GNFAC.
Avalanche Details: Small windslab along Beehive Ridge
Northern Madison, 2024-12-18
Windy in Beehive
Date
Activity
Skiing
Skinned up Beehive Basin, dug a pit on the edge of Tyler's and climbed up to the prayers flags. Winds picked up as we approached the ridge, moving quite a bit of snow. Skinned along the Beehive-Middle ridge for a little ways and then skied down towards Middle and skinned along above the rollover for a while. Dug a pit and returned the way we came.
Snowpit in Tyler's (W facing) was 80 cm deep, with an ECTP13 on the facets mid-pack. Snowpit on the Middle Basin side (E facing) was 120 cm deep, with an ECTP 14 on the facets mid-pack.
On our way back along the ridge we found a small natural windslab that had broken below the cornice during the hour since we had been there last - it broke up to around a foot deep, 20 ft wide, and ran about 15 vertical feet. This was the only avalanche we saw today.
Got a few little cracks in switchbacks along the skintrack while climbing out of Beehive, but no other cracking or collapsing.
Region
Northern Madison
Location (from list)
Beehive Basin
Observer Name
Ian Hoyer and Mark Staples
Plumes of drifting snow in the Bridger Range as strong winds blasted the mountains. Photo: GNFAC
Snowmobile triggered avalanche, Buck Ridge
Buck Ridge
Northern Madison
Code
SS-AMu-R2-D1-O
Aspect
NE
Latitude
45.17190
Longitude
-111.38000
Notes
From FB messenger: “Bottom of Slats area. Buck ridge.
NE slope/hole wind loaded. Sled triggered, 315 pm Sunday Dec 15, 2024”
Number caught
0
Number buried
0
Avalanche Type
Soft slab avalanche
Trigger
Snowmobile
Trigger Modifier
u-An unintentional release
R size
2
D size
1
Bed Surface
O - Old snow
Problem Type
Wind Slab
Snow Observation Source
Slab Thickness units
centimeters
Single / Multiple / Red Flag
Single Avalanche
Advisory Year
Snowmobilers triggered a small avalanche in Slats Canyon at Buck Ridge on Sunday. Photo: anonymous
Avalanche Details: Snowmobile triggered avalanche, Buck Ridge
Forecast link: GNFAC Avalanche Forecast for Wed Dec 18, 2024GNFAC Avalanche Forecast for Thu Dec 19, 2024
Northern Madison, 2024-12-18
Forecast link: GNFAC Avalanche Forecast for Wed Dec 18, 2024GNFAC Avalanche Forecast for Thu Dec 19, 2024
Snowmobile triggered avalanche, Buck Ridge
Date
Activity
Snowmobiling
From FB messenger: “Bottom of Slats area. Buck ridge.
NE slope/hole wind loaded. Sled triggered, 315 pm Sunday Dec 15, 2024”
Region
Northern Madison
Location (from list)
Buck Ridge
2 Storm Slabs near Buck Ridge
Buck Ridge
Northern Madison
Code
SS-N-R2-D2
Latitude
45.17190
Longitude
-111.38000
Notes
We saw two avalanches while riding along Buck Ridge on 12/17. These likely broke overnight on 12/16. One was a storm slab avalanche on the far (southwest) side of Buck Creek - broke 2-300 ft wide and ran ~500 vertical feet. The other was a similar, but smaller slide in 3rd Yellowmule (~100 ft wide and ran ~200 vertical ft).
Number caught
0
Number buried
0
Avalanche Type
Soft slab avalanche
Trigger
Natural trigger
R size
2
D size
2
Vertical Fall
500ft
Slab Width
200.00ft
Snow Observation Source
Slab Thickness units
centimeters
Single / Multiple / Red Flag
Multiple Avalanches
Advisory Year
Remotely triggered slide near Buck Ridge
Buck Ridge
Northern Madison
Code
SS-AMr-R2-D1
Elevation
9200
Aspect
N
Aspect Range
N-E
Latitude
45.17190
Longitude
-111.38000
Notes
We remotely triggered a slide in upper Bear Creek that broke approximately 200 ft away in a gully. It failed ~18" deep on facets underneath the snow that has accumulated since Sunday. It broke in several pockets, totaling around 200 ft wide. There was 12" of new snow at the crown, with 0.7" SWE. The slab contained 1.4" SWE total (which accumulated since Sunday).
Number caught
0
Number buried
0
Avalanche Type
Soft slab avalanche
Trigger
Snowmobile
Trigger Modifier
r-A remote avalanche released by the indicated trigger
R size
2
D size
1
Problem Type
Persistent Slab
Slab Thickness
18.0 inches
Vertical Fall
15ft
Slab Width
200.00ft
Weak Layer Grain type
Faceted Crystals
Weak Layer grain size
2.00mm
Weak Layer Hardness
F
Images
Attached Videos
Snow Observation Source
Slab Thickness units
inches
Single / Multiple / Red Flag
Single Avalanche
Advisory Year
Avalanche Details: Remotely triggered slide near Buck Ridge
Northern Madison, 2024-12-17