From IG Jan4, Photo: J. Urell
From IG Message Jan 4."They happened today because I did not see the debris on way in". Photo: T. Urell
From IG messages
From IG message
Remote triggered this avalanche at Lionhead. We were snowmobiling to the left of where the avalanche occurred. No one was caught.
Coordinates: 44°43'36.8"N 111°19'05.0"W
Remote triggered this avalanche at Lionhead. We were snowmobiling to the left of where the avalanche occurred. No one was caught.
Coordinates: 44°43'36.8"N 111°19'05.0"W
Photo: Ben
Remote triggered this avalanche at Lionhead. We were snowmobiling to the left of where the avalanche occurred. No one was caught.
Coordinates: 44°43'36.8"N 111°19'05.0"W
We rode to the divide between Cabin and Teepee Creeks and then the fog/clouds set in and we couldn't go higher or further out.
From the moment we left the trail there was WIDESPREAD collapsing all day long. Snowpits were consistently 3-4 feet deep and the weak layer usually a foot above the ground. At higher elevations, I suspect that the weak layer is closer to 2 feet above the ground. Because of the widespread collapsing and very bad visibility, we were hyper-aware of slope angles so that we didn't inadvertently get on or under avalanche terrain.
Small slopes at low elevations were avalanching including some along Hwy 191 in YNP. It's always a bad sign when road cuts are avalanching.
We stayed away from ALL AVALANCHE TERRAIN.
The good news - the powder is incredible, the coverage is excellent, and this snow is exactly what we need to heal the weak layer. Unfortunately, avalanche conditions have to get worse before they get better.
I skied above hebgen today, and found some encouraging signs. No collapsing on the way up, but I did get a few small ones on the way out below 7k. A pit on an east facing slope at 8800’ had 90 cm of snow, and I got a poorly-defined propagation at ECTP16 in the big, granular facets that make up the base of the snowpack. The newer snow slab was quite cohesive, although there is a thin rain crust that formed yesterday afternoon. The lake is currently a slushy experience.
