From FB: Taylor’s Fork today, 8-10 inches of new snow last night. A few small slides but tons of cracking.
Rode up Denny Creek and out along Lionhead Ridge through Watkins Creek to the divide with Targhee Creek. Saw evidence of numerous older avalanches along the ridgeline and in lower steep meadows that likely broke last week (1/10-1/11). The crowns of these slides were blown in, but would estimate they generally broke 1-2 ft deep. Some broke quite wide ~1000 ft. Saw a couple smaller slides that looked to be a bit fresher as well.
Got a number of collapses and shooting cracks as we rode today, shooting out 20+ ft.
Stopped and dug a pit at the crown of an avalanche that broke on the north end of ski hill (likely during last weeks warning). Broke ~1 ft deep, 50 ft wide and ran 100 vertical. Another similar slide broke at the same time on the south end of ski hill. Today, we got an ECTP12 on the surface hoar about a foot deep.
The snowpack remains unstable and human triggered avalanches (including remote triggers from a distance) remain likely. Expect the danger to rise as it snows over the next couple days.
Riders in Black Bear Cayon saw a small avalanche on a wind loaded slope that recently happened, either on 01/14 or the day before on 01/13.
Yale creek opposite side of creek from maintenance shack at 7600 ft with 105 cm on a 27 deg slop 62 deg NE facing. First column test had an CTE - 1 failing at 75 cm and then CTE-4 failing at 63 cm
ECTN - 5 with no propagation across entire slab
Very deep facets with 4 melt freeze layers with one being 7 cm thick, surface hose layer very visible and one of the failure layers
While approaching Lionhead Ridge skiers intentionally triggered an avalanche on the steep E, NE facing terrain below the ridge. This likely happened on a buried layer of surface hoar. Lower down widespread cracking was observed that extended well in font of the skiers and on a less steep slope cracking in all directions 50' wide. Along the ridgetop cracking continued and sections of cornice fell and avalanched below.
We rode into Lionhead today towards Lionhead Ridge. Cloudy with consistent snowfall through the afternoon. The wind was out of the west and was blowing snow around at all elevations. We stopped at Ski Hill and dug on an east-facing slope at 8000'. While isolating our ECT we had a failure 15cm below recent snow on a well-preserved layer of surface hoar (ECTPV). From here we transitioned to skis and continued up to the ridge. As we approached the ridge we experienced frequent collapses and shooting cracks that extended 20 feet in front of our skis. At a rollover, while breaking trail there was a collapse, and 3" wide cracks shot in all directions and the slab moved a few inches downhill. If this terrain had been any steeper it certainly would have been an avalanche.
We continued towards the ridge and intentionally remotely triggered an avalanche on the steep terrain below the south end of the ridge. This avalanche broke 1000' wide, 18" deep, and ran 100 vertical feet to the trees. This avalanche likely happened on a layer of buried surface hoar similar to what we found in our pit on ski hill. Strong west winds at the ridgeline continued to blow snow and made for poor visibility but as we continued more cracking was seen and cornices were remotely triggered when walking near them.
Snowfall and strong winds continued making for poor visibility at ridgetop. We skied back to the snowmachine and portions of our skin track had been filled in by the steady wind and snowfall.
