Trip Planning for Northern Madison

From IG “Beehive basin on an east/ northeast slope. Photo was taken at 3:15 in the afternoon.” Photo: JP

Took a drive up and around the Yellowstone Club and saw this slide today. I think that is Cedar Mt with Pioneer Ridge in front and to the left. Stay safe out there. Photo. B. Rode

From IG message: "Another one today. Back of buck creek. Triggered 100 yards above where I crossed below it in the safe zone, after I went by. No burials."

From obs 1/28/23: "While snowmobiling up Little Bear we witnessed this natural avalanche. There was 2-3' of new snow." Photo: J. Otis

From obs 1/28/23: "There were numerous debris piles, point releases, and crowns on the north face of Elephant and the northeast face of Blackmore this morning.  Most of them appeared to have run during the storm (1/27) and had been covered by at least 6 inches of new snow." Photo. S. Regnerus

From IG:

Fairy lake today (1/27/23), remote trigger from top of the ridge

About 2-2.5ft deep about 75-100 ft wide

We saw this rider triggered avalanche along the road to Buck Ridge. It was triggered today, 1/27/23. Photo: GNFAC

Surface hoar can often be seen as a grey stripe on the wall of your snowpit as was the case at Bacon Rind in the Southern Madison Range on 1/23. Photo: GNFAC

From Big Sky Ski Patrol 1/21/23: "skier triggered a surface wind slab in Wyoming Bowl that broke 8-12” deep. It propagated to an estimated 150’ wide- SS, R1/D1.5... The slide was small, no one was hurt, and the avalanche was reported (which we appreciate), with no further public involvement other than the trigger."

Natural soft slab release likely in the last 36 hours. Seen from in-bounds at the Yellowstone Club. Avalanche location at 45.2116512 N 111.47811 W at the headwaters of Muddy Creek. 

On a Jan. 16 tour into Beehive, we found the concerning layer of feathery surface hoar buried under 6" of snow. It is widespread from Big Sky through West Yellowstone and Cooke City. It has produced avalanches near Hebgen Lake, with more snow, it will likely produce avalanches in Beehive too. Photo: GNFAC

Sinking waist deep into faceted snow in the 1st Yellowmule. GNFAC photo. 1/13/23

Darren Johnson was a passionate skier, patroller, and wildland firefighter and this fund helps his memory live on. During the week of January 16, 2023, there are two events happening to help spread awareness about the DJ Fund and generate donations for the next recipients to attend National Avalanche School in October 2024. The first event is at the Independent Theatre on Tuesday, January 17. This charity event has a $10 entry fee which includes a raffle ticket to a silent auction. On Thursday, January 19, join us at Beehive Basin Brewery for a raffle and pint night in which $1 from every pint sold goes into the DJ Memorial Fund.

To donate to the Darren Johnson Avalanche Education Memorial Fund visit djmemorialfund.org, or join us at these two exciting events hosted by Yellowstone Club Ski Patrol. Huge thanks to all who have sponsored and donated to these events.

A rider triggered a small avalanche in First Yellowmule on Sunday that broke approximately 6-8" deep, 60' wide, and ran 20'. Photo: D. Kristensen

While skiing around our boundaries I observed well developed surface hoar that was relatively widespread in undisturbed areas. The photo included seemed to go well with the fx. Photo: J. Aid

Snowmobile triggered slide (~1ft deep and ~20x20 ft) at the head of Muddy Creek (NE Aspect, 9400 ft) off Buck Ridge. Looks like it was likely triggered on Sunday (Jan 1st) in a shallow spot near rocks. Photo: GNFAC (1/3/2023)

Jan 3, 2023: Dug a pit and found weak and unstable snow. We backtracked to the ridge. A recent avalanche from 2 days ago involved new, windblown snow. 

Natural avalanche on 1/1/23 on Saddle Peak. Appeared to involve the new, wind-drifted snow. Photo: BBSP

We looked at the avalanche that killed a snowmobiler yesterday (12/31/22) on Crown Butte near Cooke City. Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the victim, and those involved with the rescue and recovery. Photo: GNFAC

Surface hoar south to south east aspects, potentially more aspects, will confirm later this afternoon. 

On December 31, 2022 a snowmobiler was killed in a very large avalanche north of Cooke City, MT. The avalanche occurred near Daisy Pass on Crown Butte on a southeast facing slope at 9,800’. The avalanche appeared to be 2-4' deep, 500' wide, 600' vertical, and broke on weak snow near the bottom of the snowpack. Photo: GNFAC

Big Sky Ski patrol triggered this very large deep slab avalanche with explosives during routine mitigation work on 12/28/22. Photo: BSSP

Large avalanche in the 2nd Yellow Mule that is probably 2-3 days old, and likely broke on the weak layer near the bottom of the snowpack. Photo: GNFAC

A large avalanche in the 2nd Yellow Mule that was probably 2-3 days old, and likely broke on the weak layer near the bottom of the snowpack. Photo: GNFAC

We saw two large avalanches in the 2nd Yellow Mule that were probably 2-3 days old, and likely broke on the weak layer near the bottom of the snowpack. Hard slabs on heavily wind-loaded slopes. Photo: GNFAC

We dug in the second yellow mule, NE aspect 9,300' and HS was 93 cm. Here we had ECTP26 on the layer of facets near the bottom of the snowpack.

We saw two large avalanches in the 2nd Yellow Mule that were probably 2-3 days old, and likely broke on the weak layer near the bottom of the snowpack. Hard slabs on heavily wind-loaded slopes. Photo: GNFAC

At Buck Ridge there was a stout ice crust (maybe a rain/mist crust) about 10cm down that is not a problem at the moment, but notable due to being widespread and unusual for our normally dry snowpack. Photo: GNFAC

Many slick roofs shed this winter's snow with the above-freezing temperatures. There are some impressive fracture lines at the ice rink in Bogert Park in Bozeman. Photo: GNFAC

Today we toured up Beehive Basin to Prayer Flags and down into Bear Basin. We found moderate winds transporting snow at Prayer Flags. We also observed a recent small natural avalanche that broke just below the cornice at prayer flags (9200'). It was unclear if a cornice collapse triggered the avalanche. We did not go to the crown, but estimated it to be about 20-30 feet wide, 6-8 inches deep, and running less than 100 feet. Photo: J. Breen

Obs 12/17: "Saturday afternoon on the way back into town snow was moving in the Spanish peaks. Nice light" 

From obs: 12/16: "I thought this would be interesting to share but while driving around Gallatin gateway today I noticed multiple small wind pockets that released in steep draws in the gateway foothills area." Photo: M. Gaffney

Cornice dropped in Slats and propagated slab at a weak layer of facets around 70cm height from ground. Dug a snow pit of 140cm and got etc results on the same layer ECTP26 stubborn but holds a large consequence. Photo: Z. Bailey

Cornice dropped in Slats and propagated slab at a weak layer of facets around 70cm height from ground. Dug a snow pit of 140cm and got etc results on the same layer ECTP26 stubborn but holds a large consequence. Photo: Z. Bailey

I dug a pit above Silken Falls in the gulley. I found a weak layer of facets breaking about 10" under a wind slab (ECTP15). We did not get any cracking, but the terrain is very serious and even a small slide could be deadly. We did not feel comfortable center punching up the gully. Given how much traffic the gullies are getting, I do not think it is widespread, but it's out there and could avalanche.

Wind and snow this weekend may make this layer more unstable, so it's important to be careful crossing exposed terrain. Either rope up or tun around if it is suspect.

Two small natural avalanches observed today from the YC. Both on likely wind loaded easterly aspects on slopes around Cedar Mountain at roughly 8,000’. Photo: Yellowstone Club Ski Patrol

Two small natural avalanches observed today from the YC. Both on likely wind loaded easterly aspects on slopes around Cedar Mountain at roughly 8,000’. Photo: Yellwostone Club Ski Patrol

Toured up to the NE shoulder on Mt. Blackmore yesterday. Winds were strong and variable, but mostly gusting from the S-SW. A lot of snow was moving around, skin tracks were filled in very quickly, and you could actively see small cornices starting to build on the lee side of the ridge. Photo: H. Darby

Saw a group of skiers trigger a small wind slab avalanche on an eastern aspect at around 8,300' in the main fork of Hyalite in "Candy Land" just south of the climb Big League Chew at 2:00pm on Saturday (11/26). Crown looked to be around 2" to 1' and 90' wide. The slide ran maybe 100'. No skiers were caught. Photo: Anon

Saw a group of skiers trigger a small wind slab avalanche on an eastern aspect at around 8,300' in the main fork of Hyalite in "Candy Land" just south of the climb Big League Chew at 2:00pm on Saturday (11/26). Crown looked to be around 2" to 1' and 90' wide. The slide ran maybe 100'. No skiers were caught. Photo: Anon.