Trip Planning for Southern Madison

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."

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."

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

A photo of a skier-triggered avalanche above Hebgen Lake. Photo: S. Reinsel

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.

We found a layer of preserved surface hoar that propagated failure in the Taylor Fork. This will be something to watch with incoming snow. Photo: GNFAC

Skier unintentionally triggered and was caught in wind slab avalanche on the Y couloir in Sheep Creek Drainage. Skier was carried 10m before self arresting. The slide ran ~250m down and broke across the entire width of the couloir. There were no injuries and skied away. 

From obs: "While riding a small NNE facing slope near the trail on Buck Ridge, a snowboarder triggered and followed a cornice slide that propagated approximately 75 feet and slid about 20' vertical. The one rider was caught and carried approx. 10' and ended up buried upright, waist deep with no injuries."

From obs: "While riding a small NNE facing slope near the trail on Buck Ridge, a snowboarder triggered and followed a cornice slide that propagated approximately 75 feet and slid about 20' vertical. The one rider was caught and carried approx. 10' and ended up buried upright, waist deep with no injuries."

From email: "I came across this older avalanche yesterday when I was guiding a group in the Kirkwood area, it’s an area in the Cabin Creek drainage. It looked to be an older natural slide probably just after the last storm cycle a few days to almost a week ago now. North, North East Aspect. Approximately 39 degree slope (Because of a creek with open water just below the slide, I couldn’t get close enough to accurately measure the slope)". Photo: J. Norlander

Small deep avalanche in Cabin Creek. Likely broke 1/1/23. GNFAC photo.

Small deep natural avalanche in Cabin Creek. Likely broke 1/1/23. GNFAC photo.

From instagram: "Right off the trail at tepee creek just before the cabin. A natural slide about 2ft crown". Photo: M. Neu

From FB message: “Near Sage Creek/Sage Mountain in carrot basin. This was a east facing, wind loaded slope. Snowmobile triggered below the rock line. No burials.”

From FB message: “Near Sage Creek/Sage Mountain in carrot basin. This was a east facing, wind loaded slope. Snowmobile triggered below the rock line. No burials.”

From FB message: “Near Sage Creek/Sage Mountain in carrot basin. This was a east facing, wind loaded slope. Snowmobile triggered below the rock line. No burials.”

Skiers at Bacon Rind observed widespread surface hoar. Photo: S. Gill

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

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

Snow above collapsed into the trench from my sled, looked to have broken on a weak layer about 1.5’ down. 

Natural avalanche in Sage Basin. Appear to have broken on a layer of facets underneath the new snow. Photo taken 12/28/22. Likely occurred early morning or overnight. Photo: GNFAC

Natural avalanche in Sage Basin. Appear to have broken on a layer of facets underneath the new snow. Photo taken 12/28/22. Likely occurred early morning or overnight. 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

We dug a pit at 9,000 feet on a SE facing slope above Hebgen Lake. We found weak snow under a slab that broke with an ECTP26. Photo: GNFAC

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

From obs 12/3/22: "Looking east from the top of [Ernie Miller] ridge, we noted another crown on a west aspect that looked to be about 100' wide and deep." Photo: H. Darby

From obs 12/3/22: "Looking toward Ernie Miller ridge, we noted an old crown in the main bowl just below the summit. It was on an E-NE aspect, 200 or more feet wide and looked to be filled in with new snow but was still visible." Photo: H.Darby

From obs 12/3/22: "Toured up to Bacon Rind today and skied meadows off of the ridge. Dug a pit at 8700' on a W aspect. HS was 70cm. We got an ECTP12 45 cm up from the ground at the interface between wind packed snow and a layer of .5-1mm facets and mixed forms. That layer made up the bottom 45cm of the snowpack in that area. Dug another pit at 8800' on an E aspect. HS was 115cm. We got an ECTP 14 50cm up from the ground on that same interface as described above. The bottom 50cm of the snowpack looked to be facets and mixed forms. The upper 65cm in that area was a mixture of different layers of wind packed grains that ranged from F to 4F hardness." Photo: H. Darby

From obs 12/3/22: "Toured up to Bacon Rind today and skied meadows off of the ridge. Dug a pit at 8700' on a W aspect. HS was 70cm. We got an ECTP12 45 cm up from the ground at the interface between wind packed snow and a layer of .5-1mm facets and mixed forms. That layer made up the bottom 45cm of the snowpack in that area. Dug another pit at 8800' on an E aspect. HS was 115cm. We got an ECTP 14 50cm up from the ground on that same interface as described above. The bottom 50cm of the snowpack looked to be facets and mixed forms. The upper 65cm in that area was a mixture of different layers of wind packed grains that ranged from F to 4F hardness." Photo: H. Darby

We just installed a new Beacon Checker at the Fir Ridge Trailhead which leads into Teepee Basin and Cabin Creek. Thanks Jim Norlander for installing it! Photo: J. Norlander

At 1:30pm on 11/23 I intentionally triggered a fresh drift of snow in a narrow avalanche path along the edge of the north bowl at Bridger. Northeast aspect at 7,600’ elevation. The crown was 6-8” deep consisting of snow that fell today, 20’ wide and ran 250’ vertical. SS-ASc-R2-D1.5-I. Photo: GNFAC

At 1:30pm on 11/23 I intentionally triggered a fresh drift of snow in a narrow avalanche path along the edge of the north bowl at Bridger. Northeast aspect at 7,600’ elevation. The crown was 6-8” deep consisting of snow that fell today, 20’ wide and ran 250’ vertical. SS-ASc-R2-D1.5-I. Photo: GNFAC

Big Sky ski patrol triggered these slides with explosives on 11/22 during routine avalanche mitigation work. The avalanches were hard slabs that averaged 12" deep and broke on a weak layer above a crust on top of snow that fell in October. Photo: BSSP

Big Sky ski patrol triggered these slides with explosives on 11/22 during routine avalanche mitigation work. The avalanches were hard slabs that averaged 12" deep and broke on a weak layer above a crust on top of snow that fell in October. Photo: BSSP