Snowpit attached from Mt. Republic today. East aspect, 10,000'.
HS 165, ECTP22 at 65.
No collapsing, no cracking, no avalanche activity to report.
40 deg F at Fisher Creek SNOTEL today (9100').
Kicked off a wind slab avalanche 25ft wide on the west ridge of beehive basin. The wind slab was around 8-10ft deep and the debris slid almost to the flat a few hundred feet down the slope. The slide occurred around 9100ft on the east aspect. Neither me nor my partner were carried or caught in the slide.
The windslab that broke off was about 8-10 feet tall. It was mostly a huge section of a cornice that broke and the slope it fell down onto seemed to propagate a few inches down as well. The majority of the debris was from the cornice.
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Triggering a big </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Persistent Slab avalanche</span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span> that breaks on the weak layers that formed in late January is the main concern today. Yesterday in the Lionhead area, Mark and Alex saw two Persistent Slab avalanches that were triggered by snowmobilers during the day (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/34421"><span><span><span><strong><span…;, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWCNOrvNvLk&embeds_referring_euri=h…;). One of these slides broke up to 5 ft deep (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/images/25/tracks-going"><span><span><span><…;). This is just the latest in a long string of avalanches on these weak layers over the last 10 days, including multiple close calls (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/34413"><span><span><span><span><span><… in Cabin Creek</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/34368"><span><span><span><span><span><… in Cooke</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/34341"><span><span><span><span><span><… in Tepee Basin</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/34367"><span><span><span><span><span><… in Cooke</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/34301"><span><span><span><span><span><… in Tepee Basin</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/34327"><span><span><span><span><span><… in Taylor Fork</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAiSHSEDJhY"><span><span><span><span><s… last Wednesday</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>).</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Yesterday’s slides clearly show that these weak layers remain reactive. Stay alert even if you’re not riding up near ridgelines. Many of these slides have broken on mid-elevation slopes sheltered from the wind. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>If you want to ride steep slopes today, take the time to do your homework. Dig down below the early February dust layer to look for weak layers and test the snowpack (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0IGs0dKpQU"><span><span><span><span><s…’s video shows how to do this</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>). Make sure you’re riding one at a time on steep slopes and have a partner watching from a safe spot. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>With temperatures a bit warmer this morning and forecasted to rise a bit higher than yesterday, watch out for triggering Wet Loose avalanches on sunny slopes this afternoon.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The avalanche danger is MODERATE.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>This morning, after a solid overnight refreeze, avalanche conditions are generally safe and you’re unlikely to trigger a slide. The places where you could still trigger a wind slab are becoming fewer and fewer after days of warm temperatures.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>As the day warms up and the snow surface starts to melt, </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Wet Loose avalanches</span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span> will become a concern. With temperatures starting around freezing and forecast to rise 5 degrees warmer than yesterday (and maybe be the warmest so far this season) these could be a real problem today that deserve respect and consideration.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Wet Loose slides could start beneath your feet or sled, or as start as natural point releases, especially where there are exposed rocks above steep slopes. Look out for wet snow at low elevations and on sunny slopes, especially later in the afternoon when slopes have been baking in the sun all day (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/34408"><span><span><span><span><span><… Creek road photo</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>). Be heads up if there are more than a couple inches of wet snow at the surface.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The potential for cornices breaking off is also worth considering before travelling above or below them (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/34402"><span><span><span><span><span><… observation</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>).</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The avalanche danger is LOW first thing this morning and will quickly rise to MODERATE as the day heats up.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
Our education calendar is full of awareness lectures and field courses. Check it out: Events and Education Calendar
Also, on our way out we saw an avalanche in Airplane Bowl that had been triggered during the day today. This slide also broke on the persistent weak layers, 2-3' deep, 150' wide.
A rider triggered a huge avalanche in the uppermost reaches of Targhee creek. We discovered it on our way out. The best we could tell looking at their tracks was that they had no idea they triggered it, even though part of their tracks were swept away.
Airplane bowl this afternoon after a rider triggered slide. There is a down track in the middle of the crown face
Airplane bowl this morning, no avalanche
A rider triggered a huge avalanche in the uppermost reaches of Targhee creek on a north facing slope at 9200'
