Trip Planning for Southern Madison

From FB message: "Two snowmobiler triggered avalanches in Southern Madison. Riders did not have beacons or rescue equipment. Riders made it out safe luckily."

From FB message: "Two snowmobiler triggered avalanches in Southern Madison. Riders did not have beacons or rescue equipment. Riders made it out safe luckily."

Alex documenting the stratigraphy on a W aspect at 8850' near the Wilderness Boundary

On a north aspect at 9200 ft, there were 1mm facets chained together almost 10mm long.

A layer of nsf's and surface hoar was failing ~10 inches deep producing easy ECTP's

A layer of nsf's and surface hoar was failing ~10 inches deep and causing shooting cracks

A layer of nsf's and surface hoar was failing ~10 inches deep and causing shooting cracks

A layer of nsf's and surface hoar was failing ~10 inches deep and causing shooting cracks

Buried SH below the 2/1 storm. 1-2cm thick layer buried approximately 20cm deep below F precip particles. Photo: M Zia 

From email: "Today I drove down Taylor fork road, with the thought of potentially getting up on woodward mtn, until I saw a crown on the NE
Face of its northern summit, basically wall to wall near the top of  the slide path. There were a couple other sled tracks that also went to the end of the road, so I figured maybe it was pretty recent, as I didn’t hear about it in the advisory. Concerning because it appears to have propagated maybe 250ft across,  while maybe only 1-2 ft deep". Photo taken on 1/30/25. Photo: T. Grande

From FB message 1/19: "In between redstreak peak and white peak... The whole slope cracked..." C. Fregian

Screenshots from videos sent in messenger

From FB message 1/19: "In between redstreak peak and white peak... The whole slope cracked..." C. Fregian

From FB message 1/19: "In between redstreak peak and white peak... The whole slope cracked..." C. Fregian

Screenshots from videos sent in messenger

From FB message 1/19: "In between redstreak peak and white peak... The whole slope cracked…"

Screenshots from videos sent in messenger

From FB message 1/19: "In between redstreak peak and white peak... The whole slope cracked...”

Screenshots from videos sent in messenger

Natural avalanche spotted from the air on Red Mountain, just west of Ernest Miller Ridge

USFS Snow rangers commuting to and from West Yellowstone noticed a human-triggered avalanche across the Gallatin River from Bacon Rind. Photo: K. Marvinney

USFS Snow rangers commuting to and from West Yellowstone noticed a human-triggered avalanche across the Gallatin River from Bacon Rind. Photo: K. Marvinney

We saw a large avalanche (SS-R3-D2-O) that broke on a north facing aspect, around 2' deep, on weak snow near the ground. Photo: GNFAC

We saw a large avalanche (SS-R3-D2-O) that broke on a north facing aspect, around 2' deep, on weak snow near the ground. Photo: GNFAC

We did note two small avalanches along the Carrot Basin headwall from sometime in the last two days that broke on weak snow near the ground. These areas looked to have a shallower snowpack. Photo: GNFAC

We did note two small avalanches along the Carrot Basin headwall from sometime in the last two days that broke on weak snow near the ground. These areas looked to have a shallower snowpack. Photo: GNFAC

We did note two small avalanches along the Carrot Basin headwall from sometime in the last two days that broke on weak snow near the ground. These areas looked to have a shallower snowpack. Photo: GNFAC

Pit 2

44.95982, -111.09903

100cm snow depth

ECTP17. Failed on faceted layer 30cm above the ground. 

sugary fist snow 20-30cm above the ground; somewhat consolidated 4F storm slab 30-60cm; powder fist snow 60-95cm

Photo: R Cocco

Toured up northwest of the bacon rind trailhead to the ridge. Did two pits, both with similar failures on the buried weak layer during ECT.

Pit 1

44.96190, -111.08941

95cm snow depth ECTN21. Failed on faceted snow that existed 23-35cm above the ground.

Photo:R Cocco

Second photo of an avalanche likely triggered by a snowplow flinging snow onto the shoulder along 191 inside YNP. Not a dangerous avalanche but an indicator of dangerous conditions higher up in the mountains where the snow is deeper

Avalanche likely triggered by a snowplow flinging snow onto the shoulder along 191 inside YNP. Not a dangerous avalanche, but an indicator of dangerous conditions higher up in the mountains where the snow is deeper

Cut bank avalanche 3 Jan 25 along the Teepee Creek snowmobile trail 

A snowmobile triggered a small persistent slab avalanche in the Taylor Fork on Tuesday. The rider was not caught. Photo: O. El-Zaru

One fresh larger slide (R2/D2) at about 9,400' on a NE facing slope. It appeared to be natural (remote?), failed at the ground and was about 200' wide and ran for 200' the crown was 2-3' deep. Photo: A Newman

From obs on 12/29: "On our way out near the cabin I cut a line close to a creek to see if I could trigger something."

From obs on 12/29: "On our way out near the cabin I cut a line close to a creek to see if I could trigger something."

Plumes of drifting snow in the Bridger Range as strong winds blasted the mountains. Photo: GNFAC

From IG: On 12/15 "Storm slab broke about 200’ above us as skinning up the hallway coming from the north side on the throne." Photo: Anonymous

Gusty winds transporting snow in Taylor Fork on Saturday. Triggered a 4-5 inch deep wind slab that propagated about 50 ft at the top of a north east facing slope at 9,500 ft.

Photo: JP

Surface hoar in Taylor Fork

We got propagating test score in a 60 cm deep snowpit at the edge of Sunlight Basin (ECTP18 @ 22 cm) and at the Wilderness Boundary in a 49 cm deep pit (ECTP14 @14 cm). Photo: GNFAC

WE facing snow at 8100 ft Cabin Ck

Radiation Recrystallization happening