19-20

<p>This weekend skiers, riders, new snow, and cornice falls triggered seventeen avalanches in the Bridger and Madison Ranges, and the mountains around Cooke City and West Yellowstone. There were two close calls yesterday when snowmobilers unintentionally triggered avalanches that broke on deeply buried weak layers in the Buck and Lionhead Ridge areas (<strong><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/21707">avalanche activity</a>). </strong>The rider in Lionhead stated, " Our group is trained in avalanche safety, practiced beacon use prior to leaving town in the morning, were wearing avalanche gear, and were very fortunate that this ended the way it did" (<strong><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/21706">avalanche activity</a></strong>). We added these incidents to our <strong><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/avalanche-activity">avalanche log</a> </strong>that includes a 10-foot deep snowmobile triggered slide on Cedar Mountain (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/21678"><strong>details</strong></a&gt;), a skier triggered avalanche north of Bridger Bowl (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/21672"><strong>details</strong></a&gt;), and natural avalanches near Lionhead Ridge and Cooke City (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/images/20/natural-avalanche-north-lulu-pass…;, </strong><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/21700"><strong>avalanche activity</strong></a><strong>)</strong>. We are grateful to everyone who sent in their incident reports this weekend. You help us learn and make safer decisions as a community.</p>

<p>Human triggered avalanches are less likely each day without new snow. Many riders or skiers will “get away with it” before an unlucky person triggers a potentially fatal avalanche. This is the reality of moderate danger on a year with widespread persistent weak layers as Alex and I discuss in our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBygi0dYfQY&amp;list=PLXu5151nmAvSbcbVf…;. Doug explains in his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsjmwmAH7Ww&amp;list=PLXu5151nmAvSbcbVf…; from Mount Abundance that thinner areas in the snowpack are the likely places a skier or rider can trigger one of these monster avalanches. The management strategy is avoiding steep terrain and an honest assessment of your personal risk tolerance. The avalanche danger is rated MODERATE with large, human triggered avalanches possible.</p>

<p>The Shower Falls Snotel reported only 10” of new snow in the last week, but wind gusts of up to 65 mph were enough to build large, dense slabs of snow. On Saturday, skiers unintentionally triggered three separate avalanches in the Northern Gallatin Range, the largest broke up to 7 feet deep on buried weak layers (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/21638"><strong>details</strong></a&gt;, <a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/21655"><strong>details</strong></a><st…;, </strong><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/21650"><strong>details</strong></a&gt;). These were the first large slides of the year reported in this area. Yesterday on a tour to Divide Peak, we found a generally stable snowpack outside of areas with heavy wind loading (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adAes9pGEy0&amp;list=PLXu5151nmAvSbcbVf…;). Give fresh drifts of snow time to stabilize by avoiding steep slopes loaded by the wind. Assess the snowpack and consequences of a small avalanche before committing to steep terrain. The avalanche danger is rated MODERATE on wind loaded slopes and LOW everywhere else.</p>

<p>If you get out, please send us your observations no matter how brief. You can fill out an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/add/snow_observation"><strong>observat… form</strong></a>, email us (<a href="mailto:mtavalanche@gmail.com"><strong>mtavalanche@gmail.com</strong></a…;), leave a VM at 406-587-6984, or Instagram (#gnfacobs).</p>