22-23

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Today’s primary avalanche concern involves new snow that fell Monday through Tuesday morning along with wind drifts. Ian rode in Buck Ridge towards Cedar Mountain yesterday and found these 2 instabilities should be sought out and tested (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/dsxi7xiCRTM"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span>…;, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="http://www.mtavalanche.com/node/28759"><span><span><span><strong><span>…;). Dave skied into Frazier Basin in the Bridger Range on Monday and noted loose snow avalanches that were running surprisingly far on an ice crust (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/a1aOgLTtZio"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span>…; </span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>and </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="http://www.mtavalanche.com/node/28735"><span><span><span><strong><span>…;). These instabilities are easy to investigate since they are shallowly buried which is </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><em><span>not</span></em></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span> the case with deep slab avalanches, a white-knuckled avalanche problem.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Large, deep avalanches are breaking on a layer of faceted, weak snow that formed in early January. All ranges have this potential, but our southern ranges especially so. Alex and Dave saw large slides in Taylor Fork (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ0l4TlIh_I&amp;list=PLXu5151nmAvTi1DBS…;, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/28725"><span><span><span><strong><span… and photos</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>), I noted a big avalanche cycle in Lionhead (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/ncKRJpdC-iE"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span>…;), and yesterday I investigated a large slide outside Cooke City that was triggered by a snowmobiler on Saturday (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/cTqk-2D4nwY"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span>…;). Triggering these large slides requires hitting the slope in just the wrong location. The avalanche in Cooke was triggered by the 4th rider who hit a thin spot that was undetectable at the surface. Furthermore, we occasionally get a deep slide with only a light load of new snow. Deep slab avalanches are few and far between and their&nbsp; instability can’t always be detected with a snowpit. There is no outward evidence these slopes are ripe to avalanche which makes them unpredictable and scary. They are the IEDs of the snowpack.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>For today, I recommend digging and testing the upper couple feet of the snowpack. Recent snow may slide far and a wind slab could break. If you decide to get on steep slopes be fully aware that lurking deep there </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><em><span>may</span></em></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span> be a dangerous layer teetering on instability that you could trigger.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Today the avalanche danger is rated MODERATE.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Please share avalanche, snowpack or weather observations via our</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/add/snow_obs"><span><span><span><span>…; </span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span><span>website</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, email (</span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><span>mtavalanche@gmail.com</span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>), phone (406-587-6984), or Instagram (#gnfacobs). </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p>Today’s primary avalanche concern involves the new snow that fell Monday through Tuesday morning along with wind drifts. A secondary issue is that large, deep avalanches are breaking on a layer of faceted, weak snow that formed in early January. All ranges have this potential, but our southern ranges especially so. If you decide to get on steep slopes be fully aware that lurking deep there may be a dangerous layer teetering on instability that you could trigger. <span><span><span><span><span><span>We made a </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-lUMunzE1k"><span><span><span><strong>…; last week on the deep avalanches that occurred in Island Park and a snow biker sent in this </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/images/23/deep-avalanche-mt-jefferson"><spa…;. Also, we got a thorough observation of avalanche activity in Hellroaring Creek<strong> <a href="http://www.mtavalanche.com/node/28756">HERE</a></strong&gt;. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

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