Trip Planning for Cooke City Area

Bottom Line: Watch out for steep slopes where recent snow has drifted into a slab on top of older snow. Because few slopes exist with a deeper snowpack, they are not only the most likely place to trigger an avalanche, but also the most attractive place to ski or ride. Whether you are skiing, hunting, ice-climbing or hiking you should consider the potential for avalanches if you travel on snow covered slopes. You can choose slopes less than 30 degrees steep to avoid being in avalanche terrain, or carefully assess the snowpack for unstable drifts before riding or crossing steep slopes.