23-24

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>It is no secret that it is dangerous in the backcountry. Sledders and skiers are regularly triggering avalanches from hundreds of feet away. Yesterday, near </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/19875"><span><span><span><span><span><… Mtn.</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, Alex and I saw over a dozen recent avalanches and likely triggered a slope ourselves from 500’ away (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30851"><span><span><span><strong><span…;, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/FiXdQ2N7Da4?feature=share"><span><span><span…;). We did not see the slide release during the 5-minutes we took our eyes off the slope, so it may have been a natural slide, which is even worse. No matter, the snowpack is fragile </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><em><u><span><span>throughout our entire forecast area</span></span></u></em></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span> and traveling in or underneath slopes steeper than 30 degrees is hair-raising.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Triggering avalanches and collapsing (whumpfing) of the snowpack is all the “data” we need to determine its danger. No stability tests are required. There have been many close calls since Friday. People are getting bolder, but not necessarily wiser. Our </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/weather/wx-avalanche-log"><span><span><span… and Avalanche Log</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span> is breathtaking in its list of activity. Recent “greatest hits” include:</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<ul>
<li><span><span><span><span><span><u><span><span>N. Gallatin Range</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>: (Fri) Snowmobilers in Portal Creek remotely triggered 4 avalanches from ~900 ft away (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30799"><span><span><span><strong><span…;),&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span><span><span><span><span><u><span><span>N. Madison Range</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>: (Sat) Snowmobilers near Cedar Mtn. triggered two big avalanches (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30818"><span><span><span><strong><span… 1</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30819"><span><span><span><strong><span… 2</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>).</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span><span><span><span><span><u><span><span>S. Madison Range</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>: (Sat) In Taylor Fork a rider triggered a slide, was caught, deployed their airbag, got partially buried, and was uninjured (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30839"><span><span><span><strong><span…;).</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span><span><span><span><span><u><span><span>Lionhead</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>: (Fri) At Lionhead, Ian and Alex&nbsp; saw a slide that was triggered by riders 150 ft away (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30792"><span><span><span><strong><span…;).&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span><span><span><span><span><u><span><span>Cooke City</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>: (Fri) Dave investigated a snowmobiler triggered avalanche on Scotch Bonnet which broke 2-4 feet deep and hundreds of feet wide (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/PP7ASWPJnlQ?feature=share"><span><span><span…;
</ul>

<p><br />
<span><span><span><span><span><span>A nibble of new snow yesterday is not enough to raise the likelihood of triggering a slide, but it isn’t helping either. Playing in avalanche terrain is serious and dangerous and rated </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong><span><span>CONSIDERABLE </span></span></strong></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>around Bozeman, Big Sky, West Yellowstone, Island Park, and Cooke City.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>