From a phone call with a friend: "Pretty sure we remote triggered this slide while skiing down a low angle ridge next to it. We saw it while we were ascending the uptrack and it wasnt there on our first lap."
2 Pics are from highway and are from the next day.
N-NW Facing slope at 7600ft. approx 100 cm deep. some stepped down to ground. approx 250 feet across and ran 3-400ft vertical. Large dangerous avalanche.
Mellow ski/split tour up to ridge from the pass day after the storm. Fresh snow in trees was 4-6”, in meadows fresh snow had moved around & was trace to a foot. Tops of trees had snow blown off, ridge itself was windswept & trees were coated in rime/hoar.
We stuck to terrain <30 degree slope and observed no avvy sign. Fun ski down, especially upper glades, & we were there only tracks out there once we got out of the lower meadows.
<p>Dangerous avalanche conditions across the advisory area have been the norm for the better part of two months, and today is no different. An incoming snowstorm will add weight to a snowpack structure that has proven itself untrustworthy (<a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/weather/wx-avalanche-log"><strong><span>ava… and weather log</span></strong></a>). Avalanches failing 1-2 feet deep within the new and wind-drifted snow are likely, and large enough to bury or injure backcountry travelers. However, very large avalanches breaking 3-4+ feet on persistent weak layers remain the primary concern.</p>
<p>I don’t like surprises, and I was surprised yesterday at Bacon Rind when my partners and I came across two recent avalanches on slopes that I had not previously seen slide. The avalanches broke over 100 feet wide and 3-4 feet deep and ran a short distance before the terrain constrained them. To be clear, the slopes are 29-34 degrees, thus avalanche terrain, but the pitches are very small, and both were unusual events in this location. On a larger slope, getting caught by a similar slide would be terrifying or worse (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFbDhwpmdzA&lc=UgyqMLZI2y6BOCkVb5x4…;
<p>Avoidance is critical, and the only way to ensure this is to avoid backcountry terrain steeper than 30 degrees and avalanche runout zones. Build in wider margins for error during a season that dishes out surprises. The danger is CONSIDERABLE.</p>
Our education calendar is full of awareness lectures and field courses. Check it out: Events and Education Calendar.
March 8-10: Bozeman Splitfest. Check the Bozeman Splitfest website for event details and avalanche education opportunities offered by the Friends of the Avalanche Center.
We toured up toward the Skillet along the standard uptrack route at Bacon Rind. We deviated to the south to look for a natural avalanche that broke on March 2nd in the south-facing meadows a third of the way up. We did not find it but dug a pit. 95 cm HS with a newly buried weak layer of facets above a crust at 52 cm (ECTP22x2 plus an ECTN17 on this layer). The depth hoar near the ground was moist.
Somewhat dejected after failing to locate the avalanche, we proceeded back to the typical route. We came across a deep avalanche on a small rollover. 100 feet wide, 3-4 feet deep, and 50-75 feet vertical. Slope angles ranged from 29-33 degrees steep. It was an R5, D1.5 avalanche that certainly would have been very dangerous on a larger slope. ECT in the crown was unremarkable (this is not uncommon in the crown of an avalanche), PST 30/110 End.
Continuing up, the next open meadow had collapsed and was splintered with shooting cracks. The failure propagated through the trees with more cracks and buckle marks as the slab tried to release... which it did a bit further downslope. Again, the crown was 3-4 feet deep, and the terrain constrained the length.
No additional signs of instability.
These two avalanches were different than the two we were initially looking for. I suspect skiers triggered them remotely on March 2 given the amount of new snow on the debris, but they may have failed naturally. Regardless, avalanches in these locations are very unusual and are indicative of dangerous conditions. With more snow coming the next two days, travel in or near avalanche terrain requires a great deal of caution. Conservative terrain selection will be essential.
From obs: "it looked like the N/NE faces in McAtee that slid just over a week ago had avalanched again, nearly to the ground. There were slightly dirty looking debris piles mid slope and several prominant crowns just below the ridge top but it was hard to make out details through the light snow, even with binoculars."
