18-19

From an email:

"Dug a pit at ~9000’ on a NE aspect, got a ECTP29 at 56cm down, breaking below the new snow and a 12cm knife-hard slab. Broke on small facets (<1mm) in between wind slabs. I marked the trigger point in red. Skinned up a low angle gully up to around 9500’. As I got near the steepest part of the gully (38°), a soft slab 12-18” thick propagated 100’ wide and slid 500’ back down to my pit. No one was caught. Contrary to my pit, this ENE aspect slid just the new snow on top of a previous wind slab. No facets on the bed surface, just new snow/old snow interface. Found safer skiing down low in the trees where there was less wind loading."

From an email, " Over a foot of new snow up high with consistent NW winds.  Soft slabs where breaking anywhere from several inches midslope to a foot deep along ridgelines on a mid-storm density change in the newest snow.  We experienced cracking along ridgelines, but no collapsing while skinning in the trees or near the ridge."

Natural avalanche reported by ski patrol. Occurred around 1230. Likely cornice triggered. Strong winds blowing all day, drifting 20” of snow from the weekend. 

Forecaster obs: This morning on drive to Bridger we saw crowns from recent avalanches almost continuously between Bridger Peak and the Pinnacles. Probably 6 paths had avalanches. 2-3’ deep across all starting zones. Estimate they ran late yesterday or this morning due to not very covered from yesterday’s snow, and crowns from Sunday on Saddle/Argentina were covered. Saddle was in a thick cloud of blowing snow. Strong wind continued all day. Moving across mid mountain later in the day. -AM