23-24

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The remarkably weak snowpack remains unstable and human triggered avalanches are likely today. It is very unusual for the danger to remain elevated for so long after the last snowfall, but continued signs of instability and avalanches show us that we’re in an unusual situation. Riders in Island Park yesterday had widespread collapsing and saw several recent avalanches (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30460"><span><span><span><strong><span…;). On Tuesday, an avalanche was triggered on Daisy Pass, near Cooke City (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30425"><span><span><span><strong><span…;). On Monday, ice climbers approaching a climb near Pilot Peak triggered a large slide from 150 feet away (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="http://www.mtavalanche.com/node/30408"><span><span><span><strong><span>…;) and a rider was partially buried near Round Lake (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/cn0lR8XMzl4"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span>…;). Many avalanches were triggered or broke naturally last weekend (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/BPzHM3837QY"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span>… Mountain</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/uKY34ndFmpw"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span>… Ridge naturals</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtu.be/ZTr2QiFzbcM"><span><span><span><strong><span><u><span>… Creek natural</span></span></u></span></strong></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Don’t try to thread the needle in avalanche terrain today. When you can trigger slides from hundreds of feet away it is very difficult to manage the avalanche hazard. Stay off of slopes steeper than 30 degrees and continue to be wary and cautious of crossing beneath these slopes as well. The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Skies have clouded up and temperatures are a bit lower than they have been. Surface melting will be minimal today and we’re back to primarily being concerned with dry slab avalanches. With that said, water will remain in the lower snowpack on sunny slopes until we get a sustained period below freezing so wet avalanches aren’t entirely impossible today.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Unfortunately, our early season weak layers stuck around through this warmup and you could still trigger a dangerous slide breaking far above you. Yesterday, in the Taylor Fork I got quite unstable snowpack test scores and triggered a large collapse (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XET8nZ3b5hM"><span><span><span><strong>…;). I also found dry snow remaining reactive in the Bridgers on Tuesday (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/GsL_adXQYr8?feature=share"><span><span><span…;). The likelihood of triggering a big slide has diminished a little bit, but the consequences of doing so remains high.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Your options today are either to continue avoiding slopes steeper than 30 degrees, or carefully assessing the snowpack, watching for signs of instability, and accepting a not insignificant degree of residual risk.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Human triggered avalanches are possible and the avalanche danger is MODERATE.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>