On 5/4/24 Skiers triggered large wet loose slides on the Fin near Cooke City
Trip Planning for Bridgers
Past 5 Days
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Relevant Avalanche Activity
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Coordinates: 45.8301, -110.9340
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0
On 5/4/24 “…. a friend toured around Wolverine today. On his way out he heard a slide breaking trees (just before noon). Unknown location but he said it sounded like it was around/ above Texas Meadows. The action continues!”
More Avalanche Details
L-ASu-R2-D2-I
Elevation: 10,000
Aspect: E
Coordinates: 45.0003, -109.9540
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0
From obs.: “Our party (3) triggered a significant wet loose slide on the fin today. I, the first skier dropped in next to existing tracks from earlier in the morning. I made a couple of small turns in unskied snow to test it and decided that not much was moving. As I continued down the wet surface snow started to slide and accumulate. My partner called me on the radio to tell me a lot of snow was moving behind me and I cut left. I traversed hard to lower angle terrain until I felt I could safely descend the rest of the slope. My partners descended the bed surface until they could traverse out.
We made several key mistakes today. We knew it would be warm and that we should be up and down early. We left later than planned, moved slower than expected and failed to adjust our plan. We mistook lack of wet loose activity on similar aspects and elevations on features we could see as sign of stability. We failed to make a plan B or establish a turnaround time. We interpreted a party ahead of us that skied the slope as a go ahead. Another party approaching behind us added pressure to go. They also skied the slope after us in similar style to my partners.
In our favor, we communicated well, radios were key, stayed calm and we managed ourselves through the situation. I feel humbled and lucky to have gotten away with a free lesson. One that I didn't think I should have needed.”
More Avalanche Details
L-AS
Coordinates: 45.8570, -110.9510
Caught: 0 ; Buried: 0
From obs: "Skied the Banana Coulior off Ross today (04/18). 6-8" of fresh, dry snow has fallen and lies above a bomber crust that was observed on all aspects we traveled on. The weak interface between new, dry snow and the pervasive crust allowed for a large sluff, or dry-loose slide, that began near the top of the Banana Coulior and ran for ~ 500'"
More Avalanche Details
Relevant Photos
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From obs 4/25/24: "Came across a relatively large wet avalanche when approaching Texas meadows from Bradley’s meadows. Elevation around 7600ft, aspect, SSE. Depth: to ground. Considering the new snow on top of the debris, I’m guessing this slid prior to the storm last week. The slide path was melted out to dirt. Out of curiosity, we dug just to the lookers right of the slide and found soft snow near the ground - still evidence of crystal structure but could make a snowball if squeezed. Best guess is that a point release wet slide entrained enough snow to step down and release the whole face." Photo: A. Kautzer
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From obs 4/25/24: "Came across a relatively large wet avalanche when approaching Texas meadows from Bradley’s meadows. Elevation around 7600ft, aspect, SSE. Depth: to ground. Considering the new snow on top of the debris, I’m guessing this slid prior to the storm last week. The slide path was melted out to dirt. Out of curiosity, we dug just to the lookers right of the slide and found soft snow near the ground - still evidence of crystal structure but could make a snowball if squeezed. Best guess is that a point release wet slide entrained enough snow to step down and release the whole face." Photo: A. Kautzer
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On sunday 4/14 a large wet loose avalanche ran naturally in closed terrain at Bridger. The larger of the two in the photo, on the right, is from 4/14 at 1230pm. The other slide, on the left, happened yesterday (4/13) or late in the day Friday. Photo: BBSP
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On 4/13/24 There were many loose wet avalanches that ran over the last 1-3 days. They appeared to involved the upper 6-12" of the snowpack. Photo: GNFAC
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On 4/13/24 There were many loose wet avalanches that ran over the last 1-3 days. They appeared to involved the upper 6-12" of the snowpack. Photo: GNFAC
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On 4/13/24 There were many loose wet avalanches that ran over the last 1-3 days. They appeared to involved the upper 6-12" of the snowpack. Photo: GNFAC
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On 4/13/24 There were many loose wet avalanches that ran over the last 1-3 days. They appeared to involved the upper 6-12" of the snowpack. Photo: GNFAC
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On 4/13/24 There were many loose wet avalanches that ran over the last 1-3 days. They appeared to involved the upper 6-12" of the snowpack. Photo: GNFAC
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On 4/13/24 There were many loose wet avalanches that ran over the last 1-3 days. They appeared to involved the upper 6-12" of the snowpack. Photo: GNFAC
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Driving home from Bridger Bowl, I spotted a number of wet, loose avalanches in Argentina Bowl. It was 1:30 PM when I saw them, and the sun was still blazing. I would expect there was more activity as the afternoon progressed. Photo: GNFAC
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Driving home from Bridger Bowl, I spotted a number of wet, loose avalanches in Argentina Bowl. It was 1:30 PM when I saw them, and the sun was still blazing. I would expect there was more activity as the afternoon progressed. Photo: GNFAC
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From IG message: “Rode the banana today.. lots of fast moving sluff. Had a mid elevation pocket pop. New snow seemed to have bonded well, the spot that did pop had formed into 12” slab below rock face.”
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From IG message: “Rode the banana today.. lots of fast moving sluff. Had a mid elevation pocket pop. New snow seemed to have bonded well, the spot that did pop had formed into 12” slab below rock face.”
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Skiers triggered this avalanche on a north-facing slope near the Anger Lake basin. The crown was 4-18 inches deep and propagated the entire width of the gully ~40 feet and ran the entire length of the gully ~500 vertical feet. The skier was able to ski out of the avalanche right as it broke and was not carried. Photo: Anonymous
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Skiers triggered this avalanche on a north-facing slope near the Anger Lake basin. The crown was 4-18 inches deep and propagated the entire width of the gully ~40 feet and ran the entire length of the gully ~500 vertical feet. The skier was able to ski out of the avalanche right as it broke and was not carried. Photo: Anonymous
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The largest skier-triggered avalanche that we saw today. The crown extended out of frame below steep rocks. This avalanche broke ~1' deep within the recent storm snow. R2/D2. Photo: GNFAC
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The largest skier-triggered avalanche that we saw today. The crown extended out of frame below steep rocks. This avalanche broke ~1' deep within the recent storm snow. R2/D2. Photo: GNFAC
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The largest skier-triggered avalanche that we saw today. The crown extended out of frame below steep rocks. This avalanche broke ~1' deep within the recent storm snow. R2/D2. Photo: GNFAC
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One of several skier-triggered avalanches that broke within the recent storm snow, ~1' deep. R2/D1.5. Photo: GNFAC
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One of several skier-triggered avalanches that broke within the recent storm snow, ~1' deep. R2/D1.5. Photo: GNFAC
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Riders saw this recent storm slab avalanche while riding near Fairy Lake. This avalanche was triggered by riders not in their group. Photo: Anonymous
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Skiers in the Love Chutes triggered this avalanche after a ski cut produced no results. Further down the chute, the first skier triggered an 18" wind slab avalanche. They were carried 200' before self-arresting and were uninjured. Photo: Anonymous
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Skiers in the Love Chutes triggered this avalanche after a ski cut produced no results. Further down the chute, the first skier triggered an 18" wind slab avalanche. They were carried 200' before self-arresting and were uninjured. Photo: Anonymous
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A skier triggered a small avalanche on a steep north-facing pitch at the Throne, but it did not run far. Photo: GNFAC
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While ski touring in Frazier Basin we saw at least 12 recent loose wet avalanches on east and south aspects. Most of them started near exposed rocks and entrained the upper 6" of wet snow. Photo: GNFAC
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Loose wet avalanches on the east face of the October Bowl from 04/02/2024. Photo: GNFAC
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A large slab avalanche behind the Nose. Photo: GNFAC
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From IG: Very touchy on Hollywood wall this morning. All slopes easily propagated 4-6” deep on a firm bed surface. Most were less than 50’ wide with the exception of the slide in the couloir which propagated down the entire couloir, maybe 500’ wide, and ran through the exits into the main bowl.
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From IG: Very touchy on Hollywood wall this morning. All slopes easily propagated 4-6” deep on a firm bed surface. Most were less than 50’ wide with the exception of the slide in the couloir which propagated down the entire couloir, maybe 500’ wide, and ran through the exits into the main bowl.
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There was a small wind-slab release out of Gibbs (I think), I suspect skier triggered, but I could make out a track. Photo: GNFAC
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On our drive home we saw, what I assume were, natural wind-slab avalanches on Quarter Saddle (looked like a cornice collapse) and in Argentina Bowl. Bridger Peak was obscured by heavy wind-loading. Photo: GNFAC
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On our drive home we saw, what I assume were, natural wind-slab avalanches on Quarter Saddle (looked like a cornice collapse) and in Argentina Bowl. Bridger Peak was obscured by heavy wind-loading. Photo: GNFAC
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The wind was transporting significant amounts of the recent snow at high elevations. This is Naya Nuki loading as seen from the Ramp. Photo: GNFAC
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The wind was transporting significant amounts of the recent snow at high elevations. This is Saddle Peak loading as seen from the Ramp. Photo: GNFAC
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Skiers in Frazier Basin triggered several small wind slabs and saw widespread cracking on NW-facing terrain. Photo: C. Bayles
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From obs: "Saw small avalanches on almost every wind loaded slope out of fairy lake. The one we spotted in the pomp twins had a defined crown roughly 100ft across." J. Alford
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From obs: "Saw small avalanches on almost every wind loaded slope out of fairy lake. The one we spotted in the pomp twins had a defined crown roughly 100ft across." J. Alford
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Skiers on 03/24/2024 observed this avalanche at the Playground that happened on 03/20/24. Photo: A. Newman
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From obs. 3/23/24: "...Natural wet slab avalanche in the Playground, just North of Texas Meadows. It seemed to have been triggered from a wet loose avalanche that released from the cliffband above...." Photo: D. Sandberg
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We began daily forecasts on December 7. 130 daily forecasts and 464 reported avalanches later, we wrapped up our daily forecasting season on April 14th. Read our SEASON SUMMARY to look back at the 2023-24 avalanche forecasting season.
Thank you to everyone that sent in observations, read the advisories, took an avalanche class, or donated money, time or gear. Our success is directly related to support from the community and the Forest Service. Have a safe spring and summer!