Trip Planning for Bridgers

From email: “These pics are from last June 10-11, after the pass reopened on Friday. I was skiing the Gardner headwall at 5:30, solo, when this monster released. Yah. The initial cornice collapse triggered and entrained a secondary slab of varying thickness whose crown is seen in one of the photos.”

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"Pictures from this morning (May 1) but I’m sure these all ran late last week. They took out at least one or two skin tracks set during the big dump (40”) that ran right up the center." Photo: A. Crawford

"Pictures from this morning (May 1) but I’m sure these all ran late last week. They took out at least one or two skin tracks set during the big dump (40”) that ran right up the center." Photo: A. Crawford

Obs. 4/26/23: "Saw a number of large wet slides at Bridger Bowl the morning of 4/26. One running deep into North Bowl, and a couple other large slides in Bridger Gully coming off the ridge. These seemed to be recent -- likely from the past 48 hours." Photo: K. Gordon

From obs. 4/26/23: "Saw a number of large wet slides at Bridger Bowl the morning of 4/26. One running deep into North Bowl, and a couple other large slides in Bridger Gully coming off the ridge. These seemed to be recent -- likely from the past 48 hours." Photo: K. Gordon

From obs: "On 4/22 at 12:30pm we were part way up the boot pack (now skin track) up from Bridger chair to the ridge. We heard someone yelling and looked over to see a skier caught in an avalanche just above North Bowl Road. The slide came to a stop at the road (they were on top the whole time), and the skier yelled that they were ok. Seemed like they were skiing alone but more of the party may have been out of view. We had not seen wet snow concerns until about 30 minutes before the incident. By the time we left bridger, most chutes had slides out of them."

From obs 4/19/23: "We observed a large slide at the Apron that was released from the Hidden Gully. In a whiteout, we couldn't tell the size, but it looked quite substantial. The slide didn't go all the way to the bottom."

From obs 4/19/23: "New snow is not bonding well to the old snow surface.  Sluffing and running far on steeper terrain.  Photo taken on First Finger. Heavy snowfall and wind." Photo: J. Curry

From 4/13/23: "Small storm slab off the steep drift on skier's R/skinner's L side of upper Thunder Road. Also felt some cracking and collapsing when I (briefly) stepped off the skin track to get to the top of Pierre's Knob."

On 4/13/23: "skinned up to the ridge and observed 5-9 inches of new and accumulating snow forming into wind drifts that were highly reactive. Multiple remote triggers occurred while traveling N on the ridge, propagating  both on W and E faces of the ridge. Both Hidden and Northwest Passage slid with little effort down to an icy bed surface. Debris at bottom of hidden was substantial but great skiing."

Pics of a natural wet slide that came out of Close Call yesterday afternoon (4/11/23), debris ran to the bottom of moonshine. Photo: BBSP

Pics of a natural wet slide that came out of Close Call yesterday afternoon (4/11/23), debris ran to the bottom of moonshine. Photo: BBSP

Pics of a natural wet slide that came out of Close Call yesterday afternoon (4/11/23), debris ran to the bottom of moonshine. Photo: BBSP

From 4/11/23: "Although I only photographed North Bowl slides that ran very far, most of the chutes showed signs of wet slides running from the ridge. These were both in the bowl next to PK and north bowl."

From Big Sky Ski Patrol: "Temps remained a little cooler than yesterday and generally topped out in the mid 40’s F. That didn’t stop the free water from moving
and continuing to destabilize the snowpack, primarily on solar aspects below 10,000’. Near full depth to full depth wet loose avalanches continued to naturally release in what was left of the A-Z’s as well as LRT which had not seen any activity yesterday." Photo: BSSP

From 4/11/23: Yesterday (4/10) Colters released a wet slide (approx 1-3pm) that filled the top of the wiggle and left debris 300ft past the south bowl traverse.

Today Stupor had a similar sized release just after noon. 

photo J. Lee

From 4/11/23: Yesterday (4/10) Colters released a wet slide (approx 1-3pm) that filled the top of the wiggle and left debris 300ft past the south bowl traverse.

Today Stupor had a similar sized release just after noon.

The best noted natural release was a wet slab release on the southern edge of the football field that put a pile of debris below the cave.

From Obs: "Big Unit of an avalanche, photo was taken from the Seitz road." Photo: P Puettmann

From obs: "South of Saddle Peak, ~8500', ENE aspect, 2-3' crown depth estimated and likely cornice-triggered. N-facing snow remained dry until the latter afternoon when a high sun angle cooked everything but the truest due north. Avalanche appeared to be all new snow likely on a PWL buried near the end of March. Winds moving snow up high, but everything appeared locked on."

Skinner triggered slide north of the hourglass. Run name unknown. Remotely triggered from ridge line; snowboarder said he was skinning 35 feet away from trigger point; no one buried. I also observed point releases as I was skinning up to texas meadows; snow seemed to change quickly under blue skies and increasing temperature. Slide ran in front of me, taking out the skin track. 

Skinner triggered slide north of the hourglass. Run name unknown. Remotely triggered from ridge line; snowboarder said he was skinning 35 feet away from trigger point; no one buried. I also observed point releases as I was skinning up to texas meadows; snow seemed to change quickly under blue skies and increasing temperature. Slide ran in front of me, taking out the skin track. 

Skinner triggered slide north of the hourglass. Run name unknown. Remotely triggered from ridge line; snowboarder said he was skinning 35 feet away from trigger point; no one buried. I also observed point releases as I was skinning up to texas meadows; snow seemed to change quickly under blue skies and increasing temperature. Slide ran in front of me, taking out the skin track. 

A group of skiers saw a natural avalanche on an east, facing slope off of Naya Nuki Mountain in the Bridger range. It likely avalanche early in the morning on April 2. Photo: T. Miller

From IG: A group of writers reported seeing three new natural avalanches on April 1." Photo: Hannah

From 4/1/23: "...we saw a large natural avalanche above Ainger lake (E-SE facing) that ran from near the top of the ridge itself to propelling debris up, over, and past the lake. The crown ranged from 2-5ft high spanning 400-500ft across the face." Photo: G. Westling

From 4/1/23: "...we saw a large natural avalanche above Ainger lake (E-SE facing) that ran from near the top of the ridge itself to propelling debris up, over, and past the lake. The crown ranged from 2-5ft high spanning 400-500ft across the face." Photo: G. Westling

From 4/1/23: "Saw this crown from a distance today. Possibly natural R3-D3 on ESE aspect, likely caused by wind loading. Unsure when it occurred, but crown looked large and debris ran into the flats mowing down some small flag trees. "

We observed evidence of a couple of recent slab avalanches at the throne. Photo: J. Weingarten

From IG: Battle ridge today/yesterday the 27th. Noticed this and a few other smaller solar releases as well as a couple storm slabs from during the cycle. Sun crust formed rapidly and there was a lot of wind loading in the afternoon. Photo: P Norvell

From obs 3/26/23: "Saw a couple small natural slides breaking in the new snow.... occurred in the afternoon sometime" Photo: J. Weingarten

Photo: R. Lindsey

A runner reported on 3/24/23: "I observed the results of a wet slide avalanche within the first mile of Middle Cottonwood Creek Trail. The slide came down from the south side of the canyon (north facing), and crossed the trail at about 4-5' deep and 10' across at the trail with debris and into the creek at the creek crossing about .75 mile from the trailhead. The crown was only about 100' up the side of the canyon. The avalanche would've occurred earlier in the week, there was just the skiff of snow on it from the previous light snow (22nd?).... This is the 3rd wet slide I've seen in the last 3-4 weeks on Middle Cottonwood in the same region where the trail is on the south side of the creek (mile .4-.80 from summer trailhead)... I've seen wet slides in that area 3 of the last 4 years once the sun hammers that south slope in the afternoon. I would expect more at the next warm spell after this current storm cycle."

A runner reported on 3/24/23: "I observed the results of a wet slide avalanche within the first mile of Middle Cottonwood Creek Trail. The slide came down from the south side of the canyon (north facing), and crossed the trail at about 4-5' deep and 10' across at the trail with debris and into the creek at the creek crossing about .75 mile from the trailhead. The crown was only about 100' up the side of the canyon. The avalanche would've occurred earlier in the week, there was just the skiff of snow on it from the previous light snow (22nd?).... This is the 3rd wet slide I've seen in the last 3-4 weeks on Middle Cottonwood in the same region where the trail is on the south side of the creek (mile .4-.80 from summer trailhead)... I've seen wet slides in that area 3 of the last 4 years once the sun hammers that south slope in the afternoon. I would expect more at the next warm spell after this current storm cycle."

As we returned to Frazier Basin from below, we saw five natural avalanches on the southeast-facing wall of the basin. They entrained only the 1 to 2 inches of snow that had fallen during the day. However, they were notable in that they ran 500 to 700 vertical feet. They indicate that the new snow may not bond well to the old snow surface. A crust formed by the recent warm temperatures and sunny skies is the subsurface that snow is falling on. This will become a more significant concern as more snow falls this week. Photo: GNFAC
 

From obs: "Noticed this large avalanche in unsupported terrain yesterday morning. I called it HS-N-R3-D3-U although it looks to have failed on facets at the ground. Frequent flyer but impressive. Debris was approx. the size of a football field and 8-10' deep, ran full extent of D3 track." A Newman

From obs: "Noticed this large avalanche in unsupported terrain yesterday morning. I called it HS-N-R3-D3-U although it looks to have failed on facets at the ground. Frequent flyer but impressive. Debris was approx. the size of a football field and 8-10' deep, ran full extent of D3 track." A Newman

From obs: "Noticed this large avalanche in unsupported terrain yesterday morning. I called it HS-N-R3-D3-U although it looks to have failed on facets at the ground. Frequent flyer but impressive. Debris was approx. the size of a football field and 8-10' deep, ran full extent of D3 track." A Newman

From IG message 3/11/23: "...yesterday, at Fairy Lake, very windy and this slid naturally sometime between when we got to the area at noon and 3oclock. There was also a smaller natural wind slab in the northern bowl with arrowhead. Observed wind loading all day." Photo: P. Norvell