Trip Planning for Cooke City Area

We ski toured in Sheep Creek today, north of Cooke City.  Of note, a thin (4mm) rime crust was forming due to the high humidity/ quasi rain.  Remarkably the rime crust skied very well.  Photo: B. Fredlund

We experienced several collapses and had propagation in multiple ECTs performed.  HS varies between 85-105cm. Photo from 9940

Photo: BMG

Photo: BMG

I saw a wide slab avalanche up on west Woody Ridge from town. It happened late on Wednesday or overnight during or after the strong winds and snowfall. Photo: GNFAC

Wind slab avalanche near Lulu Pass. Photo: GNFAC

Large persistant slab avalanche on Henderson. Photo: GNFAC

Persistant slab avalanche on Fisher that broke near the ground. Photo: GNFAC

D2 avalanche on east facing Mount Fox that appears to be on the SH layer, triggered by a cornice drop.

Photo: B Zavora  

NE facing, 10,000' Sheep Creek.

Photo: B Fredlund

 NE- N facing, 10,000' Mt. Henderson

Photo: B Fredlund 

NE- N facing, 10,000' Mt. Henderson

Photo: B Fredlund

NE- N facing, 10,000' Mt. Henderson

Photo: B Fredlund

E facing, 10,000 Mt. Henderson

Photo: B Fredlund

E facing, 10,200' Scotch Bonnet Mtn.

Photo: B Fredlund

NE facing, 9700', Miller Ridge

Photo: B Fredlund

 E facing, 9900', Bull of the Woods Pass 

Photo: B Fredlund

Natural avalanche, NE facing, 10,000, Miller Ridge

Photo: B Fredlund 

Lots of wind slabs south of Cooke today. Strong wind all day and lots of blowing snow. Photo: N Mattes

Plumes of drifting snow in the Bridger Range as strong winds blasted the mountains. Photo: GNFAC

The clouds broke briefly around noon on Tuesday in Cooke City. Two sections of the face on the Fin slid, one from the top, and one lower and to the right. Photo: N. Mattes 

Winds drifted snow below cornices and into gullies on Miller Ridge north of Cooke City. Photo: GNFAC

Winds drifted snow below cornices and along ridgelines on Henderson Mountain in Cooke City. Photo: GNFAC

From IG: On 12/15 "Storm slab broke about 200’ above us as skinning up the hallway coming from the north side on the throne." Photo: Anonymous

It broke on a convex rollover about 100 ft wide and ran about 80 ft. downslope. The crown averaged 30 inches and broke on sugary facets about 18 inches from the ground. Photo: Anonymous

It broke on a convex rollover about 100 ft wide and ran about 80 ft. downslope. The crown averaged 30 inches and broke on sugary facets about 18 inches from the ground. Photo: Anonymous

 Found preserved buried surface hoar approximately 15-20cms below the snow surface. 

Photo: Beartooth Mountain Guides 

Gusty winds transporting snow in Taylor Fork on Saturday. Triggered a 4-5 inch deep wind slab that propagated about 50 ft at the top of a north east facing slope at 9,500 ft.

Photo: JP

Photo: Anonymous

Surface hoar stripe in snowpit near Cooke. 

Photo: GNFAC

We skied near Lulu Pass and dug a pit on a northeast facing slope at 9,500'. There was 6-8" of low density new snow on top of a thick layer of surface hoar (10-16mm, photos attached). Photo: GNFAC

Noticed this natural avalanche on 12/8. East facing slope, ~9500 feet, Hayden Creek above Ripcurl area. Photo: J. Mundt

Snowpack on Henderson Bench on NE facing slope

Wet Loose avalanche at Lulu on South facing slope

Old wind slab avalanche on Henderson that likely failed on old facets near the ground after heavy wind loading. NE facing at about 10,100 ft.

1cm surf hoar at Lulu

"At 9410ft, NNW aspect, 10 degree slope, we found HS 75cm. The general structure seems right side up. There are facets at the bottom 20cm or so, but they are wet, and seem to be rounding. An ECT gave us ECTN20 at 40cm down." Photo: N. Mattes 

WE facing snow at 8100 ft Cabin Ck

SE facing snow Cabin Creek

N facing snow Cabin Creek, 9000 ft

Big Sky Ski Patrol triggered this avalanche during mitigation work in The Wave on 11/26/24... "2-3' deep on an ice crust just above the ground with a 2# shot in the Upper rodeo. Volume was limited as most of the snow was loaded just underneath the cornice, but still produced a sizeable size 2... Other paths in the Lenin region ran meaty wind slabs, full track with no significant step downs." Photo: BSSP