Trip Planning for Southern Madison

Taylor Fork, Feb 13. Photo: GNFAC

We rode into the Taylor Fork on Feb 13, down into the bottom of Sunlight Basin, across Carrot Basin and to the Wilderness Boundary. We saw four persistent slab avalanches that likely broke last weekend or at the beginning of the week. All appeared to be snowmobiler-triggered R1-2, D1.5-2 avalanches at broke of the January layer of near-surface facets and surface hoar. Additionally, we saw one wind slab avalanche (R1, D1) in Sunlight Basin. This slide was fresh from this morning or yesterday. Photo: GNFAC

We rode into the Taylor Fork on Feb 13, We saw four persistent slab avalanches that likely broke last weekend or at the beginning of the week. All appeared to be snowmobiler-triggered R1-2, D1.5-2 avalanches at broke of the January layer of near-surface facets and surface hoar. Photo: GNFAC

We rode into the Taylor Fork on Feb 13, We saw four persistent slab avalanches that likely broke last weekend or at the beginning of the week. All appeared to be snowmobiler-triggered R1-2, D1.5-2 avalanches at broke of the January layer of near-surface facets and surface hoar. Photo: GNFAC

Buried layers of surface hoar often show up a stripe in a snowpit wall (other things such a thin melt-freeze crust can look similar but feel much differently). A snowmobiler-triggered avalanche in Sunlight Basin broke on this weak layer of feathery surface hoar. Photo: GNFAC

Relatively small persistent slab avalanche in Carrot Basin in the Taylor Fork. Photo: GNFAC

We rode into the Taylor Fork on Feb 13, We saw four persistent slab avalanches that likely broke last weekend or at the beginning of the week. All appeared to be snowmobiler-triggered R1-2, D1.5-2 avalanches at broke of the January layer of near-surface facets and surface hoar. Photo: GNFAC

Persistent slab avalanche on a wind loaded slope in Sage Basin in the Taylor Fork area. Photo: GNFAC

Alex Marienthal walks up the bed surface of an avalanche to investigate the snowpack structure. Photo: GNFAC

Shooting cracks in a drift in the Taylor Fork. Photo: GNFAC

From FB message: "Two snowmobiler triggered avalanches in Southern Madison. Riders did not have beacons or rescue equipment. Riders made it out safe luckily."

From FB message: "Two snowmobiler triggered avalanches in Gravelly Range. Riders did not have beacons or rescue equipment. Riders made it out safe luckily."

Alex documenting the stratigraphy on a W aspect at 8850' near the Wilderness Boundary

On a north aspect at 9200 ft, there were 1mm facets chained together almost 10mm long.

A layer of nsf's and surface hoar was failing ~10 inches deep producing easy ECTP's

A layer of nsf's and surface hoar was failing ~10 inches deep and causing shooting cracks

A layer of nsf's and surface hoar was failing ~10 inches deep and causing shooting cracks

A layer of nsf's and surface hoar was failing ~10 inches deep and causing shooting cracks

Buried SH below the 2/1 storm. 1-2cm thick layer buried approximately 20cm deep below F precip particles. Photo: M Zia 

From email: "Today I drove down Taylor fork road, with the thought of potentially getting up on woodward mtn, until I saw a crown on the NE
Face of its northern summit, basically wall to wall near the top of  the slide path. There were a couple other sled tracks that also went to the end of the road, so I figured maybe it was pretty recent, as I didn’t hear about it in the advisory. Concerning because it appears to have propagated maybe 250ft across,  while maybe only 1-2 ft deep". Photo taken on 1/30/25. Photo: T. Grande

From FB message 1/19: "In between redstreak peak and white peak... The whole slope cracked..." C. Fregian

Screenshots from videos sent in messenger

From FB message 1/19: "In between redstreak peak and white peak... The whole slope cracked..." C. Fregian

From FB message 1/19: "In between redstreak peak and white peak... The whole slope cracked..." C. Fregian

Screenshots from videos sent in messenger

From FB message 1/19: "In between redstreak peak and white peak... The whole slope cracked…"

Screenshots from videos sent in messenger

From FB message 1/19: "In between redstreak peak and white peak... The whole slope cracked...”

Screenshots from videos sent in messenger

Natural avalanche spotted from the air on Red Mountain, just west of Ernest Miller Ridge

USFS Snow rangers commuting to and from West Yellowstone noticed a human-triggered avalanche across the Gallatin River from Bacon Rind. Photo: K. Marvinney

USFS Snow rangers commuting to and from West Yellowstone noticed a human-triggered avalanche across the Gallatin River from Bacon Rind. Photo: K. Marvinney

We saw a large avalanche (SS-R3-D2-O) that broke on a north facing aspect, around 2' deep, on weak snow near the ground. Photo: GNFAC

We saw a large avalanche (SS-R3-D2-O) that broke on a north facing aspect, around 2' deep, on weak snow near the ground. Photo: GNFAC

We did note two small avalanches along the Carrot Basin headwall from sometime in the last two days that broke on weak snow near the ground. These areas looked to have a shallower snowpack. Photo: GNFAC

We did note two small avalanches along the Carrot Basin headwall from sometime in the last two days that broke on weak snow near the ground. These areas looked to have a shallower snowpack. Photo: GNFAC

We did note two small avalanches along the Carrot Basin headwall from sometime in the last two days that broke on weak snow near the ground. These areas looked to have a shallower snowpack. Photo: GNFAC

Pit 2

44.95982, -111.09903

100cm snow depth

ECTP17. Failed on faceted layer 30cm above the ground. 

sugary fist snow 20-30cm above the ground; somewhat consolidated 4F storm slab 30-60cm; powder fist snow 60-95cm

Photo: R Cocco

Toured up northwest of the bacon rind trailhead to the ridge. Did two pits, both with similar failures on the buried weak layer during ECT.

Pit 1

44.96190, -111.08941

95cm snow depth ECTN21. Failed on faceted snow that existed 23-35cm above the ground.

Photo:R Cocco

Second photo of an avalanche likely triggered by a snowplow flinging snow onto the shoulder along 191 inside YNP. Not a dangerous avalanche but an indicator of dangerous conditions higher up in the mountains where the snow is deeper

Avalanche likely triggered by a snowplow flinging snow onto the shoulder along 191 inside YNP. Not a dangerous avalanche, but an indicator of dangerous conditions higher up in the mountains where the snow is deeper

Cut bank avalanche 3 Jan 25 along the Teepee Creek snowmobile trail 

A snowmobile triggered a small persistent slab avalanche in the Taylor Fork on Tuesday. The rider was not caught. Photo: O. El-Zaru