21-22

<p>The snowpack across the advisory area is generally stable and avalanches are unlikely. Stay heads up for slides in isolated areas and in extreme terrain by carrying and being practiced with rescue gear, assessing the snowpack and exposing only one person at a time to avalanche terrain.</p>

<p>As we travel in the backcountry, we look for signs of instability as a reason to make more conservative choices. In the context of generally safe conditions, use the following signs of localized instability as motivators to test the snowpack before you step into steep terrain. Yesterday, a group of skiers in Beehive Basin got unstable test results on deeper facets in an area with a thin and weak snowpack. Skiers near Divide Peak found 6” wind-slabs sitting on weak snow that caused them to reevaluate skiing a steep, technical line. On Wednesday, skiers in Beehive Basin backed off a larger objective after triggering “micro” wind drifts that were “showstoppers in exposed terrain.” A team of ice climbers had their rope pile and water bottle pulled downhill when ice fall triggered a small avalanche in Hyalite Canyon and skiers on Woody Ridge near Cooke City noticed some minor cracking around steep rollovers. Continue to adjust plans if the mountains tell you that “today isn’t the day” and dig to test the snowpack when those signs are not obvious.</p>

<p>Doug, Ian and Alex are finding generally stable conditions in the field. However, at Mount Ellis, Ian found that the snowpack had weakened since he was there last (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjIW7Pp-hz0"><strong>video</strong></a&…;). Investigating an avalanche on Saddle Peak, Doug and Alex said, “We ended the day less optimistic than when we started regarding future stability” (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAKP0a0G9ks"><strong>video</strong></a&…;, <a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/25629"><strong>details</strong></a&gt;). And while the snowpack on Wheeler Mountain is particularly weak, when Doug and Ian stepped out of their skis, they dropped through the snow straight to the ground, never a sign of a strong structure (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ax6l1PhUb0"><strong>video</strong></a&…;). We will need to be ready to dial it back and reset our objectives when it starts snowing again.</p>

<p>Today, avalanches are unlikely, and the danger is LOW.</p>

<p>If you get out, please send us your observations no matter how brief. You can submit them via our <a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/add/snow_observation"><strong>website<…;, email (<a href="mailto:mtavalanche@gmail.com"><strong>mtavalanche@gmail.com</strong></a…;), phone (406-587-6984), or Instagram (#gnfacobs).</p>

<p>Large avalanches are unlikely today. That does not mean it is impossible to trigger a slide, so stick with good travel practices and be on the lookout for signs of instability. Only expose one person at a time to steep slopes. Watch your partners from a safe spot. And everyone in the group needs to be carrying rescue gear.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If you’re stepping out into more consequential and exposed terrain, be ready to back off a slope if you find signs of instability such as cracking or poor snowpack test results. Skiers yesterday in the Northern Madison Range triggered two very small “micro” wind slabs and took heed of that warning by changing plans and backing off the steep and exposed slopes they were headed for. Thin wind slabs are the hazard you’re most likely to encounter, but even these will mostly be well bonded and triggering one is generally unlikely. Yesterday, Alex and Doug investigated a thin slide on Saddle Peak that avalanched a few days ago (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAKP0a0G9ks"><strong><u>video</u></stro…;, <a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/25629"><strong><u>details</u></strong>…;). It broke 6-8” deep and 1000ft wide on a thin layer of facets under a hard wind slab. It is worth quickly searching for and testing weak layers in the upper snowpack to avoid being surprised. Many slopes have these weak layers (either near surface facets or surface hoar), but for now they’re only a problem where they’re hiding under thin wind slabs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Mt. Ellis yesterday, I found a thin snowpack that has gotten weaker over the last month (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjIW7Pp-hz0"><strong><u>video</u></stro…;). Without a stiff slab the snowpack there is currently just weak but not unstable. It’s worth filing that info away because it’ll become problematic when it starts snowing again.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Throughout our forecast area the avalanche danger is rated LOW.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If you get out, please send us your observations no matter how brief. You can submit them via our <a href="https://www.mtavalanche.com/node/add/snow_observation"><strong><u>websi…;, email (<a href="mailto:mtavalanche@gmail.com"><strong><u>mtavalanche@gmail.com</u></str…;), phone (406-587-6984), or Instagram (#gnfacobs).</p>