Trip Planning for Northern Gallatin

Probably already reported...but touchy storm slabs on Mt Blackmore. Attached is a photo of a natural from the approach, at the switchbacks to the upper basin.

Photo: Anonymous

Wind slab Blackmore south bowl - 10 Jan 2025

Wind slab along Blackmore trail. Good clue before we got above treeline where more wind was blowing and moving snow

We triggered this wind slab by triggering a smaller one above it while descending the NE ridge of Blackmore. 
~10-12" deep and 25' wide

Big wind slab on N face of Mt Blackmore. We watched it cut loose at 14:25 from cornice fall.

Good news is that it didn't trigger a deeper slide.

Snow on a post along the Blackmore trail shows how much snow has been falling. I suspect the slow and steady nature of snowfall is what allowed it to do this.

Storm slab avalanche that broke about 400 ft wide at 9200 ft in a ENE facing sub-cirque of Blackmore

Two storm slab avalanches on the east face of Blackmore 8-10 inches deep. One of them ran down the normal skin track.

image of snowpit from Mt Blackmore, NE facing, 9185', HS almost 5 ft

Skiers in the Main Fork of Hyalite Creek drainage spotted this crown below the upper cliffs on the Maid of the Mist. Photo: Anonymous

The one thing of note was a recent avalanche on the north face of Blackmore. Visibility was poor but it was a small pocket in a steep, rocky zone that broke near the ground. Photo: H Darby

Small cornice build up on lee aspects from north winds. Photo: H Darby 

There was recent avalanche on the north face of Blackmore. Visibility was poor but it was a small pocket in a steep, rocky zone that broke near the ground. Photo: H. Darby

Around 7 p.m. Monday night, a few miles up Portal Creek, triggered from bottom of slope.

Around 7 p.m. Monday night, a few miles up Portal Creek, triggered from bottom of slope.

Small wind slab in hyalite at the start to champaign slot, 7600’, WNW, ~8” crown. Photo: S Bonucci

Small wind slab in hyalite at the start to champaign slot, 7600’, WNW, ~8” crown. Photo: S Bonucci 

Divide Pk 9600ft SE facing snowpit on 27 Dec 2024 with ECTP27 and ECTP23 at 22" deep

Divide Pk 9560ft E facing snowpit, ECTP30 about 24" deep on 27 Dec 2024

Above 9000’ winds were actively loading the snow and I got cracking and a very small slab to release on a small wind drifted roll over at 9500’ on a N aspect. Photo: E Heiman

There was some natural avalanche activity on the peak south of mt Bole. Photo: Anonymous

Observed from Flanders this morning. Presumed recent natural slide around ~9950 ft. on a E/NE aspect. Photo: E Webb

The power of the winds was emphasized by the scoured west side of the East Ridge of the Main Fork. Photo: E Webb

I dug a pit on the SE shoulder of divide at around 9600’ and got a ECTP 14 on the persistent weak created during the long dry spell layer buried from this weeks storms.  Photo: Anonymous

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

Photo: B Durrum 

Photo: M. Legler 

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

Ice gullies snowpack

Photo: GNFAC

Snowpit on the Mt Blackmore 

Photo: GNFAC

Light winds below treeline had little to effect on the snow in the history rock meadows. It was clearly blowing up high, with exposed nw faces stripped of snow and active transport visible off of Blackmore. Photo: W Hubbard 

8" of new snow at the Grotto Falls TH. Photo: GNFAC

Multiple pits yielded propagation in ECTs for a group in Beehive Basin on Saturday. Photo: E. Stutzman

"Intentionally triggered on a ski cut. Broke about 1 foot deep and 10 feet wide, ran on a hard compact surface below the soft wind slab. " Photo: Anonymous 

We noticed several natural loose snow avalanches (R1 D1) in steep rocky sections of the direct E face of Mt Blackmore. Though they were not large enough to bury someone, they would have strained a skier or rider through some nasty trees and cliffs. Photo: GNFAC

WE facing snow at 8100 ft Cabin Ck

SE facing snow Cabin Creek

N facing snow Cabin Creek, 9000 ft