24-25

Mar 15 Winds in the Frazier Basin zone were stronger than expected with moderate to strong gusts at the ridge, increasing through the day. We noticed two large windslab pockets that had released since yesterday’s snow. One at the base of Hardscrabble Peak on a N aspect, the other in one of the SE facing gullies that access the Peak 9299/Hollywood Headwall ridge (see photo). 

Today I triggered a D1 dry loose avalanche on a E facing 35 degree slope, 9300 ft on Mt Henderson. The new snow is very low density and is not bonding well to the old interface. I also observed some more dry loose activity/small wind slabs on Sheep Mt, NE facing, 10400 ft.

We looked at the avalanche in Sunlight Basin/Taylor Fork that was triggered by a snowmobiler yesterday. It was 50' wide, 100' vertical, 2-3' deep hard slab with 8-9" new snow on top. Broke on weak facets buried in late January. Dirt layer from Feb 4 was visible 6-8" above weak layer. Bed surface was 3" to 1.5' deep of weak, sugary facets. Slope angle was 38-40+ degrees. 8800', WNW aspect.

We also rode to the northwest end of Carrot Basin near the wilderness boundary and dug a pit. Snow depth was 5-6 feet. We found the buried weak layers 3 feet deep. It broke and propagated with many extra hits after an ECTX. 

Snow fell lightly most of the day up high while it was sunny in the parking lot. Wind was light with a few moderate gusts. There was minimal signs of recent wind, but forecast is for wind to increase and there is a lot of light snow to drift into slabs.

We traversed the ridge south from the Bridger Bowl ski area boundary to Bridger Peak, descended a NE aspect and skinned/traversed back to the ski area boundary. Moderate west winds weren't transporting a significant amount of snow (much of the west side of the ridge was already scoured bare and the remaining snow was already hardened). The sun and clouds were in and out through the day and there were even a few snow flurries, but no accumulation.

Wind Slab avalanches were our primary concern today, but we did not see any as we traversed the ridge and the new snow we encountered was not cohesive.

Dry Loose avalanches (sluffs) ended up being the biggest hazard we encountered. The new snow (approximately 8") was easily sluffing over last weeks crust and was entraining significant volume and running far in steep terrain. It had plenty of power to knock you over or into trees/rocks. 

We saw no slab avalanches or signs of instability.

Winds in the Frazier Basin zone were stronger than expected with moderate to strong gusts at the ridge, increasing through the day. 
 

Light flurries <S1 through the morning increasing to S1 by the time of our exit. Tough to gauge accumulation due to the wind but would guess 2-3cm total through the day. New snow from yesterday and today is generally not well bonded to the underlying surfaces which range from windboard, supportable crusts, and old wind slabs depending on aspect/wind exposure, and this made for challenging uphill travel at times. 
 

We noticed two large windslab pockets that had released since yesterday’s snow. One at the base of Hardscrabble Peak on a N aspect, the other in one of the SE facing gullies that access the Peak 9299/Hollywood Headwall ridge (see photo).