24-25

small dry loose slides north of Cooke

Crown Butte
Cooke City
Code
L-N-R1-D1-S
Elevation
9500
Aspect
S
Aspect Range
S, NE
Latitude
45.05250
Longitude
-109.96200
Notes

There was a small natural dry loose on south face of Crown Butte and I triggered a dry loose slide on a test slope near the ridge on Miller ridge (video).

Number of slides
2
Number caught
0
Number buried
0
Avalanche Type
Loose-snow avalanche
Trigger
Natural trigger
R size
1
D size
1
Bed Surface
S - Avalanche released within new snow
Problem Type
Loose Dry
Slab Thickness
5.0 inches
Slab Thickness units
inches
Single / Multiple / Red Flag
Multiple Avalanches
Advisory Year

Dug a pit on a northeast facing slope, 9300' (profile and pic attached) near Cooke City. Snow depth was 7-8 feet. 6" of new snow was right side up. Below the new snow was a soft (1F-) melt-freeze crust with soft decomposing and slightly faceted particles below. ECTN13 broke below the crust. Below that the snowpack was 1F to P+ hard and lacked weak layers. The Feb 4 dirt layer was clearly visible. Photo: GNFAC

Cooke City, 2025-03-14

Storm slab and old crust in Cooke

Date
Activity
Skiing

Found 5-8” of fresh low-medium density snow. Triggered multiple small soft storm slabs/sluff which occurred on steeper slopes (40+ degrees). 
also noted an interesting crust overlaying a weaker layer that the new snow sat on. This crust wasn’t found everywhere, but just on the sides of rolls facing west or north west (between 9000’-9400’). When probed with a pole it sounded hollow. The crust was thick in nearly every place we found it and didn’t ever collapse under us, but it did shear in hand pits. A thin layer of graupel was also on top of this crust in some areas. 
other areas where this crust didn’t exist seemed to either not have refrozen completely before getting snowed on, or never got above freezing in the first place (high elevation north facing). In some areas the new snow bonded very well, in other areas it was easier to get it to sluff off the old crust. Attached is a quick photo of the crust location and the weak snow below it. 

Region
Cooke City
Location (from list)
Abiathar Peak

New snow, generally stable, small loose slides

Date
Activity
Skiing

Toured up the south end of Miller Ridge to 9,500'. Dug a pit on a northeast facing slope, 9300' (profile and pic attached). Snow depth was 7-8 feet.

6" of new snow was right side up. Below the new snow was a soft (1F-) melt-freeze crust with soft decomposing and slightly faceted particles below. ECTN13 broke below the crust. Below that the snowpack was 1F to P+ hard and lacked weak layers. The Feb 4 dirt layer was clearly visible.

There was a small natural dry loose on south face of Crown Butte and I triggered a dry loose slide on a test slope near the ridge (video). Wind was calm, even along the ridge near regularly wind-loaded slopes, and there was no snow blowing off ridgelines. I saw no signs of fresh wind-loading, but when the wind blows there will be fresh drifts that will be possible to trigger.

Skies were broken to partly sunny with a few light snow showers. Slopes that received sun got moist at the surface (at least below 9,000').

Region
Cooke City
Location (from list)
Miller Ridge
Observer Name
Alex Marienthal

Small Wind Slab Avalanches on Woody Ridge

Hayden Creek
Cooke City
Code
SS-N-D1
Elevation
10000
Aspect Range
NE-E
Latitude
44.99520
Longitude
-109.90800
Notes

Today I observed multiple small wind slab avalanches off Woody Ridge. NE and E facing, 10000 ft. Max size D1. Also, there was many dry loose slides on Cooke Peak in Hayden Creek.

Number caught
0
Number buried
0
Avalanche Type
Soft slab avalanche
Trigger
Natural trigger
D size
1
Problem Type
Wind-Drifted Snow
Vertical Fall
100ft
Slab Width
25.00ft
Snow Observation Source
Slab Thickness units
centimeters
Single / Multiple / Red Flag
Multiple Avalanches
Advisory Year