2012 Montana Conditions, Stoke and Whatev Thread

[Z]

Attachment 179904

Northern Bridgers from Hwy 89, shot today.

That is a damn big Crownline.

Damn. Whats the weak layer there?

[tone capone]

A layer of surface facets formed around mid march during our period of warm sunny days and clear cold nights... along came a skiff of graupel on top of that, and then it started snowing again ~4 inches the following night. After a few inches at a time during that week and then about an 8" dump, it started to react on steep northeast slopes with about a foot on it. I got a test slope to propagate pretty wide on a steep north facing slope out south of Saddle at that time. It seemed that more southerly aspects were spared the widespread formation of the weak layer. Then on the 28th an inch of SWE came in the form of 10" of snow with strong winds which cornice triggered a similar sized slide in the airplane bowl on Sacagawea. This particular slide above looks to be a wet slab triggered on that layer after 3 days of 50 degree temps and a night or 2 of above freezing.

[concretejungle]

I got a test slope to propagate pretty wide on a steep north facing slope out south of Saddle at that time.

Thanks Tone.

[tone capone]

Ha! That's hilarious. We need more of those, Saddle Peak is NOT COOL. It is for old, broken hippies who can't ski the real hill anymore.

Also, the avalanche guys can't be everywhere and dig everywhere all the time, and they don't seem to spend much time in the Bridgers.

On that note it's been interesting to see how widespread and how persistent that "isolated" and "short lived" instability has turned out to be in the Bridgers.

On some slopes but not others, sure, but wouldn't want to be anywhere near the wrong one at the wrong time, those slides are no joke. In this case the avy danger is much more serious than "just point it",

Edit to Add: I believe this is the weak layer in question, it was buried around the 22nd of March. Here it is discussed being observed around Hyalite and Big Sky in the advisory. Same layer formed on the more northern half of slopes in the Bridgers:


"Yesterday’s storm favored the mountains near Bozeman and Big Sky with .5-.7” of snow water equivalence (SWE). Prior to this snow, weak facets formed on the surface of the snowpack on higher elevation and shady slopes. Skiers in Hyalite yesterday reported finding this weak snow and the Big Sky ski patrol reported it prior to the storm. A melt-freeze crust formed on sunny slopes, which may be accompanied by facets."

[yeahman]

My dream if living in Jackson, WY has come to an end after working 60+ hours for 5 years and "barely" getting by. So I am thinking of heading north towards your great state. I run an outdoor gear testing business so I like to have access within 1 hour to great areas for backcountry touring, trail running and mtn biking. I am not a fisherman (is that ok to say in MT)...

Needs - Access to high speed internet - Good local food ( or access to healthy organics ) - Within 1 hour of great recreation, closer the better.

Wants -Access to a fun community (not the stuckup Jholes) -Access to live music? Would me great to see some music locally.

I have a few ideas, I dig Bozeman however it seems very in line with Jackson prices, or it's getting their fast. Bridger is a heck of a little ski hill

I have an old 96 RMK snowmobile I bought this year (first sled) so stoked. So if I can bring it with that would be swell.

Thanks in advance, for anyone that can help dial me in I got a ton of outdoor gear here in the office thats collecting dust between seasons. Help me and I will style you out big time, or just some karma..

Mike (feel free to shoot me a pm)

I'm partial to Helena since I live there. It's a much more affordable place to buy a house and/or land compared to Missoula or Bozeman. But if you need to be within 1 hour of good skiing, you don't want to live in Helena. All the other recreation you mention exists in abundance and less crowded too. And no attitude.

[406]

Awesome photos tone!

My dream if living in Jackson, WY has come to an end after working 60+ hours for 5 years and "barely" getting by. So I am thinking of heading north towards your great state.

PM creaky fossil for all details on moving to MT.

[Ted26]

Blower turns on the ridge this morning

[Hodgge]

Even in the late afternoon it was good. 55 deg in town, still dry snow to be had up in them hills. Wind was moving stuff around pretty good though.

[bushman]

Starting to look like the pond skim might be a pow day.

[peck257]

Starting to look like the pond skim might be a pow day.

I'll take it!

[Harry]

Great band playing at Scissorbills tonight.

Buy their CD: "I Fought Patrol and Patrol Won"

[chris.goodhue]

Found out early in the season I had patella tendonitis in my left knee. Forced me to take the camera out this season. Here are some of my favorites. Hope you guys like them.













The rest of the album can be found here:
https://www.facebook.com/chris.goodh...=3&pnref=story

[tone capone]

Nice dude. Still can't tell where at Bridger your "Berlin Wall" shot is from, but that looks like a sweet hit, I wanna find it. I had a buddy taken out by patellar tendonitis almost the whole season too, no joke those chronic pain injuries. Takes a long time to work through it, hope you are getting there.

[chris.goodhue]

Thanks man. Berlin Wall is lookers left of Mundy's about half way down! and yeah the tendonitis sucks, did pt for 2 months trying to work through it on my own now. Definitely going to have to give it some focus and attention this summer

[Ted26]

Nice shots Chris

[tone capone]

Ah, right, that is a sweet line. I think I saw you guys hit that^^^last shot one day too. Interesting chunk of gnar up there! Sadly I walk by it far more often than send it, haha. Hopefully spring and summer activities will help bring your knee back in line.

[tone capone]

Also, let me bump this again just to say that the new snow has gone upsidedown today, at least in the Bridgers, and its starting to create some fairly substantial slides within the new snow and there is about a foot of it so far...it is touchy and has some legs so please be careful!

[Ted26]

^ Noticed the same thing, density inversion about six inches down was easily triggered on convex rollovers and anything steeper than 30. Remotely triggered a few things poking around bbowl this morning

[Bunion 2020]

+ 1" H2o down at the really Big in the past 30 hrs. Speaking with a buddy they went 4-5 days without a solid freeze.

All that heat is now trapped and buried under a big load and everyone is going to want to get after it on the last weekend.

Be a real bad time to get fucked up....

Also was told 1st Gully slid natural middle of last week during the day (closed at the time).

Be careful out there.

[WMD]

I also heard they are having more lift trouble. My wife was up there today for a little while and said the triple in the bowl and Ram Charger were both down. Anybody know what's up?

[08-15]

+ 1" H2o down at the really Big in the past 30 hrs. Speaking with a buddy they went 4-5 days without a solid freeze.

All that heat is now trapped and buried under a big load and everyone is going to want to get after it on the last weekend.

Be a real bad time to get fucked up....

Also was told 1st Gully slid natural middle of last week during the day (closed at the time).

Be careful out there.

When I was there last weekend, I saw a big slide in the Little Couloir, released naturally that Friday according to a patroller. And while North Summit and the Headwaters were generally in amazingly good condition, I foolishly traversed out to the left from the Three Forks to DTM or Obsidian or something, and the snow there was absolutely cooked garbage, sliding left and right. (Do they ever close the traverse from the Headwaters into that zone?)

I think Headwaters are always a pretty good bet for spring, and especially for freak week with its insane tram lines.

[Harry]

I also heard they are having more lift trouble. My wife was up there today for a little while and said the triple in the bowl and Ram Charger were both down. Anybody know what's up?

Wind hold.

Also of note: witnessed a fist fight at the Triple today. Snowboarder came in hot and knocked over several people. He got a beat down and left with a bloody nose. People need to chill.

[My Pet Powder Goat]

Yo! Drinking at milkys right meow! I'm Here for Couple days visiting the sister for closing weekend. Love to get together with Harry, AustinFromSA, anyone ready to party! Look for the Chris Cringle looking motherfucker with a mullet in a hot red marker onsie.

[Harry]

^^^ MPPG: I still have your digits from the last time you were here. I have to work Saturday, but I will be skiing Sunday.

[My Pet Powder Goat]

Work? That's quitter talk! I should be up Sunday, If I can survive full strength draft beers today