A climber triggered this at the top of the ice climb, The Fat One in Hyalite. Luckily he hooked a tree with his ice tool before it broke. Wind slab on facets fractured with a light touch. Wind slabs are not to be trusted. Photo: Montana Alpine Guides
The weak layer was large factes underlying the slab of ice. It fractured just like a snow avalanche. Very, very unusual. Photo: GNFAC
Walking back to my pack I triggered this 1 foot thick slab of ice! The ice formed over a thick layer of facets and fractured just like a snow avalanche. I have never seen anything like this before. You could scoop out the facets with your hand. We were on safe terrain, but it could have been ugly if it pushed you off a ledge. As if we don't have enough to worry about snow avalanches, now we have to think about ice slabs?! Photo: D. Chabot
Climbers triggered this pocket of windblown snow yesterday, but as I was cutting out my column for an ECT today, all the remaining hangfire released. It was a 1 foot thick hard slab of wind blown snow over well developed facets. I have never seen this avalanche so big. Instability like this is indicative of bad avalanche danger higher up and on other climbs. Photo: GNFAC
Bridger Range Gallatin Range Madison Range
Lionhead area near West Yellowstone Cooke City
Bridger Range Gallatin Range Madison Range Lionhead area near West Yellowstone Cooke City
This snowpit was dug on the south side of Carrot Basin. The layer of most concern is 26cm off the ground: a layer of sugary facets. The snowpit profile is HERE.
