Trip Planning for Cooke City Area

From obs: "Natural cornice failure and small slab on Iceberg Peak’s NE face. We skied by the day prior and judging by what the wind did to our tracks overnight, this looked like it happened in the morning." Photo A. Joy

A snowboarder saw this natural avalanche on the Fin from Cooke City. He estimated it happened between 10:30-1:30 and broke 2' deep. Photo: N. Mattes

We triggered this small avalanche on a steep windloaded rollover on an otherwise mellow slope. This avalanche was 15-20' wide, 8" deep, and ran for about 30-40 vertical feet. The skier easily skied away from the slide and was not caught. Photo: GNFAC

From obs: "skiing north of cooke city today observed this Small windslab on a South facing slope ~9800 ft." G. Roe
 

Skiers triggered this small windslab while skinning near a steeprollover at the top of an East facing slope above Zimmer Creek. Crown was ~20 ft wide and ran a similar distance. 2"-10" at the deepest. Photo: G. Roe

Skiers south of Cooke City saw a recent likely cornice-triggered avalanche on a northeast face. During their tour, they saw a small part of the same cornice fall off and trigger another small avalanche. Photo: B. Daley

A snowboarder intentionally triggered a wind-slab avalanche on Town Hill in Cooke City that broke 6-10” deep and approximately 30’ wide. It ran about 40 vertical feet. Photo: R. Youngbar

On the east side of Woody Ridge, skiers watched a wet, loose snow avalanche trigger a dry slab avalanche on March 17. photo: N Iltis

On the east side of Woody Ridge, skiers watched a wet, loose snow avalanche trigger a dry slab avalanche on March 17. photo: N Iltis

We saw no new deep slab avalanches in Cooke City since Alex was there last week. Unfortunately, if you triggered one, it would be no less deadly. This was a large deep slab avalanche on Sheep Mountain. Photo: GNFAC

Wet loose snow avalanche Astral Lake. Photo: GNFAC

A wet loose snow avalanche on Crown Butte. Photo: GNFAC

On 3/10/24 Between Miller and Wolverine there was a recent large avalanche that I would guess was triggered yesterday. 3-6' deep, 250-300' wide. Photo: GNFAC

On 3/10/24 Low on Daisy Road along the steep creek walls we saw three recent 2' deep avalanches. each 70-100' wide. HS-R4-D2-O. This one looked within the last day or two and the other two were maybe 3-4 days old. Triggers unknown, there were various ages of sled/snowbike tracks nearby. Photo: GNFAC

On 3/10/24 Low on Daisy Road along the steep creek walls we saw three recent 2'+ deep avalanches. each 70-100' wide. HS-R4-D2-O. This one maybe 3-4 days old. Triggers unknown, there were various ages of sled/snowbike tracks nearby. Photo: GNFAC

A natural avalanche was witnessed on the north side of Republic Mtn. on 3/9 at 4:54pm. It appeared to break around 3 feet deep. Photo: screenshot from IG, M. Simone

A natural avalanche was witnessed on the north side of Republic Mtn. on 3/9 at 4:54pm. It appeared to break around 3 feet deep. Photo: screenshot from IG, M. Simone

E aspect, 9100' Photo: B. Fredlund 

N aspect, 9600' Photo: B. Fredlund

E aspect, 8800' Photo: B. Fredlund 

SE aspect, 8800' Photo: B. Fredlund 

Skiers saw a natural avalanche that likely happened late last week in Pilot Creek. The avalanche ran 1000 feet on a SE facing slope. Photo: J. Mundt

A natural avalanche in Woody Creek, right by the waterfall. D2, crown was up to 5 feet deep. NE facing. Photo: J. Mundt

E aspect, 9100'. Photo: B. Fredlund

E aspect, 8800'.  Photo: B. Fredlund

SE aspect, 9000'. Photo: B. Fredlund

NE aspect, 9300' Photo: B. Fredlund

E aspect, 8900'. Photo: B. Fredlund

On 3/9/24 there was a big avalanche on the northeast side of Sheep that was previously not reported. It was there this morning so maybe happened yesterday. 6-8'+ deep, 500' wide R4-D3-O. Photo: GNFAC

On 3/9/24 there was a big avalanche on the northeast side of Sheep that was previously not reported. It was there this morning so maybe happened yesterday. 6-8'+ deep, 500' wide R4-D3-O. Photo: GNFAC

This morning (3/9/24) we saw previous avalanches on Henderson Mtn. in better light and got a photo of one on the lower Henderson Bench. Showing wide propagation through thick trees. Photo: GNFAC

On 03/08/2024 we observed widespread avalanches along Henderson Bench as well, below the steep break over in the trees, 3'+ deep breaking across multiple terrain features through thick trees, most of the bench slid, and appeared to have happened last weekend. Photo: GNFAC

On my drive to Cooke City I saw old slab avalanches in YNP near Mammoth and on Abiathar and Ampitheater among other places. These appeared to have happened earlier in the week. I also saw a more fresh looking persistent slab avalanche on Barronette, 2-3' deep and as wide as its terrain feature, 100-200' Photo: GNFAC

We saw one small but deep slab on the north side of Scotch Bonnet on 03/08/2024 that likely happened today or late yesterday. 6' deep x 30' wide, R1-D1.5. Photo: GNFAC

A recent avalanche on the south side of Scotch Bonnet happened today, 03/08, or yesterday. 4-6' deep and 300' wide. Photo: GNFAC

The crown of a recent avalanche on the south side of Scotch Bonnet that happened today, 03/08, or yesterday. 4-6' deep and 300' wide. Photo: GNFAC

The crown of a recent avalanche on the south side of Scotch Bonnet that happened today, 03/08, or yesterday. 4-6' deep and 300' wide. Photo: GNFAC

The debris from a recent avalanche on the south side of Scotch Bonnet that happened today, 03/08, or yesterday. 4-6' deep and 300' wide. Photo: GNFAC

We observed another fresh slide in the Rastas (one that didn't slide last weekend) that looked fresh yesterday or today, 4' deep hard slab, R3-D2-O. Photo: GNFAC

Additional photo of an avalanche that was triggered by a snowmobiler on 03/07/2024. Observed on 03/08/2024. Photo: GNFAC