Public Observations
Below are the listings of Public Observations that have been sent in by our community. We provide this content as a service but take no responsibility for the accuracy of the content. If you have an observation you’d like to share, please fill out our observation form. Our avalanche specialists will read each submission before posting to this page.
Public Observations
Monday, April 22nd, 2013
Observation Date: 04/19/2013
Route/Location:
North central bitterroots
Weather:
Wind:
New Snow: 0-3"
Snow Density:
Avalanche Activity:
Remote trigger large wind slab on E- SE facin ...
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Tuesday, April 16th, 2013
Observation Date: 04/14/2013
Route/Location:
Gray Wolf southern approach from Twin Lakes for South Couloir. Pit and observations from approximately 7,200 ft on West aspect of the south ridge befor ...
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Tuesday, April 16th, 2013
Observation Date: 04/09/2013
Route/Location:
Main west couloir on Grey Wolf Peak, Mission Range. Approached from St. Mary's Lake trail head.
Weather:
Sunny and HOT late morning to afternoon, c ...
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Monday, April 15th, 2013
Observation Date: 04/14/2013
Route/Location:
Lower Gash trailhead to Gash proper, down the north chutes of Gash proper, back to the ridge and out via the bowl to the east of Gash.
Weather:
Var ...
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Friday, April 12th, 2013
Observation Date: 04/09/2013
Route/Location:
Mission Range - up Sheepshead SW face, down S. face, multiple routes on McDonald peak, exit via standard NW face of McDonald.
Weather:
Sunny, calm, ...
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Thursday, April 11th, 2013
Observation Date: 04/09/2013
Route/Location:
We toured up Canyon Creek in the Bitterroots quickly realizing our original objective, the south face of canyon proper was going to be too warm and sun ...
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Monday, April 1st, 2013
Observation Date: 03/30/2013
Route/Location:
East side of Sapphires. 2 Pits.
Pit A 8200 ft and 7900 ft. 25 ft down from ridgeline, 35+ deg slope. NNE aspect. ECTP 11 (w/ energy) 18 inches
Pi ...
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Friday, March 29th, 2013
Observation Date: 03/28/2013
Route/Location:
NW side of McDonald Peak, Missions.
Weather:
Light Rain below 7000', snowing heavily at times above, warm everywhere.
Wind:
Minimal.
New Sno ...
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Thursday, March 28th, 2013
Observation Date: 03/26/2013
Route/Location:
Lost Horse Creek - near Kidney Lake
Weather:
Scattered clouds throughout the day, mostly sunny, very little wind.
Wind:
No signs of recent wind ...
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Tuesday, March 26th, 2013
Observation Date: 03/24/2013
Route/Location:
Lost Horse Area. North to North East facing. 8000ft Max elevation.
Weather:
Sunny. Cold in shade.
Wind:
Very little wind. No snow transport obs ...
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Monday, March 25th, 2013
Observation Date: 03/24/2013
Route/Location:
Red Butte in the eastern Mission mountains at 7700'. Skied SE through NE terrain.
Weather:
Cold and clear in the morning, before becoming (brutally ...
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Monday, March 18th, 2013
Observation Date: 03/17/2013
Route/Location:
Up North fork of Lost Horse creek to south facing avalanche paths on the Camas/NF Lost horse divide.
Weather:
Light snow all day. Overnight snow fr ...
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Monday, March 4th, 2013
Observation Date: 03/03/2013
Route/Location:
Canyon creek road up Romney ridge to a northerly bowl just west of the second high point.
Weather:
It was warm and raining pretty good in the valle ...
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Thursday, February 28th, 2013
Observation Date: 02/24/2013
Route/Location:
Souther Swans-Yurtski, High Markers, Breakfast Bowl, Poop Chute, Burnt Trees, Super Natural
Weather:
2/24- 3:00 p.m. Elevation 7,700' East Aspect l ...
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Tuesday, February 26th, 2013
Observation Date: 02/24/2013
Route/Location:
We ascended from the Bear Creek overlook road to the ridge above "south bowl". We conferred and did some snow analysis on the north-east facing edge of ...
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Friday, February 22nd, 2013
Observation Date: 02/21/2013
Route/Location:
Sky Pilot Peak via Gash Point and back, Bitterroots.
Weather:
Clear skies and calm in the morning, but with an obvious storm breaking over the Bitt ...
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Thursday, February 21st, 2013
Observation Date: 02/20/2013
Route/Location:
2/18- received approx 12 inches over last two days. At 6600' on a 36 degree NE slope we had a CT 21 Q2/3 at 30-35 cm down. ECTN22 on same layer. Skiing ...
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Tuesday, February 19th, 2013
Observation Date: 02/17/2013
Route/Location:
toured along ridge to an east facing slope-didn't like the snopack, then skied back to a south facing slope
Weather:
obscured sky with light snow a ...
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Wednesday, February 13th, 2013
Observation Date: 02/11/2013
Route/Location:
mostly stable conditions. skiff of new snow with light winds. snowpack seems pretty consolidated, fist to four fingers. had no failures in CT test on 3 ...
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Monday, February 11th, 2013
Observation Date: 02/10/2013
Route/Location:
Wisherd Ridge. We skied Bowl 1, Bowl 3, and north aspect terrain off the ridge between Bowl 3 and Bowl 4.
Weather:
Sunny and warm in the morning, c ...
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Saturday, February 9th, 2013
Observation Date: 02/08/2013
Route/Location:
Snowbowl Back country--Burgundy
Weather:
Extreme fog blowing in and out--mostly foggy all day. Some sleety snow and graupel.
Wind:
Very light.
...
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Monday, February 4th, 2013
Observation Date: 02/02/2013
Route/Location:
North East bowl, St. Joe (big) approx. 9400 feet. belayed approx. 30 ft from entrance onto steep north east face.
Weather:
Sunny, below freezing, m ...
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Sunday, February 3rd, 2013
Observation Date: 02/02/2013
Route/Location:
Lolo Pass, North face of "Mt Fuji" Ascended west, northwest ridge. Descended north face.
Weather:
Sunny and warm. Air temp right around freezing bu ...
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Saturday, February 2nd, 2013
Observation Date: 02/01/2013
Route/Location:
Yurtski area
Weather:
Wind:
New Snow: 12+"
Snow Density:
Avalanche Activity:
Observed Danger Rating:
Other Comments:
Spent last s ...
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Tuesday, January 29th, 2013
Observation Date: 01/06/2013
Route/Location:
Up Bass creek (Northern Bitterroot), to outlet of Bass lake, up and down southeast facing couloir just below lake, up and down east facing bowl on sout ...
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Monday, January 28th, 2013
Observation Date: 01/27/2013
Route/Location:
Bowl hopping from the top of Lost Trail ski area to the top of Saddle Mountain. We looked at a number of aspects, but mostly skied south-facing terrain ...
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Sunday, January 27th, 2013
Observation Date: 01/26/2013
Route/Location:
6200=8000 west facing.
Weather:
Snowing.
Wind:
On off wind out of west.
New Snow: 3-6"
Snow Density:
Avalanche Activity:
None observe ...
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Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013
Observation Date: 01/19/2013
Route/Location:
Sweeney Peak, east-facing slope at approximately 8,400 feet.
Weather:
Clear.
Wind:
Very strong south winds have loaded the north and east facin ...
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Friday, January 18th, 2013
Observation Date: 01/17/2013
Route/Location:
Skiing east,east northeast,along ridge elevation 8000 ft . 35 - 35+ degrees
Weather:
Sunny few high clouds
Wind:
Light winds west, northwest
...
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Tuesday, January 8th, 2013
Observation Date: 01/08/2013
Route/Location:
Yurtski area/ Morrel Lookout/ Highmarkers Bowl
Weather:
Wind:
New Snow:
Snow Density:
Avalanche Activity:
Observed Danger Rating:
...
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Tuesday, January 8th, 2013
Observation Date: 01/07/2013
Route/Location:
Idaho-Mt line 7,000+-6,000 ft
Weather:
Snowing heavy at times. Small dense snow not flakes. Mid 20 F temp.
Wind:
Stiff winds out of west at rid ...
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Monday, January 7th, 2013
Observation Date: 01/06/2013
Route/Location:
Up to E. St. Mary's Ridge from St. Mary's lake, down a southeast facing bowl around 8500'.
Weather:
Light snow, light winds, and upper 20's temps u ...
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Monday, December 31st, 2012
Observation Date: 12/31/2012
Route/Location:
Dug a snowpit on the eastern aspect between 3+4th bowl at 7000'. Had a very clean slab fail at 18". Attempted to isolate a ruschblock but the slab shea ...
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Monday, December 31st, 2012
Observation Date: 12/30/2012
Route/Location:
Southern Swan range near Yurtski. 7600' elevation east aspect 35 degree slope angle.
Weather:
Cold and cloudy with snow flurries.
Wind:
Little ...
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Monday, December 24th, 2012
Observation Date: 12/21/2012
Route/Location:
skiing the Idaho side of Hoodoo Pass
Weather:
25 deg. w light snow and 10 mph winds
Wind:
very windy at the top of the pass with scoured snow a ...
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Sunday, December 23rd, 2012
Observation Date: 12/21/2012
Route/Location:
Tour up from Yurtski to Morrell Saddle and along ridge.
Weather:
partly cloudy, temps in teens
Wind:
mostly calm with gusts of maybe 15mph on t ...
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Monday, December 17th, 2012
Observation Date: 12/15/2012
Route/Location:
Tour up from the Heart lake trailhead to Heart, Pearl, then Dalton lake. Return to trailhead with a pair of detours for ski runs.
Weather:
Wind:
...
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Monday, December 10th, 2012
Observation Date: 12/09/2012
Route/Location:
Pt. 6 north aspect> too steep to tele
Weather:
Snowed 14 inches Fri/Sat on a 4 ft base.
Wind:
Light wind on skied aspect but 10-20mph from t ...
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The West Central Montana Avalanche Center is hosted on the Lolo National Forest with support from the Bitterroot and Clearwater National Forests. The advisory content is the sole responsibility of the Forest Service and does not apply to operating ski areas. Avalanche specialists can be contacted by calling 406-329-3752 or by