Interesting day it sounds like. Glad everyone is ok but that crap can be avoided.
Alpine/Star Valley riders thread.
- Thread starter WatchThis!!!
- Start date
That's crazy. We rode up Murphy's last year and in Feb and I loved it up there. We visited Murphy's drainage in July on wheelers to check out some spots for riding this year. We head up there in 2 weeks I sure hope that the snow settles cause I would really like to ride up Murphy's drainage.
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IdahoPowderHound
Well-known member
Sorry dont have ant pics of the slide. Dan Adams was with us up there he took some video and a few pics of the slide i havnt talked to him since but im sure there on his site. A slide this size killed 3 guys last year about 15 miles north up in the Wolf creek area. the snow is unstable but almost all of this can be prevented by just ridding smart. Take turns at hills and always watch from a safe distance and allways be prepared.
wich bowl is this?
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IdahoPowderHound
Well-known member
It is the second bowl that sits up top i guess that it could be even the third. It is the first one that has the cornice to the far south side that is perfect for re-entries. The slide accured to the west side of that lip about 50 yards away. It slides right there every year.
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IdahoPowderHound
Well-known member
the ridding is great you just need to use your head.
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wyodragon
Member
Avalanche Murphy Creek Trail
Guys be extra careful out there .Had to dig a friend out yesterday right off of the Murphy creek trail. Hill that was tracked and a pretty popular little jump went all the way to the ground 250 yards wide and three feet deep.Very fortunate that he had an avalanche pack on and was able to deploy it.I do believe it would have been worse without the av pack.Buried vertical right up to his head and sled buried underneath him. We were with a mixed group and were not even looking for any terrain.We rode thr Squaw Cr trail over to Murphy Cr trail and just played along the trails.The parking lot was full of search and rescue and law enforcement at the Greys trailhead when we got back and someone was still buried on the hill. I heard this morning they didn't make it. This snowpack is very unstable and unsafe.There are pictures in this thread that have terrain with 10 times the danger we exposed ourselves to. There is a lot of good riding in the Greys that does not involve exposure to slides. Need to really evaluate what your doing and think worst case cause we have worst case snowpack. We finally have some depth but it is on top of marbles. Places you have always rode are not safe right now.The avalanche we had was at 7800 feet.
Guys be extra careful out there .Had to dig a friend out yesterday right off of the Murphy creek trail. Hill that was tracked and a pretty popular little jump went all the way to the ground 250 yards wide and three feet deep.Very fortunate that he had an avalanche pack on and was able to deploy it.I do believe it would have been worse without the av pack.Buried vertical right up to his head and sled buried underneath him. We were with a mixed group and were not even looking for any terrain.We rode thr Squaw Cr trail over to Murphy Cr trail and just played along the trails.The parking lot was full of search and rescue and law enforcement at the Greys trailhead when we got back and someone was still buried on the hill. I heard this morning they didn't make it. This snowpack is very unstable and unsafe.There are pictures in this thread that have terrain with 10 times the danger we exposed ourselves to. There is a lot of good riding in the Greys that does not involve exposure to slides. Need to really evaluate what your doing and think worst case cause we have worst case snowpack. We finally have some depth but it is on top of marbles. Places you have always rode are not safe right now.The avalanche we had was at 7800 feet.
Is this up around Blind Bull or on the west side of Alpine? Sorry don't know the trails usually come up from the Pinedale side! Thanks
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wyodragon
Member
Murphy Lake/Creek
Murphy is about 15 miles into the Greys from the Alpine side and I think Blind Bull is about 30. I have never ridden into Blind bull cause it is about sixty miles of trail in and back and not much gas left to play. I dont know the area other than a few hunting trips in the fall. Never rode any farther than Box Y for lunch.
Murphy is about 15 miles into the Greys from the Alpine side and I think Blind Bull is about 30. I have never ridden into Blind bull cause it is about sixty miles of trail in and back and not much gas left to play. I dont know the area other than a few hunting trips in the fall. Never rode any farther than Box Y for lunch.
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IdahoPowderHound
Well-known member
Anyone know where this guy died at? Was told it was up in the Little Greys, was up there saturday up on top of Elk Mountain and was very nervouse about slides it was way to warm and the snow was very heavy.
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wyodragon
Member
slides
I do not know where the fatal slide occurred. I was told Squaw creek by a kid in the parking lot so I am thinking one of the bowls between Squaw and Murphy. Avalanche center has posted a slide in Squaw creek but no details.The one we dug our buddy out of was right off of the Murphy lake road past the lake but way before you reach any bowls. There is a little open face hill that people like to climb on their way up Murphy. It is the first real open hill that people run straight up. Usually has a little windrifted jump on the finger ridge south of it and the finger ridge is what slid on our guy.
I do not know where the fatal slide occurred. I was told Squaw creek by a kid in the parking lot so I am thinking one of the bowls between Squaw and Murphy. Avalanche center has posted a slide in Squaw creek but no details.The one we dug our buddy out of was right off of the Murphy lake road past the lake but way before you reach any bowls. There is a little open face hill that people like to climb on their way up Murphy. It is the first real open hill that people run straight up. Usually has a little windrifted jump on the finger ridge south of it and the finger ridge is what slid on our guy.
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wyodragon
Member
slide Victim
I finally was able to find out some info about the avalanche . I hesitate to post anything but there is a lot of people wanting to find out more and a lot of rumor. There has yet to be any news here local. The article was posted by the Billings Gazette. I will not list any details other than a man 50 years old was killed in the Squaw Creek area of Greys river Saturday afternoon. My condolences to his family and friends.
I finally was able to find out some info about the avalanche . I hesitate to post anything but there is a lot of people wanting to find out more and a lot of rumor. There has yet to be any news here local. The article was posted by the Billings Gazette. I will not list any details other than a man 50 years old was killed in the Squaw Creek area of Greys river Saturday afternoon. My condolences to his family and friends.
J
jpstrr
Member
I was up in North murphy in the bowls and there was alot of unstable snow up there but we stayed away from it. So we went to Blind Bull on Saturday and played it safe out in the flat meadows. When we came back around 7 pm when it was dark there were alot of search and rescue vechiles in the parking lot. The search and rescue said that it happened up in Little Greys but then I heard the next morning it was in Squaw Creek so I am not sure. I heard it was a Father and his two sons and the father was the deceased.
I hate to hear that, my prayers are with the family.
I hate to hear that, my prayers are with the family.
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wyodragon
Member
Avalanche Altitude
I went to google earth to send the forest service a more accurate location of the Murphy Creek slide and realized I haad misread my map for the elevation. The elevation of the slide was 7080 feet not 7800 like I posted earlier. Be careful even in the low elevations
I went to google earth to send the forest service a more accurate location of the Murphy Creek slide and realized I haad misread my map for the elevation. The elevation of the slide was 7080 feet not 7800 like I posted earlier. Be careful even in the low elevations
C
CatndHat
Member
Our condolences to the Family in Montana.
So sad when one of our best days together suddenly turn tragic.
The roof snow I shoveled Sunday even at 6,500' had very lousy upper layer adhesion due to such cold temp during the last storms.
Take extra and special precaution until after this weekends warmer temps settle the snow pack.
That should help build better upper layer compaction.
So sad when one of our best days together suddenly turn tragic.The roof snow I shoveled Sunday even at 6,500' had very lousy upper layer adhesion due to such cold temp during the last storms.
Take extra and special precaution until after this weekends warmer temps settle the snow pack.
That should help build better upper layer compaction.
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wyodragon
Member
Avalanche Center -jhavalanche.org
http://www.jhavalanche.org/summaries.php I recommend this site to all of our Snowest community coming to western Wyoming to ride. I have attached a link from one of the many features of the site which has pictures of slides. This summary is posted up weekly so it is sometimes a week behind. It also has the same summary info for many years of activity. Check the site out before you go,snow conditions,flags marking recent avalanche activity,current snow and weather conditions,advisories for all three riding areas in western Wyoming. I also encourage everyone to report observances of slides to the center.It is a benifit to all if they note a bunch of red flags on the map they know to avoid areas and can be more aware of dangerous conditions.They have a real easy drop down form to describe where ,when you observed a slide. They have a phone message that is geared mainly to the ski area conditions but still useful to know the general conditions for the area. Great resource to take advantage of.
http://www.jhavalanche.org/summaries.php I recommend this site to all of our Snowest community coming to western Wyoming to ride. I have attached a link from one of the many features of the site which has pictures of slides. This summary is posted up weekly so it is sometimes a week behind. It also has the same summary info for many years of activity. Check the site out before you go,snow conditions,flags marking recent avalanche activity,current snow and weather conditions,advisories for all three riding areas in western Wyoming. I also encourage everyone to report observances of slides to the center.It is a benifit to all if they note a bunch of red flags on the map they know to avoid areas and can be more aware of dangerous conditions.They have a real easy drop down form to describe where ,when you observed a slide. They have a phone message that is geared mainly to the ski area conditions but still useful to know the general conditions for the area. Great resource to take advantage of.
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