Bearclaw bob 2

[bearclawbob]

18 days

Good morning from Bearclaw and Super 8. We've had 18 days with snow and counting. The snowman is still calling for a winter storm warning until 6am Tuesday. He is calling for 3-4 inches today with 5 more tonight. Low's will be in the single digits with high's in the teens.

The weekend is over and I hope everyone had a great one. Hope to see you this coming weekend.

AVALANCHE REPORT: The Bridger Range and mountains around Cooke City are a world apart, but have similar snowpack conditions. Both areas have received heavy amounts of snow and wind recently which has elevated the avalanche danger.

Fortunately, these areas lack widespread persistent weak layers, which has helped the avalanche danger drop quickly. Without much new snow and wind over the past twenty four hours, the snowpack has had time to settle down.

Yesterday, heavy traffic was observed on Saddle Peak south of Bridger Bowl. While this is pushing the limits, it's encouraging to hear no avalanches were triggered. Avalanche activity has also been quiet in the mountains around Cooke City.

Today, additional snow and wind will likely raise the avalanche danger. With plenty of low density snow available for transport, increasing winds will quickly form wind slabs on leeward slopes. Pay close attention to changing conditions and don’t be afraid to alter you plans if instability is on the rise.

Today, the avalanche danger is rated CONSIDERABLE on wind loaded slopes and slopes steeper than 35 degrees. Less steep slopes without a wind load have a MODERATE avalanche danger.

If you haven't had the best French toast, stop in to the bakery and check Terri's out.

 

[bearclawbob]

Still Snowing

Good morning from Bearclaw and Super 8. It was a long day plowing yesterday. With the winds and snow we had drifts in town up to 2.5 feet. I feel that we picked up another foot in town. The snowman is calling for more snow today with the temps in the mid 20's and below zero tonight. We are going to see a break on Wednesday and back to snow on Thursday.

AVALANCHE REPORT: Cooke City has gotten more snow water in February (10.2”) than the Sierra Mountains has gotten all winter. Last night’s snowfall conservatively added another 10-12” of snow. Ridgetop winds at Lulu Pass have averaged 15-30 mph over the last 36 hours. The avalanche issue in Cooke is quite simple: new snow and wind continue to load slopes and avalanche. Wind-loaded terrain will be the most dangerous. Given that most avalanches happen during and immediately after a storm, today is a day to be careful and I recommend avoiding avalanche terrain. Today, very dangerous avalanche conditions exist on wind-loaded slopes steeper than 35 degrees which have a HIGH avalanche danger. All other slopes have a CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger.

An additional thought: This month’s snowfall and water weight have been staggering. At some point even a strong snowpack can avalanche and around Cooke City these would be deep and huge. Big avalanches would likely break naturally, so as a precaution I’d give a wide berth to runout zones during a storm. I can’t say if or when this will happen, but the hairs on the back of my neck are standing up.

Don't forget the great breakfast that the bakery has, the breakfast burger has again, topped the record.

If your looking for a beacon to buy or rent, along with Avy packs and other equipment, check out what I have to offer.

The Super 8 motel is running an offer, between Monday and Thursday you can save $$$$$$ when booking with them. Don't forget to mention you saw it on Snowest.

 

[bearclawbob]

Winte Storm Warning

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Good morning from Bearclaw and Super 8. We find ourselves in a Winter Storm Warning until Tuesday. The snowman is calling for over a foot of snow in the next couple of days. Today the temp's are going to be in the mid 30's and tapering to cooler temps as the storm gets closer.
The last couple of days we had sun and great riding.

AVALANCHE REPORT: A skier triggered a deep slab avalanche south of Cooke City on the west side of Woody Ridge yesterday. He found the cafeteria tray. He was the second of two skiers descending when he triggered it from a very thin ( ~1’deep) area of the slope. The first skier was 400 feet below waiting in thick trees when it happened. The slide broke in a gully over ten feet deep and 50 feet wide on facets on the ground. The slope was barely 35 degrees. It was a big slide, rated R3.5-D3 in avalanche lingo. The skier in the trees wrote, “When the debris came by me I had to tilt my head towards the sky to see all of it...it was terrifying to say the least.” This is scary, stuff. This avalanche confirms that the huge load from February added a few more cafeteria trays into the mix. Ten inches of water weight this month is stressing out the weak layer at the ground. The trigger points are not numerous and it’s impossible to assess where they might be. I get the sweats just thinking about it since we do not deal with deep slab instability like this very often. The problem is unmanageable. Ski and ride the deep powder on low angled slopes…that’s my recommendation for now. For today, wind-loaded slopes steeper than 35 degrees have a CONSIDERABLE danger and all others are rated MODERATE, a palm-sweating moderate.

If your wondering the streets at 5 am, stop in at Bearclaw Bakery and have a cup of coffee and a sticky bun.

 

[bearclawbob]

crazy snow

Here is a quick update. We had 10 inches of snow yesterday, and woke up to 1.5 feet this morning, with 10 below temps. Its still snowing and YES, I'll be plowing again in the morning.

 

[bearclawbob]

Warmer

Good morning from Bearclaw and Super 8. The snowman has decided to have nice weather for a few days. He is calling for temps in the mid to upper 40's and windy. We could see winds gusting up to 55 mph for the next couple of days. We won't see snow until early next week.

AVALANCHE REPORT: Cooke City

Will it ever stop!? The mountains around Cooke City have a fire hose pointed directly at them and the handle to turn it off is broken. Over the past 24 hours Fisher Creek Snotel site has received another 1.1 inches of SWE (snow water equivalent) – making the 48 hour total 1.9 inches of SWE. The 30 day total for Fisher Creek Snotel site is now over 13 inches of SWE!

This bombardment is keeping the snowpack under consent stress and the avalanche danger elevated. It's no secret that unusual snow conditions make for unusual avalanches as we witnessed in Missoula last week. Today, I would not trust the snowpack for the simple reason that is has not stopped snowing - for nearly thirty days!

Avalanches breaking in the storm snow will be the most likely problem. On south facing slopes nearly two feet of snow sits on top of an ice crust that formed last week. Human triggered avalanches occurred on this interface on Friday and Saturday. Skiers also observed recent natural avalanches on north and east facing slopes south of town yesterday. Due to the sheer volume of snow I would keep slope angles below 30 degrees today and avoid avalanche runout zones.

While new snow instability is the primary concern, the outlier deep slab can't be ruled out. Skiers triggered a deep slab avalanche off Woody Ridge last week. The trigger point for this slide was a thin rocky area where the snowpack was only a foot deep. Recognizing and avoiding thin areas is a good way to avoid this problem.

Today, more snow and wind make human triggered avalanches likely and the avalanche danger is rated CONSIDERABLE.

The Super 8 motel is still running a special, its starts Monday thru Thursday. You can save more extra for those days.

I've got specials here at Bearclaw, stop in and check out every thing I've got.

 

[big_red1a]

Looking for a Cooke city update Bob. I know you have received a ton of snow in February. We are looking at coming on the 12-17 of March. I notice quit a bit of warm weather in the forcast. Has it been melting snow at elevation? Avy reports updates? Any new snow in the forcast? Will it be tracked out after the weekend? Is it steeled from the sun or still light powder? Thanks Bob see ya for breakfast !

 

[motodad383]

Hey bob, Wondering how long You'll be in town this spring. Planning a quick trip over Memorial Day Wknd. I've never ridden in May and expectation's are not to high. 2' of fresh spring snow or hero snow, just a chance to ride in May and see Cooke that time of year. Will the highway be plowed? Are all the business's open? I want to thank you for all your post's also, they keep me sane when I'm back here in MN. Hope to see you in May

 

[bearclawbob]

Sunny

Good morning from Bearclaw and Super 8. The snowman is calling again for a Winter Storm Warning from yesterday to Tuesday. We could see 3-6 inches by the time its all over.

I might be back then, If I am, I'd be glad to go out for a ride with you. Fresh snow is unusual for that time of year. The road will be open coming into town. The beartooth road should also be open coming from Red Lodge.

AVALANCHE REPORT:Cooke City

Yesterday, riders outside of Cooke City observed numerous avalanches that occurred over the past few days. Most were relatively small in size - but a few were notable. The largest slide occurred on the north side of Scotch Bonnet Mountain, north of town. The slide broke hundreds of feet wide and up to ten feet deep. Recent tracks on the slope indicate it may have been triggered by snowmobilers. Fortunately, there have been no reports of anyone being caught.

Deep slab avalanches are difficult to forecast. These types of slides are usually monsters with big consequences. Avoid areas where slabs are thinner, specifically around rock bands and scoured ridgelines to mitigate the potential of triggering a deep slab avalanche.

A more likely scenario for backcountry travelers today will be triggering smaller pockets of windblown snow near the ridgelines. This problem is most prevalent on slopes leeward to west-southwest winds. Steering clear of wind loaded slopes is the best way to avoid triggering a slide.

Today, human triggered avalanches are likely on slopes steeper than 35 degrees which have a CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger. Less steep slopes have a MODERATE avalanche danger.

I have several snow pulse avy packs for sale. The had been on the rental, so they have been marked down.

The Super 8 is still running a special, if you stay between Sunday night to Thursday night you can save additional money. Don't forget to mention SnoWest when booking your reservation, if you don't, you won't receive it later.

I have a 2002 800 that needs some work, the person is asking $500 for it. Call if you need one for parts.

 

[bearclawbob]

AVALANCHE REPORT

Good evening from Bearclaw and Super 8. It started out to be a great day. The skies cleared up and the great blue skies appeared. The snowman is calling for nice weather the next couple of days.

On the darker side of things, we had an AVALANCHE this afternoon and lost a person just West of Daisy pass. The person didn't have a beacon on and when they found him, he was at the toe of the slide approx. 8 feet deep. I would like to send my prayers out to the friends and family of the person.

AVALANCHE REPORT: Avalanches are going to happen everywhere today; no mountain range will be spared. As a general rule most avalanches happen during or immediately after a storm, which is today, and this was a very nice storm indeed. The storm started as rain in many locations and turned to snow as it progressed. Measuring the storm using inches of snow is an inaccurate way to measure the load. While 14 to 20+ inches fell rapidly at many stations, the snow water equivalency tells us the load was heavy. I cannot remember the last time I saw SWE totals approaching two inches in 24 hours!

Cooke City has had impressive avalanche activity before the storm and will likely have deep slab avalanches today as well.

Today is a day to stay out of avalanche terrain and runout zones. All the dense, wet, new snow has led us to an avalanche warning with a HIGH avalanche danger on all slopes.

 

[bearclawbob]

Another sunny day

Good afternoon from Bearclaw and Super 8. I hope today is better then yesterday. The loss of a life isn't good anytime, but being 18 years of age was to young. The group came in and asked if I would post a THANK YOU for everyone that was on the scene yesterday for their great help. If it wasn't for you it would have been a longer day. Our sincerest sympathies go out to the family and friends of the victim.

The snowman is still calling for mid 30's and cooler at night. We had 4 below last night. The snow comes back into the picture Monday.

AVLANCHE REPORT:Yesterday was a day of avalanches. Most mountain locations got over twenty inches of dense new snow (2” SWE) with strong, variable winds loading slopes and gullies at all elevations. The ski areas reported a lot of avalanche activity in the new snow as well as a few slides breaking deep. Many large natural avalanches were seen in the Bridger Range, numerous avalanches of various sizes were seen up Hyalite (photo), and also the large human triggered slide outside Cooke City.

Today, anything can happen. There could be dry avalanches in the new snow, avalanches breaking 3-4 feet deep on the layer of facets formed in January, large deep slab avalanches releasing near the ground or wet avalanches on sunny slopes. Take your pick because they are all possible today.

Sunny skies, calm winds and new snow can embolden us to take extra risks, but the snowpack doesn’t care about our desires. It still needs time to adjust to the new load and triggering avalanches remains likely. Natural activity has subsided, but this afternoon as the sun heats and melts the snow surface I expect an encore. Traveling in or underneath avalanche terrain (slopes steeper than 30 degrees) is dangerous and not recommended. For today, the avalanche danger is rated a solid CONSIDERABLE with the danger rising to HIGH on steep, sun exposed slopes this afternoon.

 

[bearclawbob]

More problems

Good morning from Bearclaw and Super 8. Well guys, we've had a few more problems since I reported on the Avalanche last Tuesday. I'll recap ever thing that has happened. On Thursday we had a fatality on the meadow towards Lake Abundance. He hit the creek going fast and the sled hit the other side and the person went over the handle bars and as I hear it, the sled flipped over and landed on him.
Friday we had a person North of Round lake and the wilderness boundary that went into a creek and he suffered a compound fracture of the femur, he was airlifted out. He's doing ok.
Saturday, we had another avalanche that was trigged by a snowmobiler, over around Wolverine and Mt. Abundance area. He was buried and they found him close to the toe of the slide with two broken legs. He was also air lifted out, no report on how he is doing.
Our sincerest sympathies go out to the family and friends of the victim.

If you have a Mammut Service bulletin read below.

Service bulletin for inspection of Mammut / Snowpulse Avalanche Airbags


There has been a service statements put out for inspection of Mammut and Snowpulse packs using the 2.0 inflation system with production dates for the 2011/12 and 12/13 winter. This service announcement does NOT affect the current Highmark line using the Snowpulse inflation system. Details can be found here.
http://www.mammutavalanchesafety.com/2014/03/service-bulletin-for-inspection-of.html#more
Details of the inspection process that should be performed can be found here.http://www.mammut.ch/en/airbags_aufruf_zur_kontrolle.html
It is a very simple inspection to see if there may be a manufacturing error and every owner should make this inspection.

If, after reading the bulletin you have questions or have an affected backpack please contact the following:

In the USA:
Mammut Sports Group, Inc
(800) 451-5127
info@mammutusa.com

AVALANCHE REPORT: Cooke City

Riding on big, steep slopes around Cooke City is a very dangerous proposition right now. Over the past few days many large human triggered avalanches have occurred.

On Wednesday March 11th, a snowmobiler was killed in an avalanche on the northeast face of Crown Butte. Yesterday, a snowmobiler suffered two broken legs when they were caught in a slide on the south face of Mt. Abundance. Another snowmobiler had a very close call yesterday below Chimney Rock near Daisy Pass. This slide occurred on a similar slope to the fatal Crown Butte slide.

The scariest part of all of this activity is that the avalanches are releasing on facets near the ground - making for big slides with even bigger consequences. The best way to deal with these conditions is avoidance - stay off steep slopes and out from avalanche runout zones. Tracks on a slope do not mean it is stable.

Today, dangerous avalanche conditions exist on slopes steeper than 35 degrees which have a CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger. Less steep slopes have a MODERATE avalanche danger.

If your looking at coming out riding, the Super 8 is giving a better discount starting 03/19/2014, the savings are outrageous, call for more details. DON'T FORGET TO SAY YOU SAW IT ON SNOWEST.

I've got Helmets and other items at low prices, come in and check them out.

 

[bearclawbob]

winter storm warning

Good morning from Bearclaw and Super 8. Their wasn't much to report until now. The area is in another Winter Storm Warning. The snowman is calling for at least a foot by Monday morning. We had about a foot of snow fall a couple of days ago. The temps will be in the mid 30's today and mid 20's for the next couple of days.

AVALANCHE REPORT: Today, there will be two avalanche problems to look out for. The easiest problem to recognize and avoid will be wind slabs. Strong winds combined with fresh snow will create drifting along the leeward side of upper elevation ridges. Recently formed wind slabs should be predictable in size and depth and will be most hazardous in steep, high consequence terrain.

The more serious and unpredictable problem will be avalanches failing at or near the ground. As the load of new snow piles up, the odds of triggering a deep slab avalanche will steadily increase (video, article). The problem is – predicting what slopes will produce a deep slab avalanche is a tricky proposition. Until proven otherwise, it’s safe to assume every slope has weak facets near the ground and is capable of producing a large and dangerous avalanche. The best defense against this problem is avoiding steep slopes, particularly those in steep, rocky terrain where the snowpack is shallow and weak.

Today, human triggered avalanches are likely on steep wind loaded slopes which have a CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger. All other slopes have a MODERATE avalanche danger.


The Super 8 is running a great discount on rooms, just mentioned Snowest before you book a room.

 

[bearclawbob]

going to be nice

Good morning from Bearclaw and Super 8. The storm is about over and we received 18-20 inches of snow in town over the weekend. The snow on the mountain is again over the windshields. The snowman is calling for sunny days till the weekend. If your still looking at riding, we encourage you to come ride for the best snow of the season.
The super 8 is making a one in a lifetime offer for anyone coming up to Cooke City. If you tell Steve you saw this on Snowest, you'll save more then you did. So come up and ride this April.

AVALANCHE CONDITIONS: The scariest and most unpredictable problem will be avalanches failing at the ground. Weak layers buried deeper in the pack will most certainly be feeling the stress of the most recent load. On Saturday, a large natural avalanche was observed near the north Face of Mt. Blackmore in the northern Gallatin Range. This slide broke 2-7 feet deep and likely failed on facets near the ground (photo, video). Although the probability of triggering a deep slab avalanche is fairly low, the consequences remain high. Avoiding steep, rocky terrain where the snowpack is shallow and weak is a good way to limit exposure to this problem.

Today, human triggered avalanches are likely and the avalanche danger is rated CONSIDERABLE

 

[bearclawbob]

APRIL FOOLS

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Good after noon from Bearclaw and Super 8. I would like to tell everyone that it stopped snowing, but I would have to say April fools. This time we have received another 3 inches today and its still snowing. The riding is great and come up and ride one last time.

Just because it starting to get nice in your area, we still have lots of powder and the best riding you've seen all season. Not to many people up here riding, so jump in your truck, back it up and hook up that trailer and come see us.

The Super 8 is running the best special of the season also, just don't forget to mention that you saw it on Snowest to get the deal of the season. We should be able to ride to the end of JUNE.

For the bakery, Terri isn't sure if she is going to be here or not, sadly to say. She is waiting for a group to get back with her to see if she is going to feed them next week.