The total is up to (3) this weekend in MT.

[powderbound]

Does anyone know of a site where we can get seismic data from yellowstone? I was wondering if they recorded increased tremors that may trigger slides.

I do remember a news report that they had a large amount of tremors just after christmas when there were lots of slides. That was the weekend they had the death in bounds at Jackson.

They also had tons of snow, but I was just wondering if anyone looked a possible link?

 

[Mountaintech]

dont know if they ahve to re-write the books, the cold snap we got (in December) made almost all the base layer snow faceted, so it is a base of sugar snow....

this stuff will be with us for the rest of the year...unless we get a LOT of rain and it makes it to the base layer, which is not likely...

Bingo, I agree with you there.

 

[AKtoad]

From the looks of the pictures above, WTF were they thinking? That is a runout zone and terrain trap all in one. Look at the mountain as if someone poured a big glass of water on the top, where would it run down? Another example of poor terrain managament, steep mountain wind loaded, boulders on the other side, in a runout zone, that is about the worst situation you could be in.

 

[Beels]

And AFTER that slide where a guy was buried to his waist...people kept climbing and playing. I know someone from the group that was there on that hill doing CPR on the guy who didn't make it.

There was BAD stuff happening AFTER that Avy yesterday. BAD stuff.
People kept climbing. People highmarking other riders. People climbing on the hill (and the other side) after the slide.

WTF people?

That's why the term "common sense" should be abolished.

It isn't so common anymore...

 

[Adrenaline Revolution]

dont know if they ahve to re-write the books, the cold snap we got (in December) made almost all the base layer snow faceted, so it is a base of sugar snow....

this stuff will be with us for the rest of the year...unless we get a LOT of rain and it makes it to the base layer, which is not likely...

It could happen for you.

It DID happen here in the Cascades as cut from the website below.
I hope it starts changing for all the other areas we like to ride in.


ZONE AVALANCHE FORECASTS

* WASHINGTON CASCADES NEAR AND WEST OF THE CREST-
* OLYMPICS-
* CASCADE PASSES, INCLUDING STEVENS, SNOQUALMIE AND WHITE
PASSES-
* EAST SLOPES WASHINGTON CASCADES-
* MT HOOD AREA-
Sunday and Monday: Low avalanche danger night and morning
hours slightly increasing during the midday and afternoon
hours.
SNOWPACK ANALYSIS
Warm wet weather cycles were seen early this month. This
caused avalanche cycles and lots of snowpack stabilizing
and consolidation in the Olympics and Cascades.

 

[Mountaintech]

It could happen for you.

It DID happen here in the Cascades as cut from the website below.
I hope it starts changing for all the other areas we like to ride in.


ZONE AVALANCHE FORECASTS

* WASHINGTON CASCADES NEAR AND WEST OF THE CREST-
* OLYMPICS-
* CASCADE PASSES, INCLUDING STEVENS, SNOQUALMIE AND WHITE
PASSES-
* EAST SLOPES WASHINGTON CASCADES-
* MT HOOD AREA-
Sunday and Monday: Low avalanche danger night and morning
hours slightly increasing during the midday and afternoon
hours.
SNOWPACK ANALYSIS
Warm wet weather cycles were seen early this month. This
caused avalanche cycles and lots of snowpack stabilizing
and consolidation in the Olympics and Cascades.

I am glad for you that things are getting better in the coastal areas. It may not be the same for the inland areas that are typically "drier". The weak layers there are quite deep and conditions there may not allow for a "repair". Time will tell.

 

[powderbound]

Associated Press writer
Saturday, January 17, 2009 2:05 AM MST

CHEYENNE -- A minor earthquake jolted the western Wyoming town of Alpine, startling people and pets. No damage was reported.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported the magnitude 3.7 quake struck about 9:15 p.m. Thursday. The quake was centered in Snake River Canyon about seven miles east of Alpine and 20 miles south of Jackson.

Brenda Bennett, Alpine's town treasurer, said the quake hit while she was sitting at home.

"Just boom, a jolt. It felt more like a bomb went off than a normal earthquake we get here," she said. "The animals freaked out and stuff. It was a weird one."

She said the quake didn't knock anything over in her home and town workers hadn't heard of any damage. She said water main breaks and other problems tend to crop up after small quakes, however.

"We're just going to wait it out and see what happens now," she said.

John Bellini, a geophysicist with Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colo., said the quake had nothing to do with the recent swarm of small quakes in Yellowstone National Park. About 1,000 small quakes occurred under the north end of Yellowstone Lake starting Dec. 26. The quakes tapered off about a week later and have been sporadic over the past week.

The Alpine quake was about 100 miles south of the Yellowstone quakes.

"It's in a very different area," Bellini said. "This is part of the normal faults that are in the Rocky Mountains -- all over the place in that area."

Another small quake measuring magnitude 3.2 happened in north-central Colorado around 7 p.m. Thursday. The quake was centered about 20 miles south-southwest of Encampment, which is in south-central Wyoming.

Carbon County sheriff's officials said no one reported feeling that quake.


???

 

[skidoorulz]

Any name of the victim at Cooke yet?

 

[gutshot]

I went up to mt. jefferson today (monday) We rode a ridge up near it just to check it out and I couldn't believe where we where seeing tracks they where on every slope under cliffs and on wind loaded ridges in fact we could see where there was three slide and one which was really big not sure if that is where the accident was? I'm not sure what to say but I am sure that everyone on that mountain was in grave danger yet they climbed every hill what can be done? I sure wish more people could see this site and hear about all the avy deaths and maybe next time they will just ride the trees in these conditions?????????????
good luck and be safe out there

 

[Boondocker_153]

3 men killed in weekend avalanches in Montana

From the The Associated Press

A search dog helped rescuers find the body of a man who was buried by an avalanche, one of three men killed by snow slides in Montana during the weekend.
The man's body was found Sunday under 3 feet of snow, his rescue beacon accidentally turned off, the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center reported. The site was near Cooke City in south-central Montana.
In southwest Montana, a 50-year-old man died in a small avalanche in Madison County, and a 21-year-old died in an avalanche on Mount Jefferson in Beaverhead County.
All three accidents happened Saturday.
Authorities identified the victim found Sunday as Travis Engstrom, 35, of Bozeman. He had been riding with friends when his sled got stuck, and the avalanche was triggered as he worked to free it, the avalanche center reported.
In Madison County, Sheriff Dave Schenk said a group of 15 snowmobilers had gone "pleasure riding" but during a stop they realized one member of the group was missing.
"When they came back they could look across the ravine in an area where they saw a small avalanche had occurred," Schenk said. They dug out Kirk Hewitt, 50, of Belgrade but were unable to revive him.
The third man died when he and two companions were engaged in "high-marking," or riding up the side of a mountain to see how high they could go before having to turn around, authorities said. He was identified as Joshua J. Jenkins, 21, of Idaho Falls, Idaho.

 

[Skidoocam]

my heart goes out to all the victims families especially Kirk's, he was a really good personn who would go out of his way to help anyone.

 

[Spaarky]

A few more pics of the Cooke City deal...

Apparently this photo was taken off video, of his last run up the hill....

This is where he made it to....

 

[Chapman]

From the The Associated Press

A search dog helped rescuers find the body of a man who was buried by an avalanche, one of three men killed by snow slides in Montana during the weekend.
The man's body was found Sunday under 3 feet of snow, his rescue beacon accidentally turned off, the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center reported. The site was near Cooke City in south-central Montana.
In southwest Montana, a 50-year-old man died in a small avalanche in Madison County, and a 21-year-old died in an avalanche on Mount Jefferson in Beaverhead County.
All three accidents happened Saturday.
Authorities identified the victim found Sunday as Travis Engstrom, 35, of Bozeman. He had been riding with friends when his sled got stuck, and the avalanche was triggered as he worked to free it, the avalanche center reported.
In Madison County, Sheriff Dave Schenk said a group of 15 snowmobilers had gone "pleasure riding" but during a stop they realized one member of the group was missing.
"When they came back they could look across the ravine in an area where they saw a small avalanche had occurred," Schenk said. They dug out Kirk Hewitt, 50, of Belgrade but were unable to revive him.
The third man died when he and two companions were engaged in "high-marking," or riding up the side of a mountain to see how high they could go before having to turn around, authorities said. He was identified as Joshua J. Jenkins, 21, of Idaho Falls, Idaho.

How does a beacon accidently get turned off?

 

[skibreeze]

A few more pics of the Cooke City deal...

Apparently this photo was taken off video, of his last run up the hill....

This is where he made it to....

Holy crap! That hill had been pounded. After seeing THAT many tracks on it, I would not have expected it to slide. I understand it could let go after a few climbs here or there but that hill was pounded with tracks.

 

[revelized]

ive been a long time bozeman resident and this really hits close to home. i had met kirk multiple times throughout my years here and send my deepest regards to anyone that knew him. I also had known travis for a couple of years too and am very sad to have lost a fellow snowmobiler that loved the sport so much. i would just like to say that they will be thought of for many years to come and i will think of them every time i strap on my helmet

 

[Killerk]

How does a beacon accidently get turned off?

Malfunction perhaps?
I know my old SOS beacon after time would not make contact when the plunger was installed... If you pulled on the cord it would shut off.
I had to tape it to get it to work.
I bought a new ortovox since then.

FYI for anyone with the old SOS black and yellow beacons... Seen more than one do the same thing.

 

[Spaarky]

Holy crap! That hill had been pounded. After seeing THAT many tracks on it, I would not have expected it to slide. I understand it could let go after a few climbs here or there but that hill was pounded with tracks.

Read the avalanche report again...... something the guy commented on, the avalanches will not be frequent but when they do it will catastrophic....

 

[Mountaintech]

Holy crap! That hill had been pounded. After seeing THAT many tracks on it, I would not have expected it to slide. I understand it could let go after a few climbs here or there but that hill was pounded with tracks.

This is one of the trains of thought that is killing people. Tons of tracks for sure, but they do nothing to stabilize the conditions. All it means is that there are many LUCKY people out there.

 

[MTN_DOO]

We were up in teepee creek yesterday and there was a layer of huge facets on top of all the snow that hadn't been tracked up. This is going to be nasty when we get more new snow.

 

[Mountaintech]

We were up in teepee creek yesterday and there was a layer of huge facets on top of all the snow that hadn't been tracked up. This is going to be nasty when we get more new snow.

They may be gone by the the time you get your next snow fall. But if it snows a bunch on top of them you are right.