A few days after a skier was partially buried in a slide, avalanche conditions remain moderate in Flathead National Forest backcountry, according to the latest advisory released Friday by the Flathead Avalanche Center.
Naturally occurring avalanches are unlikely but human-triggered slides are possible. The snow pack is mostly stable and is topped with generally soft snow in the surface, according to the advisory.
Wind loaded convex rolls and ridges are also a concern where wind transport is occurring, especially on either side of the Middle Fork Corridor, the advisory read.
There was a skier-triggered avalanche in the Jewel Basin on Dec. 25. According to the FAC, two experienced people — one skier and one snowboarder — were touring to the radio tower near Mount Aeneas. They skied a northeast aspect slope that drops into Crown Bowl and there were no signs of instability. They dug a pit and performed a compression test in the start zone and the results did not indicate instability in the snow pack. The skier dropped in first and triggered the slide. The skier was carried almost 150 feet and ended up about waste deep in the debris, uninjured.
“Remember even very experienced backcountry users that are taking all the right precautions and making the best decisions they can with the information they can gather, can be surprised,” the report on the FAC read. “Use caution when entering slopes from ridgetops avoiding convex rolls and wind slabs.”
Source: Flathead Avalanche Center