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BNSF Avalanche Safety Field Observations
Location Name:
Running Rabbit Mountain SW ridge
Observation date:
Thursday, February 22, 2018 - 16:45
Is this an Avalanche Observation:
No
Observation made by:
Public
Location
Tabs
Quick Observation
Left the rail grade at the Java East weather station and climbed the SW ridge of Running Rabbit Mountain to the Shed 11 weather station at 6400 feet. After some much needed maintenance work on the station we descended the same route.
Broken skies, no precipitation, and light to moderate winds from the east all day. Temperatures were in the single digits °F above 6000 feet elevation and mid to high-teens °F at the Canyon floor by the afternoon.
Easterly winds were lightly loading westerly aspects above 5500 feet elevation (photo 1). Small test slopes on windloaded aspects were unreactive to ski cuts/stomps.
Also cut one small refrigerator-sized, or perhaps only dishwasher-sized cornice onto the wind loaded slope below with no results.
We only had to ski about 20-30 m below the SW ridge of Running Rabbit to get out of the wind slabs and into some nice powder skiing.
Large cornices still loom above the Infinity, Shed 9, and Shed 7 West avalanche paths.
It’s been a cold and dry week in JFS Canyon with only a trace of new snow at lower elevations since Monday (2/19). Low temperatures dipped down to -30 °F earlier in the week at the Canyon floor.
No avalanche activity observed.
Snowpack, Avalanche, Weather Images:
Travel Details
Region:
Flathead Range/Glacier National Park - John F. Stevens Canyon
Activity:
Skiing
Snowpack Details
Snowpack and Weather Details:
Terrain
Elevation of observation:
3500-5000 ft
5000-6500 ft
Above 6500 ft
Aspect(s) of observation:
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
New Snow in the past 24 hours:
0.00in.
Avalanche Details
Avalanche Details:
Date and Time of Avalanche:
Thursday, February 22, 2018 - 16:45
