Glide cracks

Traveled to the southern Whitefish Range to investigate a large glide crack reported to the FAC 3/29/18.

• The crack is on a southeast facing slope at 5800' approximately 2.5 airmiles west of the Big Mountain summit.
• It is located 2/3 of the way down a large open face. The ground cover is beargrass.
• This crack is referred to as a "repeat offender" due to forming annually or at least nearly each year. 
• The crack was actually a series of 3 interconnected cracks.  Total width is approximately 300' and up to 5' in depth.  Current maximum glide is 50'.
• Glide cracks are a poorly understood avalanche phenomenon. This particular crack may fail catastrophically or it may just melt in place.