The Fin avalanche, Cooke City - 9 January 2021

[@gabrielwangbati]

Thanks a lot for the amazing post-avalanche analysis. This just shows the level of complexity of a natural terrain, despite all the collectable evidence.

[@cashboston166]

I realize it's kinda off topic but does anyone know a good site to stream new tv shows online?

[@luccasolomon6546]

@Cash Boston I dunno lately I have been using Flixportal. You can find it through google:) -lucca

[@cashboston166]

@Lucca Solomon thank you, I signed up and it seems like a nice service :D I really appreciate it !

[@luccasolomon6546]

@Cash Boston Happy to help =)

[@VelocityVideo]

Great video Doug. Lots of great info and well delivered.

[@Jon-cw8bb]

Thank you for these videos. Keep up the amazing work ♥️

[@jeremypalmerinFinland]

Thank you. Can you possibly include metric measurements as well in the future?

[@SRM335]

Great video. Learned so much watching it. Happy everyone is OK.

[@peterjacobs6290]

At first I thought this was an Adam Carolla video when I first saw it. Great video!

[@dr00andrew]

wow teton county was the first responder to this incident. hope everyone is okay, especially the one who was critically injured.

[@MTavalanche]

Gallatin County SAR was unable to fly because of fog in Bozeman.

[@dr00andrew]

@@MTavalanche glad they were able to get there and rescue the injured party. appreciate the videos and knowledge that is shared

[@JovanMladenovic]

Is there a way they could've known the snow got thinner, other than digging another pit?

[@MTavalanche]

Maybe by probing with a pole, but if you were not expecting it, it's doubtful a person would do it.

[@terryknutson3202]

This man has got it right. "Thank God no one died."

[@brettgingery298]

God must have put them in that predicament?

[@SomeTechGuy666]

WOW. Fantastic reporting.

[@tonyjewell478]

Very informative! I know you guys do a lot of ECT tests. As I understand it, this test will work to about 100cm (or maybe a little more) in depth. Is there a point that you start using PSTs to assess the suspect layer as it gets deeper?

[@MTavalanche]

Tony, I looked into it a few year ago and the data doesn't really support a 1 m depth cutoff for using the ECT (arc.lib.montana.edu/snow-science/objects/ISSW16_P4.29.pdf). But yes, as the snowpack gets deeper, it is less likely that they'll to break (especially deeper than 1.5 m). When we have deep weak layer and aren't getting propagating in ECTs we will sometimes do PSTs. The problem is that we have a harder time relating PSTs to stability. So basically, for deep weak layers we will try both, but there really isn't a great choice.

[@dn2shmb]

Did you guys happen to do a PST? I'm curious if that would have shown propagation potential in their first pit and given a clue to turn around since their ECT didn't result.

[@downlow5077]

Awesome video thank you for the info. So lucky no one died.

[@myusernameblows]

Is there anything you guys would've done differently if you were in their situation? Would you have stayed off that slope after digging that pit?

[@MTavalanche]

The pit was just one piece of info for that one spot. As soon as they wrapped around to a slightly different aspect the depth and snow structure changed. How noticeable it was is hard to tell. A stability test is one of many pieces of info that goes into deciding whether to ski or not. A poor test result is enough to turn around, yet the absence of that is not a green light to move forward. Other things have to be going your way to give your decision weight.

[@myusernameblows]

@@MTavalanche Thanks for the detailed reply, this one is especially freaky because it seems like they did so much right. Would you guys have just stayed away from this slope entirely on that day?

[@MTavalanche]

Many of the slopes around Cooke City lack persistent weak layers and are stable for now, but there have been a number of avalanches breaking 1.5-2.5' deep within the last week. This was known. The bottom line is that you should know that the snow is very stable if you are considering entering large, highly consequential avalanche terrain like the Fin. Providing this confidence is not the intended purpose of a stability (or "instability" test). Everyone has their own level of acceptable risk and willingness to move forward in the face of some level of uncertainty. You are right, they did so much right and they were prepared with the knowledge and gear if something went wrong. This terrain is not forgiving even with that preparation. The group choose to an objective that has little margin for error. It is up to individuals to decide if that is an acceptable level of risk for themselves.

[@mrsir1872]

everyone got off the mountain alive at the end of the night, that is the thing we should all be greatful for. rarely does mother nature give you a pass like she did to these skiers. lucky bunch!

[@alecanderson1356]

Did everyone have an avy bag and how much did it help with the fortunate outcome

[@Zed_is_dead-999]

thank you. this is a great learning moment. see you in the deep.

[@brennanburns4326]

That is one crazy picture from afar.

[@Nick-zy9tx]

Is there any reason why backcountry skiers/ split boarders aren't allowed to buy a smaller size avalanche explosive and bomb a run before dropping in? These incidents keep happening and the people that were caught in this avalanche were pretty experienced by the sounds of it.

[@swarmblazing439]

probably just because someone could use it for something other than backcrounty

[@Mathers420]

You want random people setting off bombs in the back country with essentially no oversight?

[@Nick-zy9tx]

@ironhippy I never said anything about no oversight. Obviously have to do a course or have a license.

[@MTavalanche]

The federal government does not allow it. It is illegal.

[@vitaminb4869]

That's not realistic. And more people will get hurt from these bombs than from actual avalanches.

[@Vbbe]

Here before it blows up

[@sbespn3820]

What degree slope is that?

[@MTavalanche]

Average of 37 degrees

[@stevenmccallan9202]

37 degrees

[@at6686]

I think this guy was in DEVO in the 80s.

[@davemacleod9623]

The rest of, the world deals in metres or points of...whats the scoop with you guys..?