Let’s begin the backcountry news with more information on the US Forest Service (USFS) budget shortfall.
USFS Funding
The folks at the Montana Free Press wrote an excellent story about the financial dilemma and how it impacts the state’s avalanche forecasting centers. Montana—it’s a big state. The state’s two main forecasting centers, one based in Missoula and the other in Bozeman, will be impacted differently.
According to the article, the Bozeman-based Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center (GNFAC) does not rely on temporary employees for their forecasting needs. Our earlier story on the issue explained that many USFS forecasting centers use 1039 employees for staffing—these are temporary, seasonal employees impacted by a 2025 hiring freeze. In effect, the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center should not be affected. Backcountry enthusiasts in the Northwest portion of the state should also not see any negative impacts or shortfalls regarding typical avalanche forecasting services. The Montana Free Press points out that that region is served by the Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Centers (IPAC), an entity that does not rely on 1039 employees.
The Missoula-based West Central Montana Avalanche Center has a more tenuous relationship with USFS funding. Unlike GNFAC and IPAC, the Missoula center is not “housed” within the Federal Government. However, there is a reliance on items like USFS vehicles, as described by the Montana Free Press story, and on temporary employees and $40,000 from the USFS to hire three seasonal forecasters. The story reports that “the $40,000 cost-share typically covers 30% to 40% of WCMAC’s payroll.”
News About the News
The next item is news about the news. Specifically, it relates to a recent story on the Sports Illustrated website. The story is about Nims Purja and a recent climbing achievement. Purja is known for climbing the globe’s 14 8,000m peaks without oxygen (in record time) and recently completing the Seven Summits.
There was a glaring void in the piece. A lengthy and well-reported expose in The New York Times last May reported on Purja’s serial sexual harassment and assault towards female mountaineers. The lack of mention of the allegations in the SI piece is worth mentioning. Sure, the article includes the usual platitudes regarding summits and humanity and the good in the world.
The article’s author closes out the piece with this statement: “It will be interesting to see what Nims has in store next. He is doing an incredible job of increasing the profile of Nepal and mountain climbing communities, bringing a lot of positive attention to them.”
Early Season Snow
Revolving toward November in the Northern Hemisphere means snow is incoming. (At least we have our fingers crossed it’s incoming.) For some mountain communities, snow has fallen. Early snow on north-facing slopes, where facets and potentially weak layers may develop, can be a concern. That said, Colorado had its first reported avalanche of the season (at least documented on the CAIC site) on 10/20/24. The incident, which involved neither a burial nor an injury, occurred in the Northern San Juans near Silverton Mountain. According to the report, the skiers “Skinned up Grassy on Silverton Mtn heli terrain. Skied ridge to the north on north to northwest facing slope.”
The observation summary reads, “Minor whumphing and cracking was observed on skin track with noticeable difference in snow structure from temperature variation through storm. Two skiers skied north facing ridge. Near Silverton Mtn’s grassy run. Half way down skier 1 dipped over convex rollover and saw cracking behind with moving snow. Skier 1 carried speed and skied in front of small slide. Skier 2 came to edge of convex rollover and triggered a secondary slide over the top of the first. Both skiers skied out safe.”
Other information states two skier-triggered soft slab avalanches were observed at treeline on a west-facing slope.
Plenty of good information about early-season snow and the potential hazards that may eventually develop. This short video from The Mountain Training Center is an excellent primer.
