We came so close! Myself, along with my backcountry skiing friends, had just remarked how cool it was that there have been no avalanche fatalities yet during the 2014/15 ski season. Fingers were crossed that we might have a zero-fatality season. But with a big storm falling on powder-starved skiers and snowboarders, perhaps it was inevitable – as the year’s first fatality happened at Snowbasin on Wednesday.
The Utah Avalanche Center says two people entered Hells Canyon at 10:44 a.m. just beyond Snowbasin’s boundary. After a few turns, they decided to cut back and return into the ski area. That’s when the first person, a snowboarder, triggered the avalanche and was caught. Investigators say the slide was about 2-3 feet deep and narrow. It was triggered in a steep, shallow rock area in a confined gully. The victim was carried to the bottom and buried about 3 feet deep. He was not wearing a beacon, but found by a dog search.
According to KSL, the victim is 21-year-old Blake Ford from Morgan County. Ford’s friend, who’s name was not released by authorities, did not sustain any injuries, according to Weber County officials.
For evidence of just how tricky the snowpack was on Wednesday, one only has to look at the slides reported to the Utah Avalanche Center. By their count, 15 human-triggered avalanches happened in the backcountry, averaging 2 feet deep and 100 feet wide. They mostly occurred on northwest through northeast through southeast facing slopes above 9000 feet. The Center says there were more than a few close calls with at least one and perhaps two people getting caught and carried with lost gear.
Today, the avalanche danger rating is “considerable” with pockets of increased danger in steep northwest to northeast to southeast facing terrain above 9000′ for triggering avalanches 1-3′ deep and up to 200′ wide.
As always, it is vital to check the avalanche report before entering the backcountry, and always wear avalanche safety gear including a beacon, probe and shovel, even if you’re just ducking out-of-bounds at a resort. You can find all the information you need at the Utah Avalanche Center website.