Observer Name
UAC Staff
Observation Date
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Avalanche Date
Monday, February 17, 2020
Region
Ogden
Location Name or Route
Ogden Backcountry near Snowbasin
Aspect
Northeast
Slope Angle
42°
Trigger
Skier
Trigger: additional info
Unintentionally Triggered
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Weak Layer
New Snow/Old Snow Interface
Depth
12"
Width
250'
Vertical
500'
Caught
1
Carried
1
Buried - Fully
1
Accident and Rescue Summary
Two 18-yr-old riders, a skier and a snowboarder entered the backcountry from Snowbasin through a designated exit gate to gain access to the upper ridgeline. Both riders were on the slope at the same time when the skier dropped into a rocky chute and triggered the avalanche. The skier was caught, carried rapidly for several hundred feet down the steep slope by the fast moving avalanche, and fully buried at the bottom, except for a ski tip sticking through the snow. The snowboarder was just above the avalanche when it broke, and was not caught. He quickly made his way onto the soft debris, located the extruding ski tip and the attached skier. Luckily, the debris was soft enough and he was able to dig it with his hands and clear the snow from his mouth in about 4 mins.
At this point, members of the Snowbasin Ski Patrol arrived to assist with shovels, and the completely dug the buried skier out of the snow. He was not injured and was able get out of the backcountry on his own. Members of the Snowbasin Ski Patrol searched the area with dogs and beacons to make sure no one else was involved.
The skier is extremely lucky to have survived this. Neither rider carried life saving avalanche rescue equipment.
Comments
Here are the takeaways:
- When you leave a ski area boundary, you are heading into the backcountry.
- Everyone who ventures into the backcountry should have and know how to use a working beacon, shovel, and probe.
- Always cross avalanche paths one person at a time while the other members of your party watches from a safe place.
