avalanche

This year was a rough season for USA avalanches.  Good friends were lost.  It can often be difficult to review this sort of information, but it’s key to our understanding of avalanches and how to avoid them in the future.

Over the past 10 winters the USA has averaged 25 avalanche deaths per year.  This year, we were 5 fatalities over that 10 year average.  Please review the information below.  To learn more about each incident please use the links provided.

Use this information as a tool to aid in future decisions in the backcountry.  Always be safe out there.

The following information is from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center:

US Avalanche Fatalities

2011-2012 SEASON

30 US fatalities

Activity Killed
Skier † 15
Snowboarder † 5
Snowmobiler 9
Snowshoer/Climber/Hiker 1
Other 0
Total 30
 † Inbounds skier/boarder 3
Date  State Location Description Killed
03/30 CO Ophir Pass, Paradise Basin 1 skier caught, buried and killed. 1
03/13 AK Takin Ridge, northwest of Haines 2 heli-skiers caught, buried, and killed 2
03/07 WY Ranger Peak, Grand Teton National Park 2 backcountry skiers caught, buried, and killed 2
03/03 UT Beaver Basin, La Sal Mountains 1 snowmobiler caught, buried, and killed 1
03/02 CA Forestdale Divide 1 snowmobiler caught, buried, and killed 1
03/01 CA Stanford Rock, near Alpine Meadows 1 skier caught, partially buried, and killed 1
02/27 WY Togwotee Pass, Grouse Mountain, Dry Lake Creek 1 snowmobiler caught, buried and killed 1
02/25 MT Skyline Creek, near Marias Pass Two snowbikers caught, partially buried, 1 killed 1
02/23 UT Dutch Draw, Park City ridgeline 1 snowboarder caught, buried, and killed 1
02/22 MT Daisy Pass Road, north of Cooke City 4 snowmobilers caught, 3 partialy buried, 1 buried and killed 1
02/20 MT Lost Johnny drainage, east of Kaispell 2 snowmobilers caught, 1 buried and killed 1
02/19 WA Tunnel Creek, near Stevens Pass 5 skiers caught, 1 partially buried, 3 buried and killed 3
02/19 † WA Near Snoqualmie Pass 1 snowboarder caught, killed 1
02/16 CO Gibbs Creek, near Wolf Creek Pass 3 skiers caught, 1 injured, 1 partially buried, 1 buried and killed 1
02/13 CO Contention Fingers, Bear Creek, Telluride 1 snowboarder caught, buried and killed 1
02/05 † UT Lost Creek Reservior 2 snowmobilers caught, 1 buried and killed 1
02/01 MT Twin Lakes, Swan Range 1 backcountry skier caught and killed 1
01/28 UT Little Giant, West Kessler, Big Cottonwood Canyon 1 snowboarder caught, buried, and killed 1
01/22 CO Prima Cornice, Vail 3 skiers caught, 1 injured, and 1 partially buried-critical and killed. 1
01/22 CO Trestle Trees, Winter Park 1 inbounds skier caught, buried, and killed 1
01/21 CO Chedsey Creek, North Park 2 people on foot caught, 1 partially buried, 1 fully buried and killed 1
01/18 CO Burnt Mountain Near Snowmass Village One skier caught, buried and killed. 1
01/01 MT Phillipsburg, Flint Range, Red Lion 1 snowmobiler caught, buried, and killed 1
12/31 MT Henderson Mountain, near Cooke City 1 snowmobiler, caught, partly buried-critical, and killed 1
12/31 WY Hayden Creek, south of Cooke City 1 skier caught, buried and killed. 1
11/13 UT Gad Valley, Little Cottonwood Canyon 1 snowboarder caught, partially buried, and killed 1

 † Estimated

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