“I descended first and dropped into the hanging bowl, after making a heel side turn, an isolated wind slab broke loose below and above me which knocked me off my feet and took me for a ride.” –Blake Nielson
Scary moment caught on camera as a Big Cottonwood Canyon snowboarder triggered an avalanche Sunday and was taken for a ride. FOX13 reports snowboarder Blake Nielson submitted a report about the incident to the Utah Avalanche Center indicating his group had tested the snow structure and found no instabilities before dropping into the Argenta slide path in the canyon.
Nielson fought to stay on top of the snow using swimming motions all while yelling to his partner that he was caught in a slide. Thankfully he managed to stay on top of the debris and came to a stop after a 300 foot uncontrolled descent. Nielson reported in total the avalanche slid about 1,300 feet.
To find resources to begin or expand your avalanche education, you are highly encouraged to visit kbyg.org. Stay safe out there folks!