A massive 1,400 foot wide soft slab avalanche was triggered by a snowmobile in the Utah’s American Fork Canyon. The Utah Avalanche Center’s Mark Staples traveled to the scene to investigate the slide that likely caught one or two people. Here are his observations:
“One or two people were likely caught. They were gone when the second group arrived and did a beacon search to make sure no one was buried. It seems that at least one snowmobile was caught and partially buried and there was supposedly another hole where another snowmobile might have been partially buried. Unsure if anyone was injured, but glad there were no serious injuries that would have required Search and Rescue.”
Find the full accident report below:
Accident: Miller Hill
Observation Date: Thursday, February 22, 2024
Avalanche Date: Thursday, February 22, 2024
Region: Provo » American Fork » Miller Hill
Location Name or Route: Miller HIll
Elevation: 9,800′
Aspect: Southeast
Slope Angle: 35°
Trigger: Snowmobiler
Trigger: additional info: Unintentionally Triggered
Avalanche Type: Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem: Persistent Weak Layer
Weak Layer: Facets
Depth: 2′
Width: 1,500′
Vertical: 250′
Caught: 2
