Bessemer, Michigan — You never know where an avalanche can happen.
Yesterday, Big Powderhorn Mountain Resort shared a photo of an avalanche slide on one of its trails. It occurred on the Double Barrel trail, which is classified as a black diamond. The steepness of the slope, along with the large amount of snow assembled on one of the snowmaking whales, likely caused the slide. Luckily, it sounds like nobody was hurt by the man-made avalanche.
Avalanches from snowmaking whales are nothing new. Some historical examples include a 1980 avalanche at Whiteface (days before the Olympics), a 1988 slide on the National trail at Stowe, December 2002 on The Wall at Holiday Valley, and 2022 at Welch Village.
There is no word yet on whether Big Powderhorn will install howitzers this season.
Image Credits: Big Powderhorn Mountain Resort
