After an appeal to the public for information pertaining to an apparent avalanche burial just outside the boundary of Brighton Ski Resort, the Utah Avalanche Center now has the necessary details to make a formal report about the sequence of events.
As reported yesterday, Utah Avalanche Center (UAC) wanted to stress that the skiers involved in the slide were “not in trouble” and they were only looking to collect data to help keep folks safe in avalanche terrain. The avalanche discovered by member of UAC and a Brighton Resort ski patroller was 200 feet wide, 3 feet deep, and carried the skiers 600 feet down slope. Upon initial investigation, the pair found two burial holes, one with blood. Probe marks were found in the debris indicating that at least one person was completely buried. Blood was also found on the scene indicating someone was injured.
Utah Avalanche Center has updated their incident summary which now contains firsthand details of the avalanche which was triggered Friday by two young men, ages 17 and 18, in unpatrolled backcountry terrain on the Big Cottonwood Canyon’s eastern border.
One skier was partially buried and the other was completely buried upside down in the snow with just his ski boot sticking out of the now. Neither skier had any avalanche rescue gear. Another skier witnessed the slide and dug out the fully buried skier, the partially buried skier was able to self rescue. Neither skier was seriously hurt despite blood being found in the debris.
To be clear, the skiers did not violate any rules when they entered the Hidden Canyon backcountry (located on Forest Service land) from Brighton resort. While no rules were formally broken, the pair were completely unprepared for the contingency of an avalanche and the Utah Avalanche Center warns that that is a recipe for disaster. Thankfully the skiers survived and we hope their story helps inform your decisions in the backcountry in the future.
Utah Avalanche Center Accident and Rescue Summary:
This avalanche was spied by Brighton Snow Safety Malia Bowman and UAC forecaster Drew Hardesty Saturday early afternoon while investigating another skier triggered slide in Hidden Canyon (INFO) from Friday Jan 2. Malia Bowman (Brighton snow safety) and co-worker Max McNeil (patrol director) investigated the debris and found two burial holes, one with blood.
On Friday, January 2nd, two young skiers, age 17 and 18, ducked a rope out of bounds below the Great Western lift and entered Hidden Canyon in search of fresh powder snow. They successfully skied one lap and took the lift for a second lap. On their second lap in Hidden Canyon (after again ducking the rope), the two triggered a 2-4′ deep and 200′ wide avalanche, and were caught and carried 500 feet down the slope. Skier A was critically buried, head down in the snow, with only a portion of his ski boot sticking out. Skier B was partially buried. Skier B extracted himself from the snow and, reportedly with the help of witnesses, helped extract Skier A from the debris. Neither sustained any significant injuries and were able to walk out to safety.
While both skiers were season pass holders and knew the Hidden Canyon terrain, neither skier had any avalanche rescue gear.
