Large, Destructive Wet Slab Avalanche Triggered by Throwing a Snowball On It in Smoky Mountains, ID Things are a bit touchy in Idaho right now. On Sunday, March, 17, an avalanche forecaster triggered a destructive wet slab avalanche near Dollarhide Summit in the Smoky Mountains of Idaho by throwing a snowball at a slope. It ran 1,400′ to the valley below. A forecaster discussion on the Sawtooth Avalanche Center’s website shared information about the current wet slab avalanche […] Avalanche AvyBrains | March 18, 2024 0 Comments
Skiers Trigger Large Avalanche After Venturing Out of Bounds at Big White Ski Resort, BC On Saturday morning, an avalanche struck the Eco Bowl behind Falcon Chair at Big White Ski Resort. Three skiers venturing out of bounds around 11:30 a.m. local time triggered the avalanche. All three individuals involved emerged unharmed. The resort promptly issued a warning, emphasizing the HIGH avalanche hazard rating and urging visitors to exercise caution and stay within designated boundaries. […] Avalanche AvyBrains | March 18, 2024 0 Comments
Colorado Saw More Than 1,100 Avalanches in February Alone According to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC), the state of Colorado saw over 1,100 avalanches in February. Only 204 of the recorded avalanches were caused by humans and 23 of them caught or carried at least one person. Unfortunately, there was one fatality for the month. 500 avalanches were considered large (D2), and 22 were very large (D3). Four […] Avalanche Brent Thomas | March 14, 2024 0 Comments
Park City, UT, Man Killed in Montana Avalanche Near Lost Trail Ski Area A Park City man, David Macfarlane, 64, died in an avalanche near Lost Trail Ski Area in Montana on Tuesday, according to the Ravalli County Sheriff’s office. The incident occurred in southern Ravalli County, with a group of skiers from Utah witnessing the event. Despite their efforts and a satellite device call for help, Macfarlane succumbed to his injuries before […] Avalanche AvyBrains | March 14, 2024 0 Comments
Skier Killed by Avalanche in Alberta Backcountry | Partner Survives by Holding Onto Tree A 19-year-old backcountry skier was killed in an avalanche in Spray Valley Provincial Park, Alberta, on Sunday, March 10. Two skiers were on a ridge crest on The Tower. Skier 1 entered the slope and skied about 300 feet (100 meters) before Skier 2 entered and triggered the slide. Skier 2 managed to grab onto a tree and escape burial. […] Avalanche AvyBrains | March 13, 2024 0 Comments
[VIDEO] “To the Hills and Back” – A Heart-Wrenching Documentary Exploring the Lives of 2 Backcountry Skiers Who Navigate the Aftermath of Separate Avalanche Tragedies “Using stories has always been integral to our approach to avalanche education at the UAC. Since our inaugural avalanche education video, ‘Winning the Avalanche Game,’ back in 1996, we’ve recognized the power of storytelling to convey important lessons. When we set out to create a new version of the Know Before You Go program, we knew we needed compelling narratives […] Avalanche AvyBrains | March 12, 2024 0 Comments
2 New Zealand Skiers Confirmed Dead And 1 Injured in Avalanche at Mount Yotei, Hokkaido, Japan Three skiers were caught in two separate avalanches in Hokkaido, Japan, on Monday, March 11, in the morning. Firefighters received a call to Mount Yotei around 10 a.m. where two skiers were buried. The search and rescue team located the backcountry skiers buried in the snow. The pair had suffered cardiac and pulmonary arrest and the rescue team started immediate […] Avalanche Julia Schneemann | March 11, 2024 1 Comment
Avalanche Forecaster Nick Burks Killed in Avalanche Near Anthony Lakes, OR At approximately 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6, an avalanche accident occurred on the north side of Gunsight Mountain (8,342′) in the Elkhorn Mountains near Anthony Lakes, Oregon. Nick Burks, an avalanche forecaster with the Northwest Avalanche Center and a part of the snow safety team at Mt. Hood Meadows ski area, was killed due to trauma sustained in the […] Avalanche AvyBrains | March 7, 2024 0 Comments