2 Backcountry Skiers Riding in Burn Area Killed by Avalanche in Southwestern Colorado The mountains have taken two more lives this winter. Two experienced backcountry tourers died in an avalanche Saturday in a burn area in southwestern Colorado near Vallecito Reservoir. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center reported that just before midnight Saturday, a Flight For Life helicopter crew saw an avalanche southeast of the reservoir with tracks entering into it but none coming […] Avalanche AvyBrains | February 27, 2023 0 Comments
2 Local Skiers Caught in Avalanche After Leaving Snow King Mountain, WY, Resort Boundary At 12:47 pm on Friday, February 24, Teton County Search & Rescue received an alert about an avalanche involving two skiers on an out-of-bounds run on Snow King Mountain, WY. The skiers exited a gate at the top of the mountain and descended a backcountry area known as Scotty’s Ridge when they triggered the avalanche. Both skiers were local residents […] Avalanche AvyBrains | February 24, 2023 0 Comments
Snowmobiler Killed by Avalanche in Wyoming Yesterday A 25-year-old man was killed in an avalanche while snowmobiling in Wyoming on Thursday, February 23rd, 2023. The man, from Wisconsin, was with a group of people near Poker Flats on ‘the South End.’ The man was side-hilling above a creek in Smith’s Fork at 8,100′, reports Buckrail. Star Valley Search and Rescue was paged at 1:08 pm for the state’s […] Avalanche AvyBrains | February 24, 2023 2 Comments
Alta and Snowbird, UT, in Interlodge as Little Cottonwood Canyon Closed for Avalanche Mitigation Snowbird and Alta went into Interlodge last night after the Utah Department of Transportation announced the overnight closure of Little Cottonwood Canyon due to avalanche mitigation. Interlodge is where no one in the Alta nor Snowbird areas is allowed to go outside due to the very high risk of avalanches. Interlodge is rare, usually only happening once or twice per season. […] Avalanche AvyBrains | February 22, 2023 0 Comments
3 Killed in Washington in North America’s Deadliest Avalanche of the Season Three climbers were killed in an avalanche in Washington on Sunday in the nation’s deadliest avalanche of the season. The avalanche occurred on Colchuck Peak at the South end of Colchuck Lake, approximately eight miles South of Leavenworth, WA, reports the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO). The reporting party, a 53-year-old Maryland man, reported the group he was with had attempted to […] Avalanche AvyBrains | February 22, 2023 4 Comments
[VIDEO] Drone Footage of Avalanche Bouncing Owen Leeper Down Tight Couloir Like a Pinball View this post on Instagram A post shared by Owen Leeper (@o_leeps) Friend of SnowBrains Owen Leeper was ‘feeling very lucky’ after triggering and being carried in an avalanche in the Jackson Hole, WY, backcountry earlier this week. After seeing the above drone footage, we agree. As the avalanche is forced through the tight couloir, Owen is bounced around […] Avalanche AvyBrains | February 17, 2023 0 Comments
2 Killed and 6 Caught in Huge Avalanche Outside Kicking Horse Ski Area, BC A skier and a snowboarder were killed in an avalanche in an area known as Terminator 2.5 outside of Kicking Horse ski area boundary near Golden, BC, yesterday. A group of five snowboarders and one skier were caught in the avalanche, which the group triggered just above a cliff area. Four members of the group were involved. Three group members […] Avalanche AvyBrains | February 17, 2023 1 Comment
How to Properly Interpret the Avalanche Danger Scale This article originally appeared on the Utah Avalanche Center website You must remember four important points about this scale: The scale is not linear. Your risk increases about twofold for each rising level on the danger scale. In other words, you take on twice as much risk at Moderate as Low and you take on four times more risk going […] Avalanche AvyBrains | February 15, 2023 0 Comments