Industry News
Ski patrollers at Grand Targhee Resort in Idaho found an approximately eight-foot-wide, 40-foot-deep sinkhole only feet away from the Blondie trail about two weeks ago, a popular summer mountain bike run at the Wyoming ski area. Jackson Hole News and Guide reports that in the winter, this sinkhole is located smack dab in the middle of a busy ski trail at Targhee and poses a major threat to the safety of guests on the mountain.
The sinkhole is located in the center of ‘The Headwall’ on a specific run called ‘The Bad’ at Targhee. The resort has been working with a former Forest Service geologist, Dominique Brough, to assess the hole, according to JHNG. The concern is that the cavern could be larger than it appears on the surface and that the ground surrounding its entrance could erode away, taking anyone near it down into the abyss. As a result, Targhee has closed down the Blondie trail for the time being as crews evaluate the risk.
Reports are emerging from Targhee that more potentially dangerous concavities may exist in the area surrounding the recently discovered sinkhole near Blondie. Crews are working diligently to identify such dangers and close off hazardous areas. The sinkhole near Blondie has been blocked off with ‘Closed’ signs and a wide perimeter around it. The safety is warranted, and the resort has tried to keep the news of the initial sinkhole on the down-low to prevent attracting spelunkers and tourists that want to get eyes on the hole or even enter into it, putting themselves in jeopardy of getting trapped inside it in the process. At this time, Targhee is doing all that it can to keep its guests safe from the hazards the sinkhole(s) present and figure out how to mitigate the existing danger.
