Mount Bachelor, OR Ski Patroller Buried by Avalanche Triggered During Mitigation Work

A Mount Bachelor Ski Patroller triggered an avalanche and was briefly buried by the resulting slide while conducting mitigation work in a closed area of the mountain Tuesday morning, resort officials confirmed yesterday.

• You might also like: Get the Ikon Pass for The Ultimate North West Winter Road Trip

The “small avalanche” occurred before the resort opened while the ski patrol was on routine daily safety routes on the southeast side of Mt. Bachelor, above the tree line at about the 8,000-foot elevation, Drew Jackson, the resort’s director of marketing and communications, told NewsChannel 21.

“The patroller’s partner, another ski patroller intentionally stationed at a safe observing point, witnessed the incident and successfully rescued the affected patroller, who did not suffer any injuries. This area, and the Summit chairlift that serves it, was not open to the public” at the time of the avalanche, Jackson said.

The ski patrollers were performing snow safety checks and avalanche hazard reduction work as part their normal morning procedures on the upper mountain. They were working in teams to ensure a speedy response in the event that an incident occurred.

Jackson added in a statement that:

“Mt. Bachelor’s professional patrol team follows industry-standard safety practices to reduce avalanche risk and reminds all guests to observe all posted signs and warnings and to never enter a closed area. The safety of guests and staff is always Mt. Bachelor’s top priority and the resort is grateful to the team of professional and volunteer patrollers who work to make the ski area a safe place for guests to enjoy their experience on the mountain,” Jackson’s statement concluded.