Skier and His Dog Trigger Avalanche on Beartooth Highway, MT, After Week-Long Road Closure

The Beartooth Highway, known for its breathtaking views and access to excellent backcountry terrain, reopened this weekend after a week-long delay due to winter weather. However, within an hour of the reopening, a significant avalanche on the Gardiner Headwall was triggered by backcountry users.

• Related: Weather-Permitting, Beartooth Highway (US-212) From Red Lodge to Cooke City, MT, Projected to Open June 1

The Montana Department of Transportation and Yellowstone Parks Department faced several storms that dropped feet of snow, delaying the highway’s opening. Just moments after the highway opened, a skier and his dog triggered an avalanche on the Gardiner Headwall, a popular spot for backcountry skiing and snowmobiling. The avalanche swept several people down the slope, though miraculously no one was buried, Montana’s Q2 news station reports. Those caught in the slide managed to escape and nearby individuals conducted a quick search with avalanche beacons to ensure no one was trapped. The dog involved needed to be rescued from the crown of the avalanche, according to an initial report.

The same storms that delayed the highway’s opening have heightened avalanche risks, with new snow layering over the old seasonal snowpack. With a high-elevation, snowy area such as the upper portions of the Beartooth Mountains, avalanches can still be a concern well into the spring and summer months. For updates and safety information, visitors are encouraged to check local advisories before traveling.