Update: 6:15 p.m.
According to a statement issued by TCSAR no one was caught in the avalanche on Taylor Mountain.
TCSAR was notified of the incidient at 1:45 p.m. when a person who had witnessed the slide from the Coal Creek parking lot called it in.
“TCSAR deployed a helicopter team to fly over the avalanche path to investigate and ensure that nobody had been caught or buried in the slide,” said TCSAR. “The helicopter made numerous passes over the avalanche utilizing the RECCO SAR Helicopter Detector, which picks up RECCO transponders, as well as the heli beacon, which detects frequencies from avalanche transceivers.”
These multiple efforts did not pick up any signals.
Meanwhile, a TCSAR volunteer on the ground at Coal Creek interviewed witnesses and spoke to the person who had accidentally triggered the slide. The person was confident that no one had been caught. The heli returned to the hangar and all teams stood down.
ORIGINAL:
WILSON, Wyo. — A large avalanche occurred on Taylor Mountain this afternoon according to Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center (BTAC).
“Please stay clear of this area until [Search and Rescue] can clarify if people are involved,” BTAC said.
This morning, BTAC’s backcountry forecast for the Tetons warned that dangerous avalanche conditions continue as 4 feet of snow was rapidly loaded between Thursday and Saturday. Avalanche danger is currently rated “considerable.”
“Triggering an avalanche is likely on this recent snow that lies above a variety of weak and unstable surfaces,” said BTAC. “Avoid steep slopes, especially wind affected areas, and use cautious route finding while traveling in avalanche terrain as the snowpack adjusts to the heavy load of recent snow.”
This is a developing story. Buckrail will update this article as details become available.
