JACKSON, Wyo. — Multiple large avalanches were triggered in the backcountry over the weekend after a spring storm dumped over a foot of snow in the mountains.
In Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center’s (BTAC) Sunday morning forecast, Alex Drinkard wrote that numerous avalanches were triggered on Saturday, mostly above 9,500 feet on north and east aspects where dangerous conditions persisted on Sunday. The BTAC website shows eight different crowd-sourced avalanche observations, though two of them appear to be overlapping information. Slides were observed in the sidecountry of Grand Targhee Resort, in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP), near Teton Pass and on Cody Peak. On BTAC’s website, Jackson Hole Ski Patroller Bobby Griffith wrote the observation for avalanches on Cody Peak.
“Small skier triggered avalanches happened on No Shadows, Four Shadows, and Triple Cliffs, with more significant events occurring on Pucker Face and Powder 8’s,” Griffith wrote. “All slides were soft slabs with depths up to two feet.”
A snowboarder triggered the slide on Pucker Face and was carried over a cliff band, but was “miraculously uninjured,” per Griffith’s observation. The Powder 8’s slide was also human-triggered. Jackson Hole Ski Patrol made contact with that party and completed a beacon search of the debris field.
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort reported 12 inches of snow overnight before opening on April 3, with more accumulation throughout the day Friday. BTAC’s Saturday avalanche forecast stated that it was expected to be the first sunny day after the storm. “The mountains will begin to shed snow once the sun comes out making natural and human-triggered loose snow avalanches likely on steep, sunny slopes,” read the forecast by Noah McCorkel.
Skiers triggered a slide outside of the gates at Grand Targhee Resort on their second lap of Steve Baugh, according to two observations on BTAC’s website. The slide on a north aspect was witnessed by a party within the ski area’s boundaries around 11 a.m. The witness stated that contact was made with a nearby party who confirmed that nobody was caught or carried. Meanwhile on Teton Pass, an avalanche around 11:30 a.m. on a northern aspect of Taylor peak “appeared” to have been triggered by a skier. No injuries were reported in the observation.
Two slides soon took place on a northern aspect near the White Hump and Ski Lake area. According to a social media post, Teton County Search and Rescue (TCSAR) responded around 12:20 p.m. to that incident where a skier was “caught and carried by a significant slide above a consequential cliff band.” The 27-year-old local female suffered a lower leg injury but was located quickly by her ski partners. TCSAR dispatched a short-haul team via helicopter and reached the patient for evaluation and transport. Later in the day, TCSAR mobilized to assist Sublette County’s search and rescue team to respond to a rock climber at the Hoback Shield. Ultimately TCSAR’s teams stood down, but the agency reminded recreationists in its Facebook post that springtime adventures can bring various threats, whether it be while skiing, snowmobiling, biking or climbing.
In GTNP, a skier triggered a slide on the northeast slope of Rockchuck Peak, per BTAC. That avalanche, reported to have a 1-foot crown, swept a skier about 200 feet and over a small cliff. The skier was able to stay on the surface, and no injuries were detailed in the report. Drinkard observed a slab avalanche from a distance near Surprise Lake in GTNP. The summary stated that it appeared to be located on looker’s left of the exit from Snow Devil Couloir.
On Saturday, BTAC’s avalanche danger was forecast as considerable above 7,500 feet. BTAC downgraded the forecast on Sunday to moderate between 7,500 and 9,000 feet, with considerable danger remaining above 9,000 feet. By Monday morning, the forecasted danger had decreased again to moderate on any terrain above 7,500 feet.
“Watch for heightened avalanche conditions on steep, previously wind-loaded terrain above 9,500’ on north through east aspects,” Drinkard wrote in Monday’s forecast. “Stubborn wind slabs could be triggered where the snow has remained cold and dry. Monitor warming temperatures for wet loose avalanches on slopes facing the sun. If you encounter mushy and unsupportable snow, move to more sheltered terrain.”
