SMOOT, Wyo. — A snowmobiler was fatally buried in an avalanche on Sunday near LaBarge Creek within the Salt River/Wyoming Range forecast zone, according to an announcement by the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center (BTAC).
According to BTAC’s Monday announcement, two snowmobilers were riding near LaBarge Creek when one triggered an avalanche on a “small but steep” slope around 8,800 feet elevation. The D2-sized avalanche, estimated to have slid about 100 feet, buried the rider in about two feet of snow under his sled. The other snowmobiler dug him out and attempted CPR. BTAC noted that its crew will be doing an on-site investigation, as limited information is available at this time.
“Our condolences go out to those involved,” BTAC’s observation states. “Please check back for more info as it becomes available.”
BTAC added that photos of the surface at the scene “indicated a hard surface, likely the Christmas crust.” Variable weather in December, including a lot of rain, created unstable layers in the snowpack.
This is the second avalanche-related death reported in the region this winter. A 31-year-old local man was critically injured in a slide in the Teton Pass area on Dec. 20, and he eventually succumbed to his injuries. Another snowmobiler was killed in an accident on Jan. 1 in the Salt River Range. The 46-year-old Afton resident’s incident was reportedly not related to an avalanche.
