Skier fatality on Togwotee Pass on January 4, 2025

[sfotex]

From Teton County SAR Facebook page:

We are deeply saddened to report that a skier has died as a result of an avalanche on Togwotee Pass on Saturday, January 4, 2025. More details about the accident will emerge following an investigation by the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center.
Just before noon on Saturday, Teton County Search & Rescue was called to respond to a known avalanche burial on Togwotee Pass. The emergency alert came in via iPhone satellite text-to-911, but it was unclear whether the avalanche involved snowmobilers or skiers. For anyone using this relatively new function, please include the nature of your emergency, mechanism of injury, and number of people in your party. Including that info can help first responders efficiently develop solutions to the problems.
Initial reports indicated that a group of four was in the Breccia Cliffs area when they triggered an avalanche. As TCSAR mobilized, the team learned that it was a party of four skiers who’d triggered the slide as they were ascending a skin track. The avalanche partially buried one skier and fully buried another. The partially buried skier sustained a lower leg injury.
TCSAR responded with teams in the helicopter, on snowmobiles, and on skis. The helicopter team lifted off but returned when weather conditions did not permit an air response. The snowmobile team was also unable to reach the party of skiers due to the challenging conditions.
A team of skiers from TCSAR approached the area on skins and were able to get on scene at approximately 3:47 p.m. They began to apply treatment to the injured skier and remaining members of the party. The volunteers also worked to begin recovering the deceased skier for transport out of the backcountry. The volunteers worked into the evening, skiing the injured skier out of the backcountry in a litter to a waiting ambulance from Grand Teton National Park. The team also skied the deceased skier out via a sked. This serves as an important reminder of how much longer a mission can take when the helicopter is grounded, and is another factor to consider in your backcountry planning should an accident occur.
TCSAR extends its most sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased skier.

[east or bust]

BTAC recently posted a preliminary field ob from the incident.

https://bridgertetonavalanchecenter....6-e206043fe090

Some cliff notes:
- 10,300ft on N/NE aspect
- Triggered [remotely] from skin track that was on a ~26* slope, start zone was approx 300’ above on a 39* slope
-First skier (deceased) buried approx 12’. Second skier partially buried and injured


RIP to the deceased skier and vibes to the surviving party, this one sounds like a rough one (not that every incident with a fatality isn’t).

[cravenmorhead]

That's a very scary crown. Also a good reminder about overhead hazard.

[toast2266]

Man, that's a scary one. Remote trigger from partially treed low angle terrain while skinning. Vibes to those involved.

[Dantheman]

That's a very scary crown. Also a good reminder about overhead hazard.

And alpha angles: https://www.avalanchecourse.com/wp-c...out-angles.pdf

[MagnificentUnicorn]

I see people out there all the time seemingly oblivious to objective hazard. Some one posted on the NWAC observations page a pit profile in the middle of a thirty five degree slope with steeper terrain above. It’s baffling, you obviously went to some kind of course but learned nothing about how to navigate terrain safely.


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[bodywhomper]

Condolences to the party and friends and family.

And alpha angles: https://www.avalanchecourse.com/wp-c...out-angles.pdf

An interesting contradiction(?) in terms of measured alpha angles of the 1% recurrent event based on locations:

https://www.avalanche-center.org/Edu...og/?itemid=535

[Dantheman]

Condolences to the party and friends and family.



An interesting contradiction(?) in terms of measured alpha angles of the 1% recurrent event based on locations:

https://www.avalanche-center.org/Edu...og/?itemid=535

Location-based alpha angles always seemed a bit odd to me, and I'll agree with that post that some aspects of alpha angle as an engineering principle don't really apply to BC skiing. But, the basic concept that avalanches will run farther than expected is still entirely valid IMO.

[GravityDT]

Ooff.... the deceased was a Nurse and also trained guide w/ NOLS and AMGA.
https://www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/...8af072cb4.html

RIP and thoughts go out to his Family, Friends and those who he was out with that day

[MakersTeleMark]

Especially when combined with a PWL highly sensitive to remote triggers on connected terrain over a broad area.

[bodywhomper]

Location-based alpha angles always seemed a bit odd to me, and I'll agree with that post that some aspects of alpha angle as an engineering principle don't really apply to BC skiing. But, the basic concept that avalanches will run farther than expected is still entirely valid IMO.

I think we’re on the same page, they can run farther than expected. PWL suck

[raisingarizona13]

A reminder to spread it out on the skin track.

[raisingarizona13]

I think we’re on the same page, they can run farther than expected. PWL suck

Mogul skiing is WAY more fun than stressing out in the BC for some lame pow turns.