Massive avalanche caught on film

Earlier this month a massive avalanche was caught on film by a group of climbers on the via Ferrata de Saint Christophe in the French Alps. The climbers were extremely lucky to be high enough above the impacted area that their lives were never in danger. However, their location on the wall on the opposite side of the valley did provide them with an excellent birds-eye view of the avalanche as it happened:





Jeff
Hiking in Glacier National Park

Skier Dies In Avalanche In Teton Range

NPS Digest is reporting that a local backcountry skier died in an avalanche in the Teton Range last week.

On Friday morning of last week, 40-year-old Jarad Spackman of Jackson, Wyoming was ascending Apocalypse Couloir with a companion in order to access a narrow and steep chute on the flank of Prospectors Mountain, which they intended to ski. At roughly 200 feet below the fork of the couloir they were hit by an avalanche that originated further up the slope. Spackman was caught in the slide and was carried approximately 1000 feet down the slope. His partner immediately began a search that ultimately led him to Spackman, who was lying face down in the snow and partially buried. He began CPR to revive his friend and about 15 minutes later used a cell phone to make an emergency call to alert rangers of the situation. They immediately organized a rescue mission with the assistance of the Teton County Search and Rescue contract helicopter and members of the county rescue team. A landing zone was established near Sawmill Ponds on the Moose-Wilson Road and four rangers were flown to the backcountry location where they landed near the base of Apocalypse Couloir. In advance of their arrival, Spackman’s partner was able to move his friend to that same location and await the helicopter and rescuers. Spackman’s body was flown out and turned over to the Teton County coroner’s office. His partner and the rescuers then skied out of the backcountry together.

This was the second avalanche fatality in Grand Teton National Park this year. An avalanche on Survey Peak in the northern Teton Range took the life of a skier on January 27th.


Jeff
Glacier National Park Hiking

Grand Teton National Park Trails Worker Dies in Avalanche

Rangers began a recovery mission yesterday morning for the body of a backcountry skier who died in an avalanche on Sunday, January 27th. Nick Gillespie, 30, of Jackson, Wyoming, was caught in an avalanche on the southeast face of Survey Peak in the northern Teton Range about 5 p.m. Sunday and died as a result of injuries suffered in the slide.

Gillespie was a long-time seasonal employee of Grand Teton National Park who’d worked on the park’s trail crew for the past six years, and before that had worked for Rocky Mountain NP, and the Willamette and Lassen National Forests. There were three people with him at the time of the accident, one a fellow seasonal trails worker at Grand Teton, but none was injured.

Rangers enlisted the assistance of the Teton County Search and Rescue contract helicopter and crew for the recovery mission. Teton Interagency helitack personnel assisted with a temporary helibase established near Colter Bay, 25 miles north of Moran Junction. Four rangers were inserted into Berry Creek canyon on Monday about 11 a.m. Recovery of Gillespie’s body and an investigation into the details of the incident are ongoing.

The avalanche danger on Sunday, January 27th, was listed as low in the morning, rising to moderate in the afternoon at elevations between 9,000 and 10,500 feet. Moderate danger means that natural avalanches are unlikely, but human-triggered avalanches are possible. However, the report also reported, “At upper elevations new snow and winds overnight and expected snow today will create the potential for backcountry users to trigger soft slabs or sloughs to a foot in depth by the afternoon.”


Jeff
Hiking in Glacier National Park

Skier Sustains Significant Injuries in Avalanche in Glacier National Park

Two skiers triggered an avalanche on Elk Mountain in Glacier National Park yesterday afternoon. Park dispatch received a call at approximately 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, January 8th, indicating that two skiers were involved in an avalanche and one skier was injured. Park rangers and local emergency personnel organized and responded to the incident.

At approximately 6:30 p.m. park rangers found the skiers and transported them to a nearby trailhead. The Glacier County EMS Ambulance transported the injured skier to a medical facility and the other skier was released at the scene. The skiers, male age 34 and male age 35, both from the local area, were skiing a ridge of Elk Mountain, just west of Marias Pass, when one of the skiers fell and triggered an avalanche. The skier was carried with the slide and partially buried. The other skier was skiing below when the avalanche occurred and was able to escape from the avalanche slide path, and then help rescue his companion. The skier that was partially buried sustained significant injuries.

Emergency personnel assisting Glacier National Park Rangers included members of the Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Glacier County Sheriff's Office, Flathead County Sheriff's Office, Flathead County Search and Rescue, and North Valley Search and Rescue.

All backcountry recreationists are highly encouraged to be prepared for winter conditions, including awareness and understanding of avalanche terrain, mountain weather, snowpack conditions, current avalanche advisories, as well as being prepared with appropriate equipment such as beacons, probes, poles and shovels. Recreationists should have the knowledge and skills to safely utilize the equipment as needed.

An excellent resource for all winter outdoor recreationists is the Flathead Avalanche Center website, flatheadavalanche.org. The website provides avalanche information, including three advisories each week, educational opportunities, and snow observation conditions. Upcoming educational programs include an advanced avalanche awareness class that continues through Saturday, January 19 with the Flathead National Forest, Level 1 Avalanche Course in Libby January 18-19, and Level 1 and Level 11 Courses at Whitefish Mountain Resort in January and February. Please visit the website for more information.


Jeff
Hiking in Glacier National Park

Gunsight Lake Footbridge Will Not Be Replaced

The historic winter of 2010/2011 will certainly be one to remember. The heavy snows that blanketed Glacier National Park resulted in many avalanches that year, including one that tore into the south end of the Sperry Chalet. A massive avalanche in the Gunsight Lake area downed hundreds of trees. To this day there's still a section of trail, more than a tenth of a mile long, that remains choked with dead trees and crushed willows, effectively blocking normal passage. Presumably, that same avalanche destroyed the suspension bridge near the lake.

According to a report on the Sperry Chalet website, the Gunsight Lake footbridge will not be replaced this year. Instead, a hand cable has been installed to aid hikers in fording the stream. Kevin at the Sperry Chalet states:

If you are planning to use the Gunsight Pass trail this year, you will get wet. Plan accordingly. Be prepared to ford a stream approximately 20 feet across, about knee deep, and always cold. Be very cautions, especially if there is adverse weather or high runoff.

According to the latest Trail Status Report, clearing of downfall on the trail won't begin until August. Trail crews will be creating a route either through, or around the avalanche damaged portion of the trail. As of June 15th there was still 100% snow cover after the bridge crossing.

If wishing to go beyond Gunsight Lake, and up to Gunsight Pass, Kevin warns:

Gunsight Pass is always very dangerous in early July. The trail traverses several high angle snow fields with dangerous exposure (snow fields that run off cliffs making a simple slip and fall very perilous.) Snow melt and trail conditions always vary year by year, but we would advise anyone taking the Gunsight Pass trail before mid July to have ice axes, self arrest skills and experienced hiking partners.

For more information on the hike to Gunsight Lake, one of my favorite hikes, please click here.





Jeff
Hiking in Glacier.com

Avalanche danger rated as high for Glacier Park and Flathead and Kootenai National Forests

Tony Willits of the U.S. Forest Service issued a special backcountry avalanche bulletin last night for the Glacier Park and Flathead and Kootenai National Forest areas:

Between the elevations of 4,500 and 7,500 ft. the avalanche danger is currently rated HIGH on all steep and open terrain, on all aspects. A warm plume of moisture, with rising freezing levels has brought rain to the elevations of 5,500 to 5,800 feet. Overnight freezing (Friday night) will be short lived. Saturday will experience warmer temperatures and rain with freezing levels climbing to and above 6,500 feet, which will likely allow for a natural cycle of avalanche activity.

It is strongly advised to curtail back country travel until our region experiences some significant refreezing of the surface snow pack.

The weather forecast is predicting good confidence in a cold front moving into our region late Saturday night which could cause a stabilizing effect to the surface snow pack. The return of cooler temperatures on Sunday will be accompanied with moderate SW winds which will likely load NE-E aspects. Stay off of wind loaded terrain until time has passed to allow for stabilization of the potential weak interface.

Because of the general nature of this advisory message, each backcountry party will always need to make their own time and site specific avalanche hazard evaluations. This advisory best describes conditions at the time of its issuance. As time passes avalanche and snow conditions may change, sometimes quite rapidly. Elevation and geographic distinctions used are approximate and transition zones between hazards exist.

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Jeff
Hiking in Glacier.com

Rangers Recover Bodies of Two Missing Backcountry Skiers

Grand Teton National Park rangers have recovered the bodies of two local, expert backcountry skiers who were the focus of a search and rescue mission on Thursday morning, March 8th. Chris Onufer and Steve Romeo, both of Jackson, Wyoming, were buried by a large avalanche sometime Wednesday, March 7. The avalanche initiated near the summit of the 11,355-foot Ranger Peak in the northern end of the Teton Range; it ran to the base of the peak, depositing a large debris field in Waterfalls Canyon.

During an aerial reconnaissance flight, rangers picked up two positive beacon hits at 8:48 a.m. from the debris field. Seven rangers were flown to the area to begin a physical search of the debris field using probe poles. Rangers reached the first body around 11:45 a.m. and second around Noon.

The Teton County Search and Rescue (SAR) contract helicopter and crew assisted in the search and rescue mission. Teton Interagency helitack personnel established a temporary helibase at the Colter Bay swimbeach on the east shore of Jackson Lake.

The avalanche danger was listed as moderate on Wednesday afternoon, and low on Thursday morning, according to the Bridger-Teton National Forest avalanche center.


Jeff
Hiking in Glacier.com