Avalanche Update
December 31st, 2008Posted in Skiing in the Tetons
The most detailed account I’ve read about the avalanche that struck Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s Couloir restaurant is now online at the Jackon Hole News & Guide’s site. More ski patrollers were caught by this slide than was originally reported, but thankfully, they were only partially buried with only some minor injuries were suffered.
Yesterday, the avie danger remained high, but the tireless ski patrol succeeded in opening terrain served by the Gondola and Casper lifts by mid-afternoon. The terrain served by the new Tram, the Thunder and Sublette lifts remained closed. Today’s BTNF avalanche report still pegs the avi danger as “Considerable” for the upper and mid elevations and moderate for low elevations, so I will be interested to see how much more success the JHMR ski patrol has in opening additional terrain today before more snow arrives tonight with the next storm.
As if one avalanche death and a major avalanche damaging a restaurant and tossing about a few ski patrollers isn’t indication enough of the seriousness of the situation, yesterday morning WYDOT closed HWY 22 across Teton Pass to attempt to shoot down the dangerous snow loads hanging above the road. They succeeded! Enough snow ran onto the road from the avalanche they triggered to close the road all day. I see the road is now open again so it took more than 12 hours to remove the snow and depris with heavy equipment to make the road passible again. One unconfirmed report I heard was that Glory Bowl broke loose and covered the highway for a distance of more than 200′ and in places the snow was 60′ deep on the road.
Here on the west side of the Tetons things have been more subdued. Grand Targhee isn’t on a mountain with the high avalanche potential Jackson Hole has to deal with, but two days ago the upper mountain lifts were shut down due to high winds and avalanche control. So it hasn’t escaped winter weather woes.
Powder snob that I am, I have skipped skiing the resorts the last two days while I wait for more really nice snow to fall. With the avi danger still dangerously high, I have also skipped heading into the backcountry and have enjoyed (enjoyed?) setting a trail for nordic skiing across the snow fields covering our valley. My goal is to ski in some fashion everyday again this winter, whether it be alpine at a resort or in the backcountry on randonee gear; or on nordic skis- either on skate skis or traditional touring skis.
Reminder: If you like to ski, don’t drink and drive tonight. An early grave or life in a wheelchair isn’t much of a future for a skier.
Powder Blog » Blog Archive » Avalanche Update commented:
[...] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt [...]