Two avalanches have injured backcountry skiers in the Jackson, WY area since Nov. 3, prompting search and rescue officials to warn backcountry skiers to prepare for unusually hazardous conditions in the early season snowpack.
Teton County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue (TCSOSAR) said two accidents it responded to “have alarming similarities as each took place in early season shallow snowpack, very steep avalanche terrain, in known avalanche paths and while the parties were traveling in perceived “safe zones.”
“While it is the mission of TCSOSAR to rescue those who are in need, it is also the responsibility of the backcountry user to be property equipped and educated with the skills, techniques and knowledge to safely operate in the backcountry,” reads a Nov. 12 press release issued by the office.
Three people were killed by avalanches in the region last winter, all in the spring when conditions are usually more conducive to avalanches, according to the Bridger-Teton National Forest Avalanche Center. Typically less than 2 percent of avalanche fatalities occur in November.
TCSOSAR urged backcountry skiers to check snow pack conditions at the center’s website at www.jhavalanche.org before venturing into the backcountry.
“Although one person was injured in each incident the outcome could have been much worse with additional injuries and even multiple fatalities a possibility,” said the Sheriff’s Office.
