Solo skier dies in Bridger Range, Mont. avalanche

by Louise Lintilhac February 27, 2019 1 Comment

Red lines indicate the location of the crown from the slide on St. Lawrence. Bridger Range, Montana. [Photo] Courtesy GNFAC

Yesterday, February 26, a skier was caught and killed in an avalanche in the Bridger Range outside of Bozeman, Montana. The Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center (GNFAC) reports that the victim, who has not yet been identified, was carried around 1,000 feet. At this time, the cause of death is thought to be related to trauma.

The avalanche occurred at 8,300 feet on a westerly aspect at the top of Truman Gulch on a run known as St. Lawrence. Two nearby skinners witnessed the victim—who was traveling solo—get caught in the avalanche. They performed a search, found a beacon signal, uncovered the body and performed CPR, but were unable to resuscitate the victim.

The forecast in this area for Tuesday, February 26 was considerable on wind-loaded slopes and moderate on all other slopes, and the GNFAC warned of easily triggered wind drifts in their forecast for the day. They continued to note, “You could also trigger a much larger avalanche on weak layers in the snowpack. These avalanches are most likely on heavily wind-loaded slopes, or where the snowpack is relatively shallow (less than three- to five-feet).”

To learn more about the avalanche visit the GNFAC. We will update this post with new information as it is released.

Filed Under: Stories

Trackbacks

Solo Skier Killed by Avalanche that Carried Him 1,000ft in Bridger Range Near Bozeman, MT - SnowBrains says:

February 27, 2019 at 8:52 pm

[…] 8,300-feet on a westerly aspect at the top of Truman Gulch on a run known as St. Lawrence, explains Backcountry Magazine. Two nearby backcountry skiers witnessed Lazar trigger and get caught in the avalanche. They […]

Reply

Speak Your Mind Cancel reply

: DOUG STOUP: THE ICEMAN
From playing NCAA soccer to a successful modeling and acting career to being the top polar explorer of his time, Doug Stoup is an enigma. Host Adam Howard recently journeyed to Antarctica with Stoup and their conversation ranges from Doug’s personal training of A-list Hollywood actors to near death experiences; adventures with Doug Coombs; and taking novice skiers to the South Pole.
Listen Now »

: TELE MIKE RUSSELL: TURNS FOR ALL
Tele Mike Russell grew up as a sharecropper’s son in Delaware before attending college and becoming an executive in the pharmaceutical industry. Then he watched the second plane hit the World Trade Center and decided he’d better follow another path, this one to skiing in Colorado, where he’d go on to find a family in the National Brotherhood of Skiers and help found its backcountry program.
Listen Now »

: ERIC BLEHM: MEET YOUR HEROES
Eric Blehm’s roots in snowboarding run deep. He started riding during the sport’s infancy, and after college became an editor at Transworld SNOWboarding Magazine. Years later, he was in a lift line when a fellow rider saw the “Craig Kelly is my Co-Pilot” sticker on his board, and asked Blehm: “Who is Craig Kelly?” He was floored by the notion that there were snowboarders out there who didn’t know who Craig was. And this inspired him to write The Darkest White.
Listen Now »