JACKSON (WNE) — A skier survived a relatively large avalanche on Rendezvous Peak on Friday as his party tried to ski from Teton Pass to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
“They had done this before, they had ropes, ice axes,” said Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr, who doubles as the head of Teton County Search and Rescue and responded to the incident Friday. “In their words, they misjudged going across one of the ridgelines and got a little low, and it ripped on them.”
The slide carried the skier about 500 feet down the mountain. He was buried up to his chest with his arms and legs above the snow. His partner was able to ski down and dig him out.
But after initially calling Teton County Dispatch to report the incident, confident they would be able to ski out, the skier and his partner called back to ask for a rescue. The person who was caught had a significant leg injury, Carr said.
The Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center’s morning report said the avalanche danger was “moderate” Friday, meaning naturally-triggered avalanches were unlikely but human-triggered avalanches were possible. Forecasters have been warning of a persistent weak layer on all aspects in the Tetons’ upper elevations, as well as wind slabs on certain aspects.
“This makes it obvious that there are some significant triggers still out there that can be hit by skiers,” Carr said.
Study the Avalanche Center’s forecasts before venturing into the backcountry. Forecasts can be found at
