Accident: Snowbasin Backcountry

With recent storm totals in the 1.5-3’ range, the danger was rated as HIGH in the Ogden mountains as Tate Henderson and two friends ventured outside of the ski area boundary at the Snowbasin ski area. While the avalanches had been knocked down within the perimeter by the ski area, the backcountry was a different story altogether. Numerous avalanches had run both within the new snow as well a stepping down to a buried ice layer, causing large and dangerous slides. The three, not wearing any rescue gear, headed south that day beyond the Strawberry boundary in search of untracked snow, when the first skier triggered a 1.5’ deep and 150’ wide slide that caught and carried two of the three. When the debris stopped 150’ later, Henderson was buried with only a hand sticking out, while his friend was buried up to his knees. The others in his party quickly skied down to the hand and recovered him within minutes.

Out-of-bounds skier buried with only hand sticking out-no beacon-recovered by friends-no injuries.