Snowboarder partially buried in Skook Chutes avalanche

A snowboarder was partially buried by an avalanche Tuesday, Feb. 25 in the Canyon Creek drainage just beyond the Whitefish Mountain Resort boundary.

According to the Flathead Avalanche Center, three snowboarders had just finished riding down from Flower Point in an area near Banana Chutes. They were hiking back to the resort along the Canyon Creek Road snowmobile trail when a natural avalanche released from the Skook Chutes area, north of the road.

Debris crossed the groomed trail and buried one man up to his neck with one arm sticking out, while another was swept from his feet but was able to swim out.

“Just as we were reaching the top of the hike out, we heard a boom and an avalanche descended on us from the opposite face we rode,” a member of the party said.

The partially buried snowboarder was quickly located and dug out. No one was seriously injured. All of the snowboarders were wearing avalanche beacons and were carrying shovels and probes.

The crown of the slide was estimated to be about 2-3 feet deep.

The incident comes on the heels of another close call in the same area Feb. 15 when a snowmobiler triggered a slide that crossed Canyon Creek Road and buried four people. No one was seriously injured in that slide.

The north-facing gladed slopes below Flower Point are a popular backcountry area for skiers and snowboarders who hike beyond the Whitefish Mountain Resort boundary. The slopes lead to Canyon Creek Road, which is a groomed snowmobile trail.

“Both motorized and non-motorized backcountry users recreate in Canyon Creek, and it is extremely important to remember that Canyon Creek Road is a terrain trap,” FAC director Erich Peitzsch noted in the Feb. 26 advisory. “There is nowhere to escape with such massive objective hazard hanging above you.”

Avalanche danger continues to be rated as high with persistent slabs present in all mountain ranges around the Flathead.

“We are in a period of unusual conditions, and our snowpack is dangerous right now,” Peitzsch said. “Unusual conditions breed unusual avalanches, and our current snowpack demands respect in the form of very conservative decision making, extremely cautious route finding, and avoiding runout zones of all avalanche paths.”

“Right now the snowpack will deceive you if you try and play the game. It may not show you it’s cards by collapsing or cracking which makes it even more difficult to assess.”

Read the most up to date advisory online at www.flatheadavalanche.org.