Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

1 

 

Snow and Avalanches 

Annual Report 2004-05 

Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center 

In partnership with: 

Utah State Parks and Recreation 

Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center 

National Weather Service 

Utah Division of Comprehensive Emergency Management 

Salt Lake County 

Utah State University 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

2 

 

Cover photo: 

Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Director, Bruce Tremper, captures an amazing natural avalanche near 

Aspen Grove, Utah. 

All photos in this report are taken by the staff of the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center unless otherwise 

noted. 

Copies of this report can be obtained by writing, calling or e-mailing: 

Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center 

2242 W. North Temple 

Salt Lake City, UT 84116 

801-524-5304 phone 

801-524-6301 fax 

Or view online at: uac@avalanche.org 

Bruce Tremper cautiously approaches a large and dangerous cornice in the Logan area mountains 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

3 

 

Table of Contents 

Overview—Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center ......................................... 4 

How we Generate Avalanche Advisories ....................................................... 7 

Season Highlights ...................................................................................... 9 

New This Season and Plans for the Next ...................................................... 10 

Access to Utah Avalanche Center Products ................................................. 13 

The “Know Before You Go” Program........................................................... 15 

Wasatch Season Summary .......................................................................... 19 

Uinta Season Summary.............................................................................. 25 

Logan Season Summary............................................................................. 28 

Avalanche Incidents and Accidents .............................................................. 31 

Avalanche Education ................................................................................. 44 

Media Contacts ........................................................................................ 48 

Budget .................................................................................................... 51 

Appendix ................................................................................................ 52 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

4 

 

The Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center—An Overview 

Our goal:

Help keep people on top of the Greatest Snow on Earth instead of buried beneath it. 

Where do avalanche accidents occur?

Ninety nine percent of all avalanche fatalities occur in the backcountry—areas outside of ski area boundaries 

where no avalanche control is done. Ski areas and highway avalanche control crews routinely knock down avalanches with explosives before the public arrives each morning. They have done their jobs so well that since 1980, 

less than one percent of avalanche fatalities have involved general public on open runs at ski areas or on open highways. 

What kind of people get caught in avalanches?

Ninety two percent of people killed in avalanches since 1985 have been recreationists, and they are almost always 

very skilled in their sport. In almost all cases their skill in their sport significantly outpaces their avalanche skills. 

Looking at the most recent 5 years of national data, nearly twice as many snowmobilers have been killed as any 

other user group, followed by climbers, backcountry skiers, snowboarders and miscellaneous recreationists such 

as hikers and snowshoers. 

How do people get caught?

In over 90 percent of avalanche fatalities, the avalanche was triggered by the victim or someone in the victim’s 

party. Which is actually good, because it means that, 90 percent of the time, we can avoid avalanche accidents 

through our route finding and snow stability decisions. 

 In summary, avalanche fatalities occur almost exclusively in the backcountry, almost always involve recreationists, 

and almost all avalanche incidents can be avoided if we choose.

We give backcountry travelers the weapon of knowledge. In order to avoid triggering avalanches, backcountry 

travelers need: 

Critical, up-to-date avalanche information.

Our avalanche advisories give the public critical avalanche information they need to make their life-and-death decisions in avalanche terrain and we forecast snow stability and weather trends into the future. Our information 

helps the public to decide what kind of terrain is safe, what kind is dangerous and we give them useful clues to look 

for when they venture into avalanche terrain. 

 The public can access these advisories in the following ways: 

• Recorded telephone message updated each day 

• Live interviews each day on three different public radio stations 

• The Internet 

• E-Mail 

• In times of extreme or unusual avalanche conditions, we issue an avalanche warning that reaches all the broadcast and print media as well as NOAA weather radio. 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

5 

 

 Finally, we “preach the avalanche gospel” as much as possible to the local, national and international media. This 

season, for instance, several documentaries played on national television including the History Channel and the 

Weather Channel and National Geographic re-aired a previous documentary. The Forest Service Utah Avalanche 

Center staff is featured in all of these documentaries. 

Avalanche education:

We teach about 30 free, basic avalanche awareness classes each season. These not only give the public an overview of the avalanche problem, but also some basic avalanche skills. These classes encourage the public to take a 

more involved avalanche class offered by the private sector. 

How We Help Solve the Problem: 

Just because people read or hear the information doesn’t mean they listen. Therefore, we try to make the advisories entertaining so that people will remember what they read and hear and enjoy the experience enough to use 

the advisories regularly. We try and use all the standard tools of effective writing and speaking such as using active 

voice, first person, personal examples and stories to illustrate points, humor where appropriate and reading the 

bulletins in a natural voice, like talking to a friend. The recorded bulletins are informal, chatty and funny, yet informative. 

 

We believe local forecasters do a much better job than distant forecasters.

Local people know local conditions better. They can get out in the mountains every day, they see weather and 

snow out their window and they talk with people on the street about it. Because of this, we believe that local people should issue avalanche bulletins for local areas, as long as they have the avalanche skills to do so. For this reason, four crews of avalanche forecasters operate in Utah, one forecaster operates in Logan, four in Salt Lake City, 

one in the western Uinta Mountains and two others cover the Manti Skyline and the La Sal Mountains near Moab. 

We believe in a strong field-based program.

Avalanche forecasting is just as much art as science. And because of this, computers never have, and most likely 

never will, be able to forecast avalanche hazard as well as an experienced and skilled human being. Avalanche forecasting works best when the forecaster has an intimate, daily connection to the snowpack. We notice that the 

longer we spend in an office, the more out of touch with the snowpack we become. Therefore we always put in 

one or more field days before our forecasting shift, and we seldom have more than two forecast days in a row. 

This is our philosophy and it seems to be working. More people access the FSUAC bulletin each season than any 

other avalanche advisory in North America, and the number keep increasing by an average of 20 percent per year. 

The numbers of people going into the backcountry keep increasing exponentially, yet the death rate has risen 

more slowly. We also see an increasing demand for avalanche education and information, not only by Utahans, 

but also by the national and international media. 

 

We are very passionate about our work because it’s more than a job, it saves lives. 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

6 

 

A Look Under the Hood

 The UAC is operationally separated into four entities: 

• Bear River Range (Logan area – northern Utah and southeast Idaho) 

• Wasatch Mountains (Ogden, Salt Lake, Park City and Provo area mountains) 

• Western Uinta Mountains (Mirror Lake Highway, Weber Canyon, Evanston WY, Daniel’s Summit) 

• Manti Skyline (FairviewCanyon – Wasatch Plateau) 

• La Sal Mountains (near Moab) 

 In his third season, Toby Weed staffs the Logan operation with Dave Kickert as an assistant. Kickert is employed 

by Utah State University. A generous contribution from the Utah State Parks funds this position. 

 Based in Moab, Evan Stevens and Max Forgensi forecast not only for the nearby La Sal Mountains but they also 

issue weekend forecasts for the Wasatch Plateau—Manti Skyline area. The Moab office is located in the Moab 

Ranger District on the Manti-Lasal National Forest and us supported by both the Moab Ranger district and a generous contribution from Utah State Parks. 

 Craig Gordon issues forecasts for the western Uinta Mountains and also does the lion’s share of avalanche education for snowmobilers in northern Utah. This position is supported by a generous contribution from Utah State 

Parks. 

 

Last, but not least, the vast majority of the backcountry use occurs in the Wasatch Range of northern Utah. A 

staff of four full time workers covers the Ogden, Salt Lake City, Park City and Provo area mountains—arguably the 

most heavily used mountain range in the U.S. Bruce Tremper, in his 18th season, is the Director. The rest of the 

very experienced Salt Lake staff include: Evelyn Lees, Drew Hardesty and Brett Kobernik. All are Forest Service 

employees under the Wasatch-Cache National Forest. The Salt Lake office is co-located with the National 

Weather Service at the Salt Lake International Airport. 

 Finally, a private, nonprofit group, the Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, contracts a number of “volunteer” 

observers, who are reimbursed for their expenses at around $10.00 per day. They also hire the intrepid Bob 

Athey as a full time backcountry observer. 

 The Utah Avalanche Center is a Forest Service program under the Wasatch-Cache National Forest and the 

Manti-La Sal National Forest, in partnership with Utah State Parks and Recreation, Utah State University, the State 

of Utah Department of Public Safety, Division of Emergency Management, Salt Lake County, the National Weather 

Service and private contributions through the Friends of the Utah Avalanche Forecast Center. 

The public can access the bulletins in the following ways:

Telephone:

Salt Lake City - (multi-line PBX system at the University of Utah) (801) 364-1581 

Logan (multi-line PBX system at Utah State University) (435) 797-4146 

Park City (multi-line PBX system at Park City Resort) (435) 658-5512 

Ogden (multi-line PBX system at Weber State University) (801) 626-8600 

Provo (multi-line PBX system at Brigham Young University) (435) 378-4333 

Western Uinta Mountains (courtesy of Utah State Parks) (800) 648-7433 

Alta (multi-line PBX system through the Town of Alta) (801) 742-0830 

Moab (single phone line) (435) 259-7669 

Manti Skyline (courtesy of Utah State Parks) (800) 648-7433 

Snowmobile hotline (courtesy of Utah State Parks) (800) 648-7433 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

7 

 

Radio Stations - live on-air reports each morning 

KRCL 91 FM (7:50 am weekdays) 

KPCW 92 FM ((8:06 am weekdays) 

KCPW 105.7 FM (8:04 am each morning) 

Internet:

http://www.avalanche.org (Avalanche.org is a non-profit avalanche web site run by the professional avalanche 

community in the U.S.) 

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/Saltlake (National Weather Service) 

http://www.csac.org (Cyberspace Snow and Avalanche Center) 

http://www.utahavalanchecenter.com (Friends of Utah Avalanche Center) 

E-mail: 

We offer daily automated e-mail of the advisories free of charge 

To contact our office: (801) 524-5304 (phone) 

 (801) 524-4030 (fax) 

 e-mail: uac@avalanche.org 

 

How We Generate Avalanche Advisories 

We split our time more or less equally between the mountains and the office. For the Wasatch Range, a staff of 

four people rotate through the office in which one person comes in at 4:00 am to issue the forecast for the day 

while the others either head into the mountains to look at avalanche conditions, teach avalanche classes or come 

into the office at a more reasonable hour to work on various computer or education projects. 

Field Day: 

A typical "field day" might begin at 6:00 in the morning. Like most avalanche professionals, we click on our trusty 

NOAA weather radio shortly after getting out of bed for the latest weather forecast. Then, we fire up our home 

computer to look at the data from all the automated mountain weather stations. Like everyone else, we call our 

own avalanche advisory to get the latest information. Finally, after calling the forecaster for the day to check out, 

we jump in the car or on the bus and head for the mountains. 

The forecaster in the field usually travels on skis or snowmobile or both, using all the usual safety equipment like 

electronic avalanche beacons, shovels, probes, belay rope and cell phones. We seldom have a regular patrol area, 

but simply go to the area that concerns us the most, or to a place that we know is representative, where we can 

safely look at snow on a variety of aspects, elevations and terrain types. We almost always go into the backcountry—meaning areas outside ski area boundaries where no avalanche control is done. Field days are often very 

labor intensive affairs, using climbing skins on skis to huff-and-puff to the top of a mountain, take off the skins, ski 

down into another valley, put the skins back on again, go to another ridge, and so on. Along the way we dig a 

number of “snow pits” in which we systematically test the stability of the snowpack. 

Field information comes from many different sources, but the most powerful information usually comes from 

snow pits we dig on a variety of different slopes, or better yet, from profiles dug at the fracture lines of recent avalanches. A snow pit, like the name implies, is a hole dug in the snow about a 5 feet deep and 5 feet wide. On a 

smoothed snow pit wall, we perform a variety of stress tests to determine the stability of the snowpack and document the shear properties of weak layers. We also look at the crystallography of the various layers—crystal type, 

size, strength, water content and density, as well as measure temperature profile. Practiced avalanche professional 

usually take about 15 minutes for each snow pit. We would rather dig several quick pits in several areas than 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

8 

 

do one detailed pit in one specific area because we want to know the distribution of the pattern so we can communicate the pattern to the public. 

We also test the stability of the snow in other ways, such as sawing off cornices, which bounce down the slope, 

we keep close track of the pattern of recent avalanches and we always pay very close attention to the present 

snow surface because it's much easier to map a layer of snow when it's still on the surface then after it's buried 

by the next storm. Finally, when we get home, we write up our observation, graph the snow pit profiles and email them to the avalanche center and also leave a detailed message on our answer machine in the office, which 

the forecaster will hear early the next morning. Often, we post photos of the day on our web site as well. Finally, each evening, we often call the person who will forecast the next day and talk to them in more detail, catch 

up on news of the day and bounce theories off each other. 

It takes years of experience and training to be an accomplished avalanche forecaster, not to mention to be able to do it 

safely. Most of our staff have degrees in some kind of physical science such as meteorology or geology. We also have a 

number of years experience doing avalanche control at ski areas, plus, all are accomplished mountaineers with many 

decades of accumulated mountain experience and several are veterans of mountaineering expeditions throughout the 

world including Nepal, South America and Alaska. Finally, we all stay in top physical condition so we can efficiently cover 

lots of terrain. 

Office:

The forecaster for the day wakes up around 3:00 am—earlier on storm days—and arrives at our office, co-located with 

the National Weather Service near the Salt Lake Airport, around 4:00 am. There's only one avalanche person in the 

office, so the pressure and time constraint is intense. 

First, the lead weather forecaster for the National Weather Service briefs us on the general weather setup and then it’s 

time to jump on the National Weather Service computers and give the weather an even more detailed look, so it can be 

adapted to specific mountain areas. Then, we check our answer machines, faxes and e-mails for field observations not 

only from our staff, but from a dedicated corps of volunteer observers, ski areas, helicopter skiing companies and highway control programs. Next, the forecaster has to face a blank computer screen and type up a detailed picture of snow 

stability and mountain weather and customize the advisory for five different zones in northern Utah. After the advisory 

goes out via e-mail and on the Internet, we begin recording the advisories into six different telephone systems, each located in a different local calling area for northern Utah and each one customized for a different area. Finally, we, do 

three live radio interviews. By 8:15 am, we’re done and we collapse with relief, take that bathroom break we've needed 

for the last couple hours and take a walk outside and watch the sun rise and hope that our information is accurate. An 

average of 800 people call the avalanche recording and four times that number get it over the Internet, and many thousands hear it on the radio. 

Then, just when many people are 

eating their breakfast, we eat lunch. 

After lunch—or is it breakfast—

there’s never a lack of telephone 

calls to answer, reports to write, 

spreadsheets and web sites to update, computer projects and media 

contacts. Finally, we issue the detailed mountain weather forecast by 

about noon, then head home by 

1:00 pm. 

Evelyn Lees gathering 

weather data. 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

9 

 

Season Highlights 

The 2004-05 season was unprecedented in modern Utah history with a record of eight avalanche fatalities in seven separate incidents. More avalanche fatalities reportedly occurred in Utah’s mining days in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s at 

Alta and Bingham Canyon. But this season smashed records since accurate records were kept starting in 1950. 

The 2004-05 season was so deadly because Utah experienced unusual weather patterns consisting of 3 weeks of clear 

weather that created weak layers followed by very large, very windy and very warm storms on a southerly flow. While 

most of the northern U.S. suffered under nearly no snow for most of the winter, very large storms blasted California, 

Utah and southern Colorado. Utah broke its 7-year drought in style with most mountain snowpacks ending up 150-400 

percent of normal, and winter storms kept pounding Utah through mid May. 

This season, we experienced a record-tying 158 reported, unintentional, human-triggered avalanches in the backcountry, 

69 people were caught, 19 were partially or completely buried, 13 were injured and 8 people died in avalanches. 

The Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center staff had a record number of 108 media contacts which include national and 

international television or print media interviews, and local television, radio and print interviews. 

Brett Kobernik is the newest and youngest member of the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center staff. We’re 

excited to welcome a new forecaster with a long term commitment toward avalanche forecasting and a genuine 

interest in snow science. He worked as snow safety and as a helicopter skiing guide in Valdez, Alaska, was a 

backcountry ski and snowboard guide for Utah Exum Mountain Adventures for 8 years and he has worked as a 

product tester and designer for Voile Equipment in Salt Lake City. He also worked as an Avalanche Instructor 

and Field Observer for the Friends of UAC since the mid 1990’s. In the field you’ll see him on a split board, and 

in the office he’s rapidly organizing our eternal clutter.

The National Weather Service introduced the Utah “Info 

Ex”. This is a web based information exchange between 

many snow safety organizations. Ski resort snow safety 

programs that participated include Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, Solitude, Park City, The Canyons, Deer Valley, Snowbasin and Sundance. Other snow safety programs that 

participated were the Utah Department of Transportation 

teams in Big Cottonwood, Little Cottonwood and Provo 

canyons, Wasatch Powderbird Guides, and of course the 

UAC. 

This season, we launched our Know Before You Go avalanche education program for young adults in Utah and it 

was a smashing success by all measures. The program consists of an action packed 15-minute DVD, followed by a 20-

minute PowerPoint talk, all presented by a local avalanche 

expert. Craig Gordon provided the lions share of the 

impetus, creative energy and work behind the program. 

The KBYG program reached a record number of 12,000 people in eighty-one talks. 

Use of Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center products continued to skyrocket this season with a record number 

of 1.7 million products downloaded from our web site. In addition, an we received an estimated 70,000 calls to 

the recorded avalanche advisory and thousands more who hear live interviews each morning on three different 

public radio stations. 

We launched our new web site this season, which was a vast improvement over the old web site. 

By all accounts it was a record setting season! 

A ski patroller stands next to a large crown face near 

Solitude. 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

10 

 

Access to UAC Products 

This season, we experienced an incredible 113 percent increase in the total access to UAC products over last season with a total of 1.8 million products directly distributed to the public. Each season, less and less people access 

the advisory via the telephone recordings while more and more people use the Internet. Experts now estimate 

that about 60 percent of the people who access the Internet have high speed access, so it stands to reason that 

they can download more products, especially larger-sized files such as photos. This season, hits on the photos 

outpaced hits on the advisory. Also, this season, we offered more products than ever before. 

We record telephone advisories for each of the local calling areas in northern Utah. The good news is that we 

don’t have to pay for telephone lines or multi-line announcers because each recording is hosted by various telephone systems located in universities, ski areas and Utah State Parks. The bad news is that we can no longer 

count the number of calls received. So we don’t have any good data on how the number of calls decreases as use 

of the Internet increases. Based on an extrapolation from when we could still count the calls, we estimate that the 

public calls the recorded hot lines around 70,000 times per season, but the numbers could be much lower than 

this. Regardless, the calls now represent a small percentage of the total public access to our products. 

We do not know, however, the demographics of the callers. We suspect they may represent the more hard core 

users. Also, our web based survey this year hinted that people tend to monitor the advisory on the Internet during the week when they were at work, but they called the advisory on the weekends. So, despite the low numbers, the recorded advisory is probably still an important source of avalanche information, especially for rural users 

and people on the go. Also, uncounted thousands of people listen to our live interviews each morning on the public radio stations. 

The Changing Face of the Media 

We realize that the UAC must evolve in response to the changing landscape of the media. For instance, a page of 

typed text works well for the telephone recording and radio, but a mixture of graphics and text works better on 

the Internet, newspapers and television. This season we added even more hotlinks to recent photos, accident 

reports or maps. It seems like everyone travels with a digital camera these days and they all seem more than willing to e-mail their photos of avalanches and avalanche phenomenon. We hot linked as many photos as time allowed on our advisory and posted many of the good ones on our photo list. 

This summer, we plan to completely reinvent our avalanche advisory and design it expressly for the Internet. We 

plan on adding graphics that show avalanche danger by aspect and elevation, expected future trend, avalanche 

probability and size and also, add icons that indicate various avalanche concerns. All this will be mixed with text in 

more bite-sized blocks. The avalanche phenomenon particularly lends itself to graphical displays and the Internet 

is perhaps the perfect medium to communicate avalanche information and to teach the public about how avalanches work. The possibilities are endless, but of course, the funding is not. Each year, we plan to budget a small 

amount of money to keep our products fresh, relevant and effective. 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

11 

 

Thank you to everyone who contributed to 

make the Utah Avalanche Center possible. 

The Forest Service Utah Avalanche Centers would not exist without support from a broad base of partners and 

the public. This brief thanks does not represent the value of what each of these entities contributes to our program. Many of these organization’s long term commitments have lead to the stability of the Forest Service Utah 

Avalanche Forecast Center and allowed us to expand our forecast area and pursue innovative communication 

and education programs. So however small this thanks is, we would like to acknowledge the following people 

and organizations. 

State of Utah Natural Resources Parks and Recreation Division for almost single handedly funding three 

avalanche programs - the Western Uintas, Manti Skyline and the Logan area mountains – to the tune of $82,000/

year. In addition, they generously supported the Know Before You Go education program with the loan of a 

power point projector and an additional $36,000, plus the printing of snowmobile specific avalanche brochures. 

The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center keeps our engine running, filling in numerous gaps in our funding, from staffing to observers, education projects and equipment, often raising and spending over $50,000/year. 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

12 

 

They coordinate innumerable fund raisers and function as a 501c3, smoothing the way for potential partners to 

work with us. A very special thanks to the volunteer board for all their hours of work and to the miracle worker 

Colleen Graham, chair. 

Black Diamond Equipment, the company that started it all, both on a local level and as a model nationwide 

for company partnership with avalanche forecast centers. It’s not just the $8000 they kick in each year, the hundreds of hours of staff time, or the hosting of the annual fund raising party, but also the way they bring the outdoor community together. 

The Byrne Family for their annual financial donation to the Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center. Put this one 

after BD, as that's what puts us over the top financially at that party. 

National Weather Service for their generous and long term in-kind support of office space and office supplies, not to mention the unlimited access to personalized mountain weather forecasts! 

Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort for hosting the wildly successful Know Before You Go fundraiser with 

The Friends, raising about $15,000, and for hosting Backcountry Avalanche Awareness week. 

Salt Lake County for their generous long term support of $20,000/year. 

State of Utah Division of Comprehensive Emergency Management, one of our oldest dependable partners, who contributes generous $25,000/year. 

Backcountry.com donated $5000, some of the original seed money to start the Know Before You Go program, plus annual donations of a portion of their sales. 

The Utah Snowmobile Association partnered with the International Snowmobile Association for a 

$4000 grant for the Know Before You Go Program and donated $1000 toward the Moffit Peak weather station. 

REI provided space for the Friends annual ski swap, rooms for avalanche awareness talks, and a $3000 grant for 

Know Before You Go. 

Uinta Brewing Company for a donation of $1200. 

Wasatch Backcountry Rescue donated a power point projector and a laptop to the Know Before You Go 

project. With help from Red Pine Rescue and The Canyons, they also bought and operated two avalanche 

training Rescue Training Centers, open to the public. 

Backcountry Access donated a complete Beacon Basin, an avalanche beacon training center that was installed 

at a snowmobile trailhead in the Uintas. Each year they also loan us avalanche safety equipment for teaching and 

demonstrations.

Thanks to our phone line partners: University of Utah, Brigham Young University, Weber State University, and Park City Ski Area, allowing us to use their dependable and high quality phone systems for avalanche forecasts. 

Deer Valley, Brighton and The Canyons who each donated $1000 to the Know Before You Go avalanche 

education program. 

Utah State University for use of their phone lines and for observers/ forecasters salary. 

Bear River Outdoor Recreational Alliance donated $250.00 towards the Moffit Peak weather station. 

And of course, all of our individual supporters who support the Friends of the UAC with their annual financial 

donations and their volunteer time, we couldn't do it without you. 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

13 

 

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1,400,000

1,600,000

1,800,000

2,000,000

Number of Times Accessed

19771978197919801981198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005

Year

Total Avalanche Product Access Statewide

Total Telephone Statewide Internet Advisory Hits E-mail Advisory Internet Weather Hits Other Web Products Photos
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

14 

 

Total Utah Avalanche Product Use 

2004-2005

( 1.8 Million Total Public Accesses of UAC Avalanche Products)

Total Telephone 

Statew ide

Internet Advisory Hits

E-mail Advisory

Internet Weather Hits

Photos

Other Web Products

Silver Fork., Photo: Mike Olson 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

15 

 

The “Know Before You Go” Program 

History: 

The program was born out of the need to target young adults who travel in avalanche terrain that, often times, 

have neither the proper safety equipment- avalanche beacons, shovels, and probes- nor much prior avalanche 

education. In many cases, just having basic avalanche awareness skills and being able to recognize obvious signs of 

snow instability can help save someone’s life. 

We aimed our sights at young adults in Utah for two reasons. First, it’s a critical target group to reach because 

more and more young people are going beyond the ski area boundaries in search of powder, steep terrain, and 

big air. Unlike years past when skiers flailed they’re way down backcountry slopes on skinny skis and flimsy 

leather boots, today’s gear is high-tech. Advances in equipment have made it possible for even novices with very 

little backcountry experience to quickly access avalanche prone terrain. Herein lays the problem. The gear has 

advanced, but peoples avalanche skills often times can’t keep up with the rapid improvements of technology. This 

phenomenon isn’t ski exclusive. If you look at snowboards, snowmobiles, and even snowshoes you can see advances in technology make it easier for people to excel on these snow tools at a rapid pace. This education program was designed to reach out to all user groups. 

The second need for a young adult program has become obvious by the escalating numbers of teens being killed 

in the backcountry by avalanches. While the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center (FSUAC) teaches dozens of 

free avalanche awareness classes to thousands of people each year, few teens attend these. In the past three 

years, five teen avalanche fatalities- in two separate events- may have been prevented with just some basic avalanche awareness skills. One tragic avalanche in particular occurred just after Christmas on December 26, 2003. 

Fourteen people were recreating in the runout of one of the largest avalanche paths in Utah, near Aspen Grove, 

after an intense snowstorm. Unfortunately, three young snowboarders were buried and killed by a massive avalanche. This avalanche gained both local and national media coverage. 

Shortly after this tragedy, Craig Gordon a forecaster with the FSUAC decided something needed to be done in 

terms of educating this age group. He proposed an idea to Bruce Tremper, director of the FSUAC, to develop a 

program specific to young adults in the state of Utah. The best way to accomplish this would be to go right to the 

source- junior highs, high schools, and colleges- and preach the avalanche gospel to the masses. Bruce agreed this 

was a great idea but, where would the funds come from, and who would undertake such a massive project? As 

with most federal agencies the FSUAC gets by on minimal funding and personnel. 

Convinced that this was a critical program, both Craig and Bruce worked on a business plan. It was decided early 

on, that the program would last for about an hour and to keep teens attention it needed to be fast paced and 

energetic. The presentation would be given in three parts. An avalanche professional would go to a school assembly and start off with a 15-minute, narrated video that would show avalanches, people triggering avalanches, and 

the destructive power of avalanches. Next, they’d tell a dynamic story about a close call they had and what 

they’ve learned over the years. The presenter would follow this up with a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation 

about avalanche basics. A question and answer session would wrap up the assembly. 

On paper and in theory this all sounded good, but several challenges lay ahead. How would we get into the 

school system, who will do all the leg work for avalanche footage and develop a video, and finally the age old 

question... where will the funding come from? With the backing from the Friends of the FSUAC, Bruce proposed 

they hire Craig as a contractor for the summer and he would be in charge of coordinating the program. Bruce 

would act as a technical advisor to the project. It was early June and now the clock was ticking to get this project 

off the ground. 

Partnerships and Funding: 

The Friends of the FSUAC had enough money to pay Craig Gordon through the summer and working under the 

auspices of the “Friends”, Craig had several ideas in mind when it came to funding. The cleanest way to get donations would be to approach the private sector and a friend at Backcountry.com was the perfect connection. Craig 

proposed the idea to Bob Merrill and Dustin Robertson of Backcountry.com. Both expressed interest and agreed 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

16 

 

this would be a great way to support avalanche education. In fact, they had already ear marked several thousand 

dollars for a project like this. They trusted the reputation of the FSUAC and thought we had the expertise to 

give this program the attention to detail it deserved. Backcountry.com came through and planted the seed money 

which got the project underway. Still, we were very under budgeted and getting funds to make this project become a reality was still the biggest hurdle. Little did Craig know this would pale in comparison to what waited 

down the road. Piece by piece though, donations started to come in as people began to hear about this exciting 

new project. 

 

R.E.I. who has been a partner with the FSUAC for many years, providing space for the annual ski swap fundraiser 

as well as sponsoring our free public avalanche awareness talks, were the next partner to come on board. 

 

Craig, who has taught several thousand snowmobilers about avalanches in Utah and has a great working relationship with the Utah Snowmobile Association (USA), approached the USA with his education idea. Bridging the gap 

between motorized and non-motorized users, the USA stepped up to the plate and applied for an education 

grant from the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association (ISMA). This organization represents the 

four major snowmobile manufacturers and has two grant cycles each year, in which they grant monies for certain 

projects, usually education or safety related. This was the first avalanche project of its kind to ever receive grant 

monies from this organization. This unto itself was a major breakthrough for the program because it showed the 

strong commitment the snowmobile community has to avalanche safety and the well developed partnership the 

FSUAC has with the USA. 

 

Finally, in the fall, Utah State Parks and Recreation came on board as a partner and donated more money than all 

the other partners combined! The relationship with State Parks and particularly Fred Hayes who is the OHV coordinator, goes back several years and has been a fruitful one for both parties. This donation was key to the longevity of the program and all the hard work that went into it. 

Program Development: 

All the time partners were being sought, Craig worked on opening the door to the school system. The only types 

of programs that had been welcomed by the Utah schools on a massive scale were those that taught drug, alcohol and tobacco avoidance. This was a different type of program for the school system and most everyone Craig 

spoke with wished him “good luck” in this arena. Obviously one of the biggest hurdles to overcome was how to 

get into the school system? First we needed to develop a program that was not only dynamic and entertaining to 

keep students attention, but also met enough school curriculum criteria that administrators would embrace it. 

Craig met with the Board of Education and while they agreed this was something needed in Utah schools, no one 

would go out on a limb to fully endorse this pilot program. So Craig wound up spending many an office day with 

a phone glued to his ear, making cold calls, trying to convince school principals this program was needed. A few 

principals saw the need and started booking talks, but mostly everyone was more interested in talking to us in 

the fall. 

 

The Video: 

Early in the planning days, Bruce thought the program needed a high energy video to captivate the audience and 

show them what avalanches look like when they’re moving and their destructive power. After all, most people 

have never even seen an avalanche and how can all that nice fluffy powder snow hurt anybody? The FSUAC didn’t 

have any footage, so going off a list of footage we knew was out there, Craig began making contacts. The phone 

was like an extra appendage on Craig’s head all summer. When he wasn’t talking to schools or potential sponsors, he was doing plenty of detective work, tracking down photographers with avalanche footage for the video. 

Next was the job of convincing the photographers to let us use their footage at no cost, for a project which had 

never been done before. Fortunately, both the reputation of the FSUAC as well as the need for a program like 

this superseded the desire for photographers to sell their footage to us. Nearly every piece of footage used was 

given for free to this project- with the understanding the video wouldn’t be available for resale. 

High quality avalanche footage isn’t an easy commodity to come by, but several photographers did send us their 

footage, though to begin with most of it was from helicopter avalanche control work. Spectacular avalanches to 

be sure, but what we needed were shots of skiers, boarders and snowmobilers triggering and getting caught in 

slides to illustrate our point. Craig made a contact with Dirk Collins from Teton Gravity Research Films (TGR) 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

17 

 

and the rest is history as they say. Dirk wanted to help out and his avalanche footage was the real deal. Plenty of 

skiers and borders getting caught in slides and this was just what we were looking for. Over time, more footage 

came in from Steve Kroschel, Steve Winter, and Richard Cheski. Craig also found some good rescue footage 

from KTVX News 4 Utah and KSTU Fox 13 News Utah, two local Salt Lake stations.

The most difficult avalanche footage to find was that of snowmobilers triggering or getting caught in slides, but 

through his channels, Craig learned where he could get some great shots. Jim Phelan sold us a spectacular clip of 

a snowmobiler triggering and trying to outrun a large slab avalanche, though eventually gets caught and buried. 

David Craig and Greg Painter also provided us with outstanding avalanche, action and “sick air” footage, helping 

to round out the piece. 

It was decided that John Plummer a film editor from Sun Valley Idaho, who already had some stock footage and 

worked on two other avalanche videos for the Forest Service National Avalanche Center, would edit the piece. 

When Craig had a suitcase full of footage, he headed to John’s studio and they started digitizing the footage. The 

first meeting was in the second week of July and shortly thereafter the first rough cut of the video appeared in 

SLC. It wasn’t quite what Bruce and Craig had envisioned, but it was just a rough cut after all. More footage was 

gathered and overtime, the piece started to come together. The video probably went through a half a dozen edits 

and Craig had focus groups of teens watch it for critique. As we started to get the content nailed down to the 

point where we were becoming proud of the product, we showed it to the first large and most critical audience. 

No, not teens, teachers, or school administrators... other avalanche professionals at this year’s International 

Snow Science Workshop. Talk about a tough audience! For Craig, it was like a premier night on Broadway. The 

film passed the sniff test and was well received. As a matter of fact, all our colleagues from other avalanche centers in the US and Canada wanted a copy! 

 

The video went back to the editing room for a few minor tweaks and now the clock was really ticking....it was 

mid September and schools were back in session. We got what we thought was going to be the final edit of the 

video done in the next few weeks. The “final edit” was shown to a group of avalanche professionals in mid October for one last critique. While the changes were minor, it did mean going to the edit room one more time. Also, 

during this time Craig began showing the video to school administrators and they seemed happy to embrace the 

program. 

Finally, by early November a finished product came through, which was good because word was getting around 

about this dynamic new program and the first official presentation was Nov.9th. 

Personnel, Presentations and Scheduling: 

The first year objective of the “Know Before You Go” program was to reach out to 5,000 students. Craig and 

Bruce realized to accomplish this goal there would need to be a team of presenters and it was determined early 

on that those giving the talks had to be avalanche professionals. We wanted to uphold a high standard with the 

people we choose to present the program in order to not only provide a quality product, but to also be able to 

handle tough questions. Snow safety isn’t rocket science, but you do need a number of years in the saddle in order to explain its intricacies. The Wasatch is full of numerous experienced snow professionals and many have a 

close working relationship sharing snow and avalanche observations with the FSUAC. These would be the people 

we’d ask to help us with the presentations and offer them a modest stipend for their efforts. All tolled, eleven 

snow professionals ranging from snow safety directors, to ski patrolman, and retired forecasters, including Craig 

would give the talks. The program was well represented with snow professionals from Ogden to Payson to Park 

City to Salt Lake City. Up north, ski patrol personnel from Snow Basin included Doug Wewer, Jeff Hirshi, JR 

Fletcher, and Aleph Johnson-Bloom. In the Salt Lake area Dean Cardinale, Dusty Sackett and Derek Nipkow from 

Snowbird as well as Gabe Garcia from Alta helped to cover a bulk of the talks. Tom Kimbough, a retired FSUAC 

forecaster also helped out on occasion. Darce Trotter who worked as snow safety and ski patrol director at Sundance for nearly two decades helped with presentations in both Provo and the Heber Valley areas. In Park City, it 

was a natural choice to have Jake Hutchinson help us out. He’s the snow safety and ski patrol director for The 

Canyons. 

 

Craig took care of booking almost all of the 79 presentations for the season and did 38 of the talks. Along with 

forecasting during a historic avalanche year and talking to other groups about avalanches, he was a busy guy! 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

18 

 

Media: 

The Know Before You Go program received a well deserved amount of media coverage through print, TV and 

radio. In October, the New York Times did an article in the travel section about backcountry skiing and Craig’s 

new program got its first national exposure. Shortly thereafter, CBS National News was contacting Craig, wanting to schedule an interview come winter. The innovative new program was getting known and this helped to 

further establish its credibility. 

 On the local level, over the years, Craig worked with the media outlets in regards to other avalanche awareness 

issues and developed a trusting relationship. He turned to them to help get the word out across the state. At the 

first school presentation, the cameras and reporters were there covering every move. 

February Fundraiser: 

 The Friends of the FSUAC under the direction of Colleen Graham, help support the avalanche center financially 

by holding two separate fall fundraisers. One of these events is a giant bash supported by Black Diamond Equipment and annually raises $30,000. The other, is a ski swap that REI helps to support by providing space at their 

33rd South location for free. This swap annually raises $9,000. These two fundraisers help the center out immensely, but last year, Roger Kerr, a ski instructor with Snowbird Ski Resort, approached the friends with some 

additional innovative fundraising ideas. He proposed holding a “black hat” fundraising dinner at Snowbird along 

with a silent auction, which would target a different demographic than the other events. The first year was a success with 60 people attending and proceeds went to help the avalanche center. This year though, it was decided 

that proceeds would support the “Know Before You Go” program. Both Roger and Colleen’s Herculean efforts 

made this year’s fundraiser an amazing success. Guest speakers included Apa Sherpa and Lhakpa Rita, who have 

summitted Mt. Everest fourteen and seven times respectively, Dick Bass, Governor Huntsman, and keynote 

speaker David Breashears who gave a riveting slide show about his Everest experiences. The support of the program was reflected by the sell out crowd of 400 people who, along with the media, attended. Nearly $15,000 was 

raised during this one night event. Due to popular demand, we’re looking at a much bigger venue for next year! 

Program distribution: 

 The program was designed to be 

shared with any avalanche center, state 

or government entity, or local avalanche educator who provides free 

avalanche awareness education to the 

public. 85 copies of the DVD and 

PowerPoint were sent across the US 

reaching out to thousands of people. 

The program was also adopted by the 

Canadian Avalanche Association, 

where several thousand people had 

seen the presentation so far. Late this 

spring the program went international 

with the French avalanche center requesting the video for their avalanche 

education efforts. 

Future Direction: 

 We would like to see the “Know 

Before You Go” program become a 

mainstay in the Utah school system and Craig will work with the Governors Office and Board of Education this 

summer to try to make this come to fruition. Craig would also like to develop a cool, interactive, state-of-the-art 

web site that students across the country could visit to hone their avalanches skills at home before venturing out 

on the snow. In the big scheme of things though, we would like to see the program become more available to a 

wider audience nationwide, especially in mountain communities. Of course additional funding is needed to accomplish these lofty goals and this is yet another project Craig will be working on over the summer. 

Craig Gordon talking to over 600 students about avalanches at Jordan High School. CBS News 

filmed this presentation for an ”Eye on America” national news segment. CBS News photo 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

19 

 

Wasatch Season Summary 

Weather, Snow, and Avalanche Incidents

The winter of 2004/2005 was an avalanche season of historic proportions. While most of the rest of the West 

had below average snowfalls, the upper Cottonwoods recorded over 700” of snow. A weak El Nino helped in 

part set up a pattern of storms moving through southern California, kicking strong, wet, and windy storms into 

Utah. This type of flow more or less evenly blanketed the mountains of northern Utah with even amounts, as 

the Provo and Ogden mountains kept pace with the usual breadwinners in the Cottonwoods. Twenty one 

storms of at least 12” were recorded over the season that effectively began on October 17th. By issuing our earliest ever avalanche statement three days later, the avalanche season was off and running. A Utah-record eight 

people were killed in the backcountry this year, doubling our annual average of four and smashing the old record 

of 6, set in 96/97 and 00/01. Backcountry recreationists unintentionally triggered 158 avalanches. In these, 69 

people were caught, 19 were fully or partially buried, and 13 sustained moderate or severe injuries. (These 

numbers include Uinta/Logan data) We issued thirteen Avalanche Warnings or Special Avalanche Statements over the course of a winter that left even the old timers scratching their heads. 

OCTOBER

After a few early storms in September and October that brought snow to the mountains, winter kicked into high 

gear on October 17th with measurable snow falling every day but one through Halloween. Alta ski area recorded 

a phenomenal 122” of snow over those two weeks with 14.85”of water. Much of the deluge came in warm on a 

southwesterly flow which evenly blanketed the northern mountains, but kept the snow levels around 8000’ and 

higher. We looked back to the old Atwater/LaChappelle records dating back to 1945 and confirmed that not 

only did we smash snow and water records for October, but did so in just two weeks! We went through a couple small natural cycles, but for the most part, instabilities settled out rather quickly. Also of note was a rime 

crust deposited on the 29th, which factored into a number of the slides around the turn of the month. 

NOVEMBER

If October went out like a lion, November came in like a lamb. Except that it stayed that way for most of the 

month. By comparison, snow and water totals at Alta were a paltry 59.5”/4.51”, leaving us feeling like we’d 

started the season in a sports car, only to run the second lap in a three cylinder Yugo. Clear skies and cooler 

temperatures kicked in the faceting process on the surface and provided the northern mountains with at least 

one and, in some areas, two layers of surface hoar. The faceting on the surface allowed the riding conditions to 

remain good for much of the month as we thanked our lucky stars for the prodigious early and dense snowfall 

that prevented depth hoar from forming at the base of the snowpack. A couple of back to back storms just after 

Thanksgiving added over 40” of snow on top of the weak surface snow and the party started. The danger quickly 

jumped to High, with numerous natural and human triggered slides occurring in the backcountry during this cycle. 

The instabilities remained persistent, as human triggered slides occurred every day into early December, ahead of 

the next blockbuster storm. 

DECEMBER

From December 7th-9th, an unusually warm, moist, 

and windy storm slammed the mountains of 

northern Utah with over 40” of snow and nearly 

7” of water weight. Accompanying winds were 

sustained at 25-45 mph out of the southwest and 

west, prompting our office to issue an Avalanche 

Warning on the 8th and keeping the danger at 

High or Considerable for the next several days. 

Not surprisingly, the heavy snow and strong 

winds made for perfect avalanche conditions, falling on the thinly buried November facets and 

surface hoar and our first major cycle of the year 

was under way. Unfortunately, the old aphorism 

about most avalanches occurring during the 

storm and most avalanche incidents occurring on 

Photo: Bill Farley 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

20 

 

the first few sunny days after the storm held true. Between December 10th and 11th, we recorded four fatalities 

in three separate incidents with two very near misses. On December 10th, a 24 year old skier triggered and was 

killed by a 1-3’ deep avalanche while traversing back to Twin Lakes pass. The next day, two snowshoers were 

killed in upper Mineral Fork of Big Cottonwood Canyon as a large avalanche engulfed them in the valley bottom. 

It was not known whether it was a spontaneous avalanche or whether they triggered the slide from below. Also 

on the same day, forty miles to the east in the Uinta Mountains, a snowmobiler triggered and died in a very large 

avalanche above Strawberry Reservoir, in a drainage called Trout Creek. In the Bountiful mountains, a snowmobiler filming his friend riding up a steep slope was buried in a large slide triggered by his friend. Buried for 20 

minutes and losing consciousness, he was extricated, resuscitated and survived with minor injuries. Backcountry 

recreationists continued to trigger avalanches until the 13th. Most of these were 1-4’ deep and a couple hundred 

feet wide, many were remotely triggered, with some taking out the previous run’s tracks. 

A day after Christmas, a strong southerly flow developed, literally shaking the Wasatch with sustained 30-40 mph 

winds along the ridgelines and even damaging most slopes at the mid-elevations, making the snow surface conditions complex with crusts and patches of weak faceted snow on the more protected shady slopes. Heavy snowfall began on the 29th and lasted through the 2nd, with snow and water totals of 68”/6.83”. Favored by this type of 

flow, the southern end of the Park City ridgeline took the brunt of the storm, and by the 30th, we had issued a 

Special Avalanche Advisory with a HIGH danger in the backcountry. A natural avalanche cycle was underway 

with the strong southerly winds with a few notable very close calls following into the New Year. 

JANUARY

The most notable incident occurred on the 1st in the Hell’s Canyon area, an 

out-of-bounds area adjacent to the Snowbasin ski area. A party of four entered 

this steep northerly facing slope, triggering a 1’ by 400’ wide avalanche, carrying 

three of them nearly 2000’ down the path. They made a large withdrawal from 

the karmic bank as none of the individuals were wearing transceivers and miraculously ended up only partially buried. One sustained a fractured femur and 

pelvis. Each extracted themselves from the debris only to straggle out of the 

way as another ski party triggered an even larger avalanche down upon them. 

In Park City, ski patrol teams were finally able to get up into the higher terrain 

and reported slides up to 12’ deep off the Jupiter ridgeline taking out trees in 

the runout zones. And as icing on the cake, dormant layers of faceted snow 

became reactive as three slides broke into old snow, with one lucky snowboarder escaping with only a knee injury after washing over some cliffs in the 

Brighton backcountry. Another monster, triggered remotely on the Park City 

ridgeline was 2-4’ deep and 300’ wide, taking out the entire bowl. 

After a few days to catch its breath, the next series of storms on a southwesterly flow pushed into northern Utah with storm totals of 47”/1.97” from the evening of the 3rd until the afternoon of the 6th. The snow fell right side up with storm densities an amazing 4-5%! Those out playing in the 

mountains said it was the best snow of the year. Again. Half-way through the cycle, a skier triggered a deep slab 

in Main Days and was carried nearly 1000’ down to the flats, apparently unscathed. This was only a portent for 

things to come with the next series of storms through the 12th. Between January 7th and the morning of the 12th, 

another wet heavy storm on a southerly track slammed the Wasatch with 52”/7.78”. Strong southerly and then 

westerly winds accompanied the onslaught and by the afternoon, of the 7th, the danger jumped back to HIGH. 

Two days later, a snowmobiler and snowboarder died in separate incidents on the Wasatch Plateau not 20 miles 

apart within an hour of each other. By the morning of the 10th, the Provo Mountains shed much of their winter 

coat during a widespread natural avalanche cycle. With control work Slide Canyon crossed the Provo Canyon 

road three times, Bridal Veil naturalled into and then dammed the river, and three class five avalanches ripped out 

off of Elk Point, running over 4000’, taking out mature timber and obscuring the lower part of the alpine loop 

road. Things were only beginning. Between the 11th and the 16th, natural, human and explosive triggered avalanches pulled out avalanches down to the faceted snow from November up to 10’ deep, with some running half 

a mile. Finally, with good weather 13th, one could see the aftermath and carnage from one of the most dramatic 

cycles in years from Provo to Logan. 100 year old trees were taken out, new avalanche paths were created, and 

even the old timers were left scratching their heads. Control work pulled out 4-7’ deep avalanches in heavily 

Large crowns like this one in West 

Monitor were the norm for 05-06 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

21 

 

compacted terrain, with one naturalling down to the same faceted layer overnight at one of the ski areas. On the 

bluebird afternoon of the 14th, a tragedy occurred in Dutch Draw that made national news. In a backcountry 

area adjacent to the Canyons resort, a skier triggered a 6-8’ deep avalanche 700’ wide that consumed him and an 

unknown number of 

others on the slope 

and down below. 

Witness reports conflicted, but some insisted they saw several 

others on the slope. 

Search and rescue 

efforts continued for 

another couple days 

until the sheriff’s department determined 

that no other bodies 

were believed to be 

buried in the slide. 

High pressure built for 

the remainder of the 

month as the dreaded 

January inversion 

capped the valleys 

with smog while the 

bluebird sang the approach of our second 

corn cycle of the year. 

FEBRUARY 

While high pressure slowly closed the chapter on the last series of avalanches, it also started the screenplay for 

the next. On the 5th, surface hoar blanketed the already weak recrystallized snow from the last snows in January. 

In many areas, these few inches of snow sat on old slick bed surfaces from the January cycle, and now we were 

just waiting for the next storm. Over the 6th and 7th, 24”/1.26” provided the slab and we were back in the game. 

It snowed nearly every day between the 11th and the 20th, with the storms saving the best for last.. It was enough 

to tip the balance, and our next natural cycle was underway, with 2-4’ crowns, some up to 2000’ wide littering 

primarily the north and east facing slopes. Remotely triggered slides were de rigueur with the newly buried persistent weak layers, with some notable close calls. For the month, backcountry travelers unintentionally triggered a total of 32 slides, two of which were captured on video by upstart backcountry ski film production companies. The most noteworthy footage showed a skier triggering a wind pocket in his first turn off the summit of 

Mt. Superior in Little Cottonwood Canyon. He was caught and carried for over 2000’, and remarkably survived 

with non-critical injuries. High pressure again set in from the 21st on, leaving us snow totals 79”/6.88” for the 

month. 

MARCH 

High pressure pushed on into the first two weeks of March, allowing folks to knock out those long desired supertours and technical descents. Finally after about three weeks of good weather, the ridge was replaced by a moist 

westerly flow that kept the faucet on through early April. The third week brought some teaser storms of 10” 

and 5” until it started snowing in earnest, snowing nearly every day until the turn of the month. An early dry and 

soporific March ended with 180”/13.5”. At least 10 people were caught in backcountry slides, with some very 

close calls. On the 31st, the first beautiful day after the onslaught, a 27 year old snowmobiler was killed in an avalanche he triggered in the Monte Cristo area in the Ogden Mountains. Investigation found that he had triggered a 

4’ deep by 550’ wide avalanche on the faceted snow from March. His death brought our total of fatalities for the 

year to eight. 

Bruce Tremper investigating yet another huge avalanche. 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

22 

 

APRIL 

Around the turn of the month, an unsettled southwesterly flow set up over northern Utah that alternated periods of wet and dry avalanches. The strong spring sun and warming temperatures immediately provided the impetus for wet point release and wet slabs on the usual sunny aspects, as well as some of the northeast and northwesterly aspects. By mid-April, backcountry skiers began triggering corn slab avalanches, avalanches on a stillsupportable frozen layer, usually 8-16” deep and up to 150’ wide onto unconsolidated wet grains. Most were on 

southeast facing slopes between 9000’ and 10,000’. April’s snow and water was 76.5”/6.68” and the inevitable 

spring warm up was pushed off into May. 

MAY 

True to form, the season refused to die and we kept getting regular snow storms through the first two 

weeks of May. We had to look back in the records to 1983 to find a deeper snowpack for so late in the 

season. At least five human triggered avalanches occurred in May with several close calls. A strong warm 

up finally came in mid May and although we had finished our avalanche advisories at the end of April, we 

issued a press release for wet avalanches, which occurred in abundance over a busy weekend. Luckily, we 

didn’t hear about any incidents. Then, after more cooling and snow, we had another strong warm up in the 

third week of May with several large, wet slabs reported. We issued our final news release of the season 

on May 24th, by far, the latest we have ever issued any avalanche information. As of this writing on June 1st, 

the wet avalanches have finally settled out and we hope that this is an end to the longest season we have 

ever known, the most avalanche fatalities and the greatest number of unintentionally triggered avalanches in 

the backcountry. We’re ready for a rest. 

Large crown in Silver Fork...more of the norm. 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

23 

 

S e a s o n N o ve m b e r D e c e m b e r J a n u a ry Fe b ru a r y M a r c h A p r il T o ta l

1 9 4 4 -4 5 --- 5 7 .0 1 9 .5 6 7 .0 --- 5 7 .0

1 9 4 5 -4 6 1 0 9 .0 8 3 .0 8 4 .5 5 0 .0 6 9 .0 5 5 .5 4 5 1 .0

1 9 4 6 -4 7 6 9 .0 6 3 .0 6 1 .0 5 3 .0 6 8 .0 6 0 .0 3 7 4 .0

1 9 4 7 -4 8 1 1 8 .0 8 0 .0 4 6 .0 6 6 .0 1 6 5 .0 7 4 .0 5 4 9 .0

1 9 4 8 -4 9 7 1 .0 1 6 0 .0 1 3 2 .0 5 8 .0 9 7 .0 5 .0 5 2 3 .0

1 9 4 9 -5 0 3 9 .0 1 3 7 .0 1 3 3 .0 3 4 .0 1 0 9 .0 2 5 .0 4 7 7 .0

1 9 5 0 -5 1 6 0 .0 6 6 .0 1 1 2 .0 5 8 .0 5 3 .0 0 .0 3 4 9 .0

1 9 5 1 -5 2 6 7 .0 1 5 6 1 1 5 .0 1 0 5 .0 1 6 3 .0 3 5 .0 6 4 1 .0

1 9 5 2 -5 3 4 4 .0 6 5 .0 1 1 2 .0 4 0 .0 9 3 .0 5 7 .0 4 1 1 .0

1 9 5 3 -5 4 5 0 .0 1 0 7 .0 5 4 .0 5 7 .0 1 0 1 .0 1 4 .0 3 8 3 .0

1 9 5 4 -5 5 3 7 .0 5 3 .0 1 3 4 .0 1 2 9 .0 6 0 .0 5 9 .0 4 7 2 .0

1 9 5 5 -5 6 8 6 .0 1 1 2 .0 1 0 3 .0 7 2 .0 3 3 .0 5 4 .0 4 6 0 .0

1 9 5 6 -5 7 3 6 .0 5 0 .0 8 6 .0 4 1 .0 9 7 .0 7 6 .0 3 8 6 .0

1 9 5 7 -5 8 7 4 .0 7 9 .5 8 3 .5 1 3 1 .5 8 0 .0 1 1 1 .0 5 5 9 .5

1 9 5 8 -5 9 3 8 .0 4 7 .5 8 1 .0 1 0 7 .0 8 4 .5 2 8 .0 3 8 6 .0

1 9 5 9 -6 0 2 2 .0 3 9 .5 5 9 .0 1 5 5 .0 9 2 .0 2 8 .0 3 9 5 .5

1 9 6 0 -6 1 7 5 .0 4 0 .0 1 .0 6 2 .0 1 1 3 .0 3 5 .0 3 2 6 .0

1 9 6 1 -6 2 4 6 .0 8 2 .5 8 6 .0 1 1 0 .0 3 5 .0 4 2 .0 4 0 1 .5

1 9 6 2 -6 3 3 1 .0 1 7 .0 8 5 .0 3 9 .0 9 3 .0 1 3 6 .0 4 0 1 .0

1 9 6 3 -6 4 5 5 .0 5 3 .0 1 0 8 .0 6 8 .0 1 8 3 .0 9 9 .0 5 6 6 .0

1 9 6 4 -6 5 9 5 .0 1 4 1 .0 1 5 0 .0 6 6 .0 4 4 .0 7 7 .0 5 7 3 .0

1 9 6 5 -6 6 6 9 .0 6 9 .0 7 3 .0 1 0 3 .0 7 0 .0 4 9 .0 4 3 3 .0

1 9 6 6 -6 7 5 3 .0 8 4 .0 1 6 8 .0 7 2 .0 6 1 .0 1 0 6 .0 5 4 4 .0

1 9 6 7 -6 8 2 2 .0 1 3 1 .0 3 9 .0 8 4 .0 7 0 .0 1 3 3 .5 4 7 9 .5

1 9 6 8 -6 9 8 7 .5 1 3 2 .6 1 1 3 .0 1 4 8 .0 3 5 .0 5 0 .0 5 6 6 .1

1 9 6 9 -7 0 5 6 .0 7 0 .0 1 0 3 .5 6 0 .5 7 9 .0 9 0 .0 4 5 9 .0

1 9 7 0 -7 1 7 9 .0 1 4 2 .0 5 8 .0 7 3 .5 8 7 .0 4 2 .0 4 8 1 .5

1 9 7 1 -7 2 6 4 .5 1 5 9 .0 9 4 .5 4 5 .0 4 7 .0 5 6 .6 4 6 6 .6

1 9 7 2 -7 3 ---- 1 2 2 .0 6 4 .5 7 7 .0 1 2 4 .0 1 0 9 .0 4 9 6 .5

1 9 7 3 -7 4 9 0 .9 1 2 8 .2 1 0 4 .5 9 1 .0 4 5 .0 1 3 6 .0 5 9 5 .6

1 9 7 4 -7 5 2 5 .5 1 4 6 .5 1 0 4 .0 8 8 .0 1 5 1 .0 9 0 .0 6 0 5 .0

1 9 7 5 -7 6 9 4 .0 6 7 .0 7 4 .5 6 9 .0 9 3 .0 4 2 .0 4 3 9 .5

1 9 7 6 -7 7 1 3 .5 1 7 .0 5 0 .5 7 3 .5 1 2 9 .0 3 1 .0 3 1 4 .5

1 9 7 7 -7 8 5 3 .0 1 0 6 .5 9 9 .5 9 2 .5 8 5 .0 8 8 .0 5 2 4 .5

1 9 7 8 -7 9 6 2 .5 9 6 .0 7 8 .5 8 6 .0 7 1 .0 9 4 .0 5 8 8 .0

1 9 7 9 -8 0 7 9 .5 2 7 .0 1 4 3 .0 1 1 2 .5 1 2 3 .0 2 9 .0 5 1 4 .0

1 9 8 0 -8 1 4 0 .0 3 4 .0 7 3 .0 8 2 .0 1 1 0 .0 5 2 .0 3 9 1 .0

1 9 8 1 -8 2 4 7 .0 1 8 4 .0 1 4 3 .0 8 5 .0 1 6 4 .0 7 3 .0 6 9 6 .0

1 9 8 2 -8 3 6 6 .0 1 6 5 .0 7 5 .5 6 8 .0 1 5 0 .0 1 1 2 .5 6 3 7 .0

1 9 8 3 -8 4 1 4 3 .5 2 4 4 .5 4 2 .0 1 0 4 .0 8 5 .0 1 2 4 .5 7 4 3 .5

1 9 8 4 -8 5 1 1 2 .5 1 0 5 .0 4 4 .0 6 1 .5 9 9 .5 3 4 .5 4 5 7 .0

1 9 8 5 -8 6 1 3 2 .0 6 2 .0 5 6 .0 1 1 2 .7 1 0 0 .0 1 3 5 .7 5 9 9 .0

1 9 8 6 -8 7 7 3 .0 1 2 .3 9 6 .0 7 3 .0 1 0 4 .0 2 3 .5 3 8 1 .8

1 9 8 7 -8 8 3 0 .0 9 1 .0 1 0 5 .1 3 9 .7 5 1 1 5 .5 2 9 .0 4 1 0 .3

1 9 8 8 -8 9 1 7 2 .5 1 2 4 .5 7 0 .7 5 9 7 .5 6 4 .7 5 5 2 .0 5 8 1 .5

1 9 8 9 -9 0 7 6 .0 4 9 .0 1 0 7 .5 1 0 0 .5 8 4 .0 3 1 .0 4 4 8 .0

1 9 9 0 -9 1 1 0 9 .5 9 1 .0 8 2 .8 4 9 .7 1 1 0 .9 1 3 6 .3 5 8 0 .2

1 9 9 1 -9 2 1 3 3 .4 5 7 .2 4 1 .8 8 5 5 0 .1 2 7 .5 3 9 5 .0

1 9 9 2 -9 3 1 1 8 .8 1 1 9 .2 1 6 5 .3 1 0 2 .9 6 3 .0 8 1 .2 6 5 0 .4

1 9 9 3 -9 4 4 0 .7 6 4 .8 5 1 2 2 .7 1 3 4 .0 5 4 7 .2 8 0 .8 4 9 0 .3

1 9 9 4 -9 5 2 0 5 .9 7 3 .8 1 9 9 .7 5 6 .3 1 2 8 .9 8 0 .7 7 4 5 .4

1 9 9 5 -9 6 5 7 5 3 1 8 7 1 0 4 8 2 7 9 5 6 2

1 9 9 6 -9 7 7 8 .3 1 6 4 .8 1 4 1 .5 9 1 5 3 .8 6 9 .7 5 9 9 .1

1 9 9 7 -9 8 4 6 .3 8 1 .8 1 2 8 .9 1 5 6 .6 9 2 .3 6 9 5 7 4 .9

1 9 9 8 -9 9 7 6 .5 4 3 .1 1 0 5 .3 9 8 4 6 .5 8 9 4 5 8 .4

1 9 9 9 -0 0 3 0 .0 9 7 .0 1 0 0 .0 1 1 9 .5 8 4 .0 1 5 .5 4 4 6 .0

2 0 0 0 -0 1 8 8 .0 7 1 .0 6 6 .2 7 9 .5 5 3 .0 1 1 2 .0 4 6 9 .7

2 0 0 1 -0 2 1 3 7 8 6 .1 1 0 0 .9 5 3 .4 1 4 2 .2 4 8 .1 5 6 7 .7

2 0 0 2 -0 3 4 2 7 8 .7 2 6 8 4 .1 9 3 .8 7 4 .8 3 9 9 .4

2 0 0 3 -0 4 1 1 0 1 5 1 7 4 .3 1 3 0 6 2 43.5 5 7 0 .8

2 0 0 4 -0 5 6 2 .7 8 6 .4 1 1 3 .5 7 7 .9 1 5 3 .6 5 9 .5 5 5 3 .6

P e rc e n t Ave ra g e 1 5 1 1 6 4 7 9 1 5 5 6 9 6 5 .9 5 3 1 3

A ve r a g e 7 3 .1 9 2 .1 9 4 .1 8 3 .8 8 9 .6 6 6 .0 4 9 9 .1

M a x im u m 2 0 5 .9 2 4 4 .5 1 9 9 .7 1 5 6 .6 1 8 3 1 3 6 .3 7 4 5 .4

Ye a r of M a x 9 4 8 3 9 5 9 7 6 4 9 1 9 5

S n o w fa ll a t A lta 1 9 4 5 - P re s e n t
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

24 

 

Alta Guard Seasonal Snow Totals (Nov 1 through April 30)

300.0

400.0

500.0

600.0

700.0

800.0

1945-461946-471947-481948-491949-501950-511951-521952-531953-541954-551955-561956-571957-581958-591959-601960-611961-621962-631963-641964-651965-661966-671967-681968-691969-701970-711971-721972-731973-741974-751975-761976-771977-781978-791979-801980-811981-821982-831983-841984-851985-861986-871987-881988-891989-901990-911991-921992-931993-941994-951995-961996-971997-981998-991999-002000-012001-022001-032003-042004-05

Aver age

“It was a dark and stormy day”... a typical winter’s day during the atypical Wasatch winter of 2004-05. 

Bruce Tremper photo 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

25 

 

Uinta Mountains Season Summary: by Craig Gordon 

The western Uinta Mountains tend to get less snow, more wind, and generally have colder temperatures than the 

neighboring Wasatch. Historically, we see a weaker, shallow and usually more dangerous snowpack. This seems 

to be the general trend for the region, but we’re only scratching the surface with a mere three years of actual 

snow and avalanche data. 

October 

This season though, was more like what the old timers called a “real winter”. Even at lower elevation trailheads 

there was finally a deep snowpack. Like much of northern Utah, winter was off to a jump start in the middle of 

October and for two weeks it snowed nearly every day. The dense heavy snow plastered everything in sight, gluing itself onto steep slopes and rock bands that usually aren’t covered until very late in the season. It was an unusual start to what would be an unusual season. The first, albeit minor, avalanche cycle occurred during the third 

week of October. 

November 

November started off disappointingly dry and it didn’t take long for the faceting process to take place. While 

good skiing and riding on weak, recycled powder kept the conditions fun, we knew once it started snowing again 

these weak facets would come back to haunt us. After a quiet start, the month went out with a bang. The day 

after Thanksgiving, close to 2’ of new snow with strong winds slammed into the range and a widespread, yet shallow avalanche cycle followed. The old facets were tender, but the load wasn’t quite there yet. 

December 

Winter returned with a vengeance on Dec. 7th when a very warm and moist system made its way into the state, 

prompting me to issue the first special avalanche advisory for the region. High density snows fell and winds 

averaged in the 40’s. The avalanche danger skyrocketed. Now we had the perfect recipe for avalanches... a cohesive slab, a weak layer and a bed surface. On the 8th I issued an avalanche warning for the area. While there 

was a widespread, pockety avalanche cycle, it seemed the snowpack needed a little more of a thump to make it 

react. Unfortunately, the intoxicating combination of clear skies and several feet of new snow, led to the first 

avalanche fatality in the Uinta Mountains on Dec.11, the second in the state in just two days. We also learned 

that two snowshoers were also killed in an avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon later that day. 

 

The Uinta fatality wasn’t that unusual in nature. Two very experienced snowmobilers were riding in the Trout 

Creek drainage, an area they had ridden for years. They got to the bottom of a steep slope and one of the riders 

started climbing while the other waited at the bottom. The first rider only got about a quarter of the 

way up the slope when he got stuck in the very 

deep snow on a slope measuring nearly 40 degrees 

in steepness. He got off his machine and started 

digging it out while his friend started climbing an 

adjacent slope to the west. The second riders plan 

was to get high enough on the slope to ride down 

on top of his partner and help dig him out. As rider 

number two approached a bench on the slope he 

was ascending, he could see the large slab fracture 

on the slope his stuck buddy was on. He circled 

back to the bottom of the slope to find the whole 

hill had avalanched and there was no sign of his 

friend. The buried rider did have a beacon and 

shovel; however the second rider had no rescue 

gear. With no surface clues in sight, rider #2 rode 

up to a ridge where he knew his cell phone would 

work and called 911. He also flagged down a group of three riders and they followed him back to site to assist in 

the rescue. This group though had no rescue gear and proceeded probing in likely burial spots with tree 

branches. Rider #2 then rode up to another adjacent ridge and flagged down two riders who had beacons, shovTrout Creek fatality site 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

26 

 

els and probes and they returned to the avalanche site. Within roughly seven minutes they located the buried 

victim using their transceivers and began digging him out. He was buried about 4’ deep, face up, and as they extricated him, local search and rescue personnel began arriving and assisted as well. The victim wasn’t breathing and 

CPR was performed at the scene. A medical helicopter landed nearby and he was flown to a local hospital, but 

unfortunately died as a result of the avalanche. 

 

The avalanche was a “pencil hard” slab averaging 4’ in depth. The slide was well over a 1⁄4 mile wide, running 

about 600 vertical feet. The weak layer was the facets formed during the November dry spell. It was a very large 

human triggered avalanche. There were at least eight natural avalanches that occurred within a mile of the accident. The avalanche danger was rated as CONSIDERABLE that day with “deadly consequences”. In addition, in 

the morning’s advisory there was a special mention to rising temperatures which could result in a natural avalanche cycle. Regrettably neither rider checked the avalanche advisory. 

 

The middle of December was lackluster in terms of snowfall. Also, unusually warm temperatures helped the 

snowpack to strengthen and virtually ruined all the good powder. The day after Christmas a vigorous southerly 

flow over the region brought in strong winds, heavy snow and another avalanche cycle. 

January 

Ushering in the New Year was yet another avalanche warning. Four feet of snow had fallen in the matter of 

just a few days and wind drifts were up to eight feet deep! The region went through a large avalanche cycle, but 

fortunately it was a wallow-fest and the snow was too deep for anyone to get onto steep slopes. This was a big, 

tree snapping avalanche cycle, but paled in comparison to what we would see in the coming weeks. After a short 

breather, the reset button was punched and winter roared back to life. Hurricane force winds began raging on 

the 7th and another avalanche warning went into effect. In fact, several more avalanche warnings and special avalanche statements went out. These were issued even on days where a regularly scheduled advisory 

wasn’t planned in order to relate the seriousness of the avalanche danger to the public, as a two week long southwest flow slammed into the 

range. Winds raged for thirteen out of fourteen days. Hourly averages 

were in the 30’s and 40’s with gusts in the 80’s and 90’s. In addition it 

snowed nearly a foot each day and densities were twice what we normally see here in Utah. Once again we had the right recipe for slab avalanches but this was different than the other avalanche cycles. Not 

many people were out during this historic event, but those that were 

getting on the snow returned with amazing tales of tremendous avalanches in places that hadn’t run in 75-100 years! Crowns were anywhere from 5’-15’ deep, but more remarkable were how wide and long 

running these slides were. Avalanches were occurring in unusual places, 

on lower angle slopes than anyone had seen slide before, and the timber damage was quite impressive. Surprisingly though, was the lack of 

human triggered avalanches and two factors may have contributed to 

this. First, the local media did a great job each night by airing the avalanche danger during the weather segment of the news. Snow and avalanches were a big story each evening. Secondly, the snow was just too 

deep to get anywhere. In the western Uintas, Utah State Parks grooms 

nearly 200 miles of trails. Early in the storm though, the State’s snowcat 

broke down and with no groomed trails- only a handful of very experienced riders could get anywhere. The groomer did get up and running late in the storm when it seemed the 

natural avalanche cycle was starting to wane. However, on the afternoon of Jan.13th a natural slide in a very unusual place, dumped timber and debris on a freshly groomed swath, less than five minutes after the operator had 

passed by. He turned around for his second pass and was blown away by what he saw. These avalanches weren’t 

just tree snappers- they ripped the trees out by the roots! Luck was on our side through this avalanche cycle and 

the month ended without incident. 

February 

February began quietly as high pressure took control and weak surface facets developed. The weather was fairly 

Ray Santa Maria under a large crown. 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

27 

 

benign until the second week brought in an unusual storm for the western Uintas- about 18” of snow and no

wind. What a treat! Of course this was all about to change as the winds picked up on the 11th and slabs were 

forming at an alarming rate, leading to several human triggered avalanches. The weak facets formed during the 

beginning of the month were now buried. Towards the end of the month, at upper elevations, this turned out to 

be a tricky layer resulting in several surprises, a number of rides and close calls, but fortunately no injuries. 

March 

March started off dry, forming yet another round of surface facets, but winter returned on the third week of the 

month as a series of Pacific storms moved into the region. Like the rest of the winter, it seemed as though we 

would clear out for about a month or so then it would storm for close to two weeks at a time. March would be 

no different. In just ten days over six feet of snow would fall. With strong sunshine overhead and warming temperatures, instabilities settled out quickly and the month ended on a quiet note. 

 

April 

April brought a rapid decline in traffic, which was really too bad considering how much snow we had received 

and how filled in everything was. It’s amazing to me that people will ride and ski on stumps and rocks in November, but come April when the coverage is the best it’s been in years, the interest goes out the window. Our last 

advisory was issued on April 17th, followed by a year end information update.

Beacon Basin 

This season brought yet another new partnership to the western Uinta avalanche program 

when Back Country Access (BCA) came on 

board and offered up the first ever, permanent 

avalanche beacon training facility exclusively for 

snowmobilers. We were overwhelmed by the 

generous offer, but had to first decide where 

to install it, so the facility would get the biggest 

bang for its buck. 

 

The site had to be in a high traffic area, visible, 

and easy to access. Working with the Heber 

Ranger District, Craig decided to install 

“Beacon Basin” at the Nobletts trailhead which 

is located about 14 miles east of the town of 

Francis. The parking at this trailhead is free and 

on a sunny weekend with fresh snow, vehicles not only pack the parking lot, they also string for a mile or so 

down the shoulder of the highway. On a busy weekend day it’s not unusual for there to be close to 200 

rigs, equating to 400-600 sledders parking at this trailhead. 

Bruce Edgerly and Jim Conway from BCA were key players. Bruce provided “Beacon Basin” and Jim put in 

countless hours fidgeting with the electronics and assisting in the installation. Several members from The 

USA supported the project by donating their time and back muscles to bury the locators. 

From the first weekend, riders walked to the fenced in area and began practicing with their beacons. On 

busy days, 20-30 riders would visit the area either before or after their rides, and the facility was well received. In addition, it provided a great training site when Craig was teaching on snow avalanche awareness 

clinics. Beacon Basin was utilized by a wide variety of people including private groups, snowmobile clubs, and 

state and federal agencies. 

A local rider tests her avalanche beacon skills at Beacon Basin. 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

28 

 

Logan Mountains Season Summary: by Toby Weed 

October 

It was a good snow year in the Logan Area Mountains, and the season started early. Snow started flying in mid 

October, and we began issuing avalanche advisories a week before Halloween. Thankfully, temperatures were 

fairly warm during this period, and the early snow was pretty dense. A supportable base allowed droves of grinning and powder-struck winter sports enthusiasts to get an early start on winter in the regional backcountry. 

November 

By the first of November, over three feet of snow blanketed the higher elevations of the Bear River Mountains. 

The 8300’ Snotel site at Tony Grove recorded 39 inches of total snow containing 7.4 inches of water. The first 

week of November brought warmer temperatures and some rain to the upper elevations. On the 8th, saturated 

soil conditions led to a significant rockfall-triggered wet avalanche on the west side of the popular Tony Grove 

Lake. A period of high pressure mid-month caused the development of an upper level weak layer consisting of 

well-developed surface hoar or frost and sugary near-surface facets. Once buried and preserved intact, these 

layers would become persistent weak layers responsible for numerous avalanches in the region. On Thanksgiving, snow began to fall again in earnest and strong westerly winds began to blow. The second storm of the holiday weekend hit on November 27th, and a backcountry skier triggered, but was not caught in, a wind slab avalanche above the town of Providence. 

December 

On the first of December, the total snow sensor at Tony Grove Lake 

regained the three foot mark, reading 36 inches with 9.5 inches of 

water contained in the snowpack. The Friends of the UAC-Logan 

hosted a fundraising dinner party on December 4th. Over a hundred 

people attended the dinner and enjoyed fantastic Indian food, local 

musicians, good conversation and a plethora of raffle prizes donated 

by local businesses. Local volunteers worked hard to make the 

memorable event a huge success, bringing the backcountry community together and raising over three thousand dollars for the UACLogan. A mild and windy southwesterly weather flow fed by copious 

Southern Pacific moisture, which would become a familiar pattern 

this season, developed during early December. On December 8th, 

the Utah Avalanche Center issued an Avalanche Warning for the 

region and a HIGH avalanche danger existed in the Logan area backcountry, with widespread natural avalanching overnight. The danger 

remained HIGH on the 9th and we continued the Avalanche Warning. 

In a lucky near-miss, a snowmobiler triggered and was tumbled off his 

sled by a medium sized avalanche on the east face of Logan Peak. 

With fine weather in the forecast and a CONSIDERABLE danger in 

the backcountry, the stage was set for what would prove to be a 

deadly weekend in the Utah backcountry, with four avalanche fatalities. In the Logan Area on December 11th, snowmobilers triggered 

and barely escaped large hard slab avalanches in both the Logan Peak and Tony Grove Areas. In a very lucky 

case, two riders in a group of three triggered a large hard slab in the middle of an already heavily tracked bowl 

called Cornice Ridge. They managed to escape off the northern flank of the 500’ wide and 6’ deep avalanche into 

the middle of the bowl. The third rider, watching from below, somehow fired up his sled and rode to safety. The 

weather cleared in mid December under an extended high pressure system, and crusts and weak layers again 

formed near the snow surface. The Christmas holiday heralded another moist Pacific weather pattern, and an 

extended stormy period began in the region. 

January 

The Snotel site at Tony Grove recorded 72 inches of total snow containing 17.7 inches of water on the first of 

January 2005. The mountains of Northern Utah received significant snowfall on an almost nightly basis, with clasLocation: Dry Canyon
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

29 

 

sic Utah super-light deep powder snow conditions. Southwesterly winds picked up for the weekend and became 

strong by January 8th, and snowfall became intense. Two more people triggered and died in avalanches in the 

Central Utah backcountry. In the Logan Area, explosive and extremely fast-moving natural powder avalanches 

blasted out of the funneling gullies below the eastern slopes of the Wellsville Mountains overnight, leveling many 

acres of big-tooth maple, mountain ash and aspen forest. Very high winds blasted the high country and heavy 

snowfall continued through Monday the 10th. In the 48 hours the Tony Grove site picked up 4.2 inches of water. 

Heavy snowfall and strong winds continued through the evening of the 11th, and Logan City was buried by inversion intensifying snow that would stay on the ground through most of March. Horrendous weather and obvious 

avalanche danger kept most people away from avalanche terrain--me included, and frustratingly, there was no way 

to verify my HIGH danger forecast. At some point late on January 11th, for only a short time period, the avalanche danger in the region actually became EXTREME in the Logan area backcountry. A very widespread and 

destructive natural hard-slab avalanche cycle occurred throughout the region. The monstrous slabs were releasing on the December and November weak layers and some stepped down to faceted snow near the ground. As 

clouds cleared on the morning of the 12th the extent of the devastation became apparent, impressing even the 

oldest backcountry travelers in the region with 1⁄2 mile-wide crowns towering over head-height and hundreds of 

full-grown trees turned to match-sticks in avalanche paths that have not run for years. The avalanche danger in 

the backcountry lingered at CONSIDERABLE for some time, and Utah’s seventh avalanche death occurred near 

Park City on January 14th. In the Logan Area, we spent much of the rest of January, mostly under a high pressure 

system, cleaning out our pants while examining and photographing the widespread destruction across the region. 

February 

By the first of February, the total snow on the stake at Tony Grove had settled out to 76 inches containing 26.7 

inches of water. After a solid month with little recorded avalanche activity, westerly winds picked up in the 

mountains, and February turned out to be a month with numerous close-calls in the Logan area backcountry. On 

February 11th a backcountry skier intentionally triggered a small hard-slab avalanche on Millville Peak, which ran 

farther then expected. During the next couple days, another closed low formed off the coast of Southern California and the now familiar windy Pacific moisture tap opened up, this time favoring the mountains around Logan. 

Strong westerly winds accompanied periods of heavy snowfall, and a little over 4 inches of water fell at the Tony 

Grove site between the evening of the 12th and the morning of the 15th. On Valentines Day, in separate incidents, 

backcountry skiers intentionally triggered (ski-cut) scary avalanches which turned out to be much bigger than 

expected. The first, around 500’ wide and 4’ deep at the crown, ran into a residential area overlooking Bear 

Lake, narrowly missing a house and deeply burying a driveway. The second, 1-3’ deep and 150’ wide, took a 

backcountry skier for a nasty ride and damaged some equipment. On February 16th, in separate incidents, snowmobilers triggered from below and were lucky to escape two large avalanches in the Franklin Basin area. AnDave Kickert seen here photographing a crown in Steep Hollow during the January avalanche 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

30 

 

other moist and windy Pacific-fed storm moved into the region on the 19th and a natural slab avalanche cycle occurred throughout the region at all elevations sometime on February 20th. The most significant of these were 

repeaters, running on the same paths as those during the big January natural cycle. In a another very lucky turn of 

events on February 22nd, a snowmobiler triggered a broad avalanche from below and escaped on his machine 

while the avalanche funneled into a narrow neck and stopped within a hundred feet of his companions. The soft 

slab avalanche, about 2’ deep and well over 1000’ feet wide at the crown, failed on a graupel/facet layer. Snowmobilers and snowboarders, who are pushing the limits of their sports in the Tony Grove Area, intentionally triggered several smaller but significant slab avalanches during the last two weeks in February, apparently enjoying 

the challenge and adventure of playing with snow in motion. 

March 

On the first of March, the total snow depth sensor at Tone Grove recorded 90” and the scale measured 35.9 

inches of water. This year in Northern Utah, March truly came in like a lamb and went out like a lion. The first 

half of the month brought little in the way of precipitation, and stagnant air, trapped by a dreaded and persistent 

temperature inversion afflicted the Cache Valley. Fair weather in the mountains once again caused the development of sugary weak layers near the surface. The weather changed March 13th, as strong westerly winds built 

stiff dirty wind crusts and thin solid slabs, capping the weak surface snow on some slopes and finally blasting the 

smoggy haze from the valley. An unsettled weather pattern took over, with cooler temperatures, clouds and 

small shots of snow. Snowfall became heavy the evening of March 19th, and snowfall totals by the 23rd had once 

again pushed the 4-inch mark at Tony Grove. A widespread natural avalanche cycle occurred the evening of February 23rd with most of the slides failing on week layers within the new snow, but a few stepping down into older 

sugary snow. We survived a fair Easter Weekend with a CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger in the backcountry 

without incident, but heavy snowfall with strong winds started up again the evening of March 28th and by the 30th

over two more inches of water fell on upper elevation slopes throughout the region. On the last day of March 

(the 31st) skies cleared and once again there was a CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger in the backcountry. Our 

hope for an avalanche death-free month in the state was ended tragically in the neighboring Monte Cristo Mountains between Huntsville and Woodruff, when a snowmobiler triggered and was killed in a hard slab avalanche. 

April 

On the first of April, with 104” of settled snow containing 44.1 inches of water at Tony Grove, the Logan Area 

was assured an above average snow year and some relief from the recent drought. Solar warming and seasonal 

heating caused several impressive natural wet slab avalanches after pour overnight refreezes in both the first and 

second weeks of April. In the afternoon on April 14th, a snowmobiler triggered and rode out of a large wet-slab 

avalanche on the east face of Magog. The slide was around 250’ wide and 1-2’ deep at the crown. 

It seems strange to be writing the season-ending report with around 7 feet of settled snow and 42.4 inches of 

water still at the Tony Grove Snotel site. It was a successful season for the UAC-Logan, and we are grateful for 

increasing public support and recognition of our efforts. More and more people—especially snowmobilers—are 

regularly checking our avalanche advisory. Again with the low-paid help of USU CNR graduate student, Dave 

Kikkert, the UAC-Logan produced well over 100 advisories this season, and with all the snow still in our mountains, we’re not yet finished. We gave 7 free avalanche awareness talks and through the Friends of UAC-Logan 

and the USU ORC, 3 two-day Avalanche Basics classes, reaching well over 200 people. In a drawn-out self-taught 

learning process, I successfully redesigned and renovated our website. Although our season is quickly coming to 

a close, snow continues to fly in the region. Another moist and windy storm from the southwest is in the forecast, and although few people are out there to see them, avalanches continue to run in the Logan Area Mountains. 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

31 

 

Avalanche Incidents and Accidents 

 Because of a very unstable snowpack the number of avalanche incidents, accidents and particularly 

fatalities was dramatically higher than the past several seasons. Eight people had lost their lives in avalanches 

in Utah during the 2004-05 season, which is four more than our average and two more than our previous 

record, set both in 96/97 and 00/01. And with the kind of wild year we had, we are lucky with only eight. 

Four other people had extremely close calls and there was only one fatality in the Dutch Draw incident, 

which could have easily involved a dozen people. Not only did Utah account for nearly a third of all the 

fatalities in the states, but at one point mid-winter, we accounted for more fatalities than all the other states 

combined. In looking at the near misses over the course of the winter, backcountry recreationists unintentionally triggered 158 avalanches, of which 69 people were caught, 19 were fully or partially buried, and 13 

sustained moderate or severe injuries. The following is a synopsis of the major accidents for the winter. 

12-10-04 Fatality above Twin Lakes Pass between Alta and Brighton 

On December 10th, while traversing back to Twin Lakes Pass, Zachary Eastman, a 23 year old man triggered 

and was killed by a 1-3’ deep hard slab avalanche. Interestingly enough, he did not fit the profile of a typical 

avalanche victim. Despite their youth, both he and his partner were quite experienced and avalancheeducated. This fatality reminds us that despite our experiences and knowledge, human factors can lead us 

to make fatal decisions. 

That morning, the two young men met at Snowbird’s new Rescue Training Center and did beacon practice. 

Afterwards, they hiked up to ride some familiar steep lines in the Wolverine/Tuscarora area of the Alta/

Brighton backcountry. Strong southerly winds accompanied nearly 40” of snow in the few days preceding 

the accident, most of which fell on a very weak surface snow from the previous week’s high pressure. The 

danger quickly rose to HIGH, and we issued an Avalanche Warning by the night of the 8th. 

They were experienced and knowledgeable enough to find safe, steep lines even on a high danger day. They 

successfully descended a number of steep chutes in Wolverine Cirque, which had been scoured by the 

wind, which reduced the avalanche danger there. The accident occurred at the end of the day as they returned to their car. Hungry, thirsty, tired, and losing daylight, they traversed back to Twin Lakes Pass. 

They undercut a short but steep, wind loaded slope. The alternative was to drop a few hundred feet and 

ascend a lower-angled slope, which would have given them safe access to the pass, but this meant adding 

another few hundred feet of breaking trail in the snow after a long day. 

 

With his partner waiting in a safe zone, Zach traversed out 150 feet. He stopped and told his partner that 

he didn’t like the way the snow felt. He took another step or two and the slope ripped out 80’ above him, 

carrying him down, and completely burying him in a grove of firs at mid slope. From his partner’s viewpoint, it appeared that Zach had been carried down to the bottom of the slope, so he quickly descended to 

the debris at the bottom before beginning his search. When he failed to find a signal, he ascended to the 

grove of fir trees and quickly located Zach in an island of debris that piled up above the trees. Unfortunately, it was too late. 

 12-11-2004 Trout Creek – Uinta Mountains – Snowmobiler Killed 

Just a day after the Twin Lakes incident, three other backcountry recreationists were killed, with one very 

lucky recovery in the mountains above Bountiful. In the Trout Creek drainage above the Strawberry Reservoir in the Uinta Mountains, a 42 year old man triggered and was killed in a massive avalanche as he struggled to free his stuck snowmobile high on a steep slope. It was a massive avalanche, 4-8 feet deep and a 

quarter mile wide, which failed on the weak, faceted snow near the base of the snowpack. Although the 

victim was wearing a beacon and shovel, his partner had no beacon. After failing to find any clues on the 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

32 

 

surface, he had to search for other riders in the area who could help. It took about an hour for the others 

to arrive and they located the victim 5-7 minutes later. He was buried about 4’ deep, face up, not breathing and CPR was initiated. His machine was buried as well and later located about 60’ downhill. 

 12-11-2004 – Mineral Fork, Big Cottonwood Canyon, Two Snowshoers 

Killed 

The same day as the above accident, two snowshoers, Bruce Quint, 59, 

and Melvin Dennis, 37, failed to return from a day of training for a 

mountaineering expedition that next spring. Their car was located at 

Mineral Fork a sub-drainage of Big Cottonwood Canyon near Salt Lake 

City and that night, volunteers from Wasatch Backcountry Rescue followed their tracks several miles up the bottom of Mineral Fork and the 

tracks ended in fresh avalanche debris in the bottom of the valley. Although there is no way to know if they triggered the avalanche, our 

investigation found that the snowpack was extremely fragile and we 

assume that they most likely triggered the avalanche from the bottom. 

The avalanche was a large, hard slab several feet deep and several hundred yards wide, but the dimensions were difficult to determine since 

rescuers used helicopter-delivered explosives the next morning to 

bring down extensive lingering avalanche hazard before they could 

safely begin their search. 

Unfortunately, neither victim was wearing an avalanche beacon, further 

complicating the recovery. Rescuers, used avalanche dogs and probes, 

and found the two buried in the valley bottom, 25 yards apart underneath 4 and 8 feet of snow. 

12-11-2004 - Close Call on Bountiful Peak – Snowmobiler completely 

buried 

Maybe after four fatalities in two days, it was time for some good news. In the Bountiful Mountains, Trace 

DeJong, a 27 year old snowmobiler was parked at the base of a steep slope, making a video of his friend 

high marking above him. His friend triggered a very large avalanche, 8 feet deep and 200 feet wide. Dejong 

tried to start his snowmobile to get out of the way but the avalanche completely buried him after descending 800 vertical feet. Armed with an avalanche beacon but no shovel, his partner miraculously uncovered 

DeJong in under 15 minutes, not breathing but alive. A few minutes of rescue breathing brought his color 

back, and he was evacuated without major injuries. 

1-1-05 Near Miss in the Snowbasin Backcountry 

Late December snows brought as much as 2’ of snow to the Ogden mountains accompanied by gusty southerly winds. On the 31st, four backcountry recreationists each unintentionally triggered a slab avalanche in 

the new snow about a foot deep, with one taking a 100’ ride. The danger had been Considerable or High 

for the past couple days, with an Avalanche Warning continuing through the New Year. That day, a party of 

five rode a lift at Snowbasin to access Hell’s Canyon, an out of bounds area just north of the ski area boundary. The party had skied the terrain numerous times over the years, however, the terrain is steep and complex with numerous starting zones over the 1000+ feet of relief. In the upper section, in an area known as 

‘Lust’ (the seven major portions of Hell’s Canyon named after the seven deadly sins), the party triggered a 

small slab that quickly expanded to 100’ wide, catching and carrying three of the five over 1000’ down to 

Rescuers in Mineral Fork 

Bruce Tremper photo 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

33 

 

the confluence of another runout area (Gluttony). Luck singularly landed the three beacon-less men on top 

of the debris, though one sustained a fractured femur. The two that were not caught made their way to the 

accident site and were helping their friends when another party from above triggered a second, larger avalanche down upon them. The initial party narrowly escaped a second disaster, as the second debris pile 

covered the first with over 6’ of debris. Ski patrollers from the Snowbasin patrol responded to the accident 

and called in a medical helicopter, which airlifted the seriously injured man to the hospital. 

1-8-05 Two Fatalities in Separate Avalanches on the Manti- Skyline/ 

Wasatch Plateau 

The Manti Skyline area, a mountainous area south of the Wasatch, is well used by backcountry snowmobilers and snowmobile-supported skiers and riders from the communities south of Provo. Poor snowfall resulted in a weak basal snowpack through much of the early winter until the first week of the New Year. By 

the 8th, strong southwesterly winds accompanying a storm of nearly 20” overloaded the weak snowpack, 

easily justifying the Manti-LaSal Avalanche Center’s Avalanche Warning for that area. That morning a party 

of four from Ephraim headed up to the Plateau for some backcountry riding. Well equipped with rescue 

gear and familiar with the terrain, they conducted some stability tests in the snow and assessed the snowpack to be stable. Running shuttles for each other, the party was nibbling at a known avalanche path called 

the Bluebell chute. Ultimately, the victim, a 26 year old man snowboarding above the other set of tracks, 

triggered and was caught and buried in a 2’x 300’ wide avalanche. Buried under 3’ of snow, the victim was 

recovered after 30 minutes. 

Not an hour later, just 30 miles away, David Wayne Johnson, 42, of South Jordan triggered an avalanche in 

the Choke Cherry area east of Mt. Pleasant and was buried. The avalanche also caught and carried his companion, who was only partially buried. The slide was measured at three feet deep and nearly 1000’ wide 

taking out the entire bowl. His companions located him, dug him out and he did not respond to CPR. It is 

unknown whether he was wearing a beacon. 

1-14-05 Dutch Draw Fatality in the Canyons Backcountry 

The Dutch Draw accident thrust Utah into the national and international news as initial reports claimed that 

as many as fifteen people were buried in a massive avalanche adjacent to the Canyons Ski Resort. Three 

Bruce Tremper photo 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

34 

 

days later, rescuers found one victim and the following day announced that they believed that the avalanche 

had claimed only one victim. The media circus quickly lost interest and left town. In the mean time, the 

UAC staff fielded countless live television interviews, telephone calls and press conferences to a hungry 

crowd of national and international media. The Summit County Sheriff had the unenviable job of sorting 

through several conflicting witness reports and account for any missing people out of the several thousand 

of tourists at the Canyons Resort that day. 

The only thing that was 

known was that a group 

of five out-of-state snowboarders descended into 

Dutch Draw using small, 

treed, spur ridge and 

Shane Maxiner, 27, from 

northern Idaho, jumped a 

small cliff onto the slope 

and triggered a massive 

avalanche 6-8 feet deep 

and two football fields 

wide, and was then swallowed up in the avalanche. 

Another snowboarder in 

their group was descending below him at the time 

and was able to get out to 

the left side and escape. 

The rest of the group 

watched helplessly from 

the safety of the spur 

ridge. Three other parties in the area reported seeing many other people on the slope at the time, but in the end, those reports 

turned out to be wrong. Miraculously, the avalanche claimed only one victim. 

Everyone assumed that a group of five young, out-of-state snowboarders without beacons represented the 

typical avalanche victim—young males with little avalanche education who did not consult the avalanche advisory before they went into the backcountry. But it turned out that nearly everyone in the group had quite 

a bit of avalanche training and experience and they were well aware of the avalanche danger. In fact, Shane 

Maxiner worked as a backcountry guide in northern Idaho and the group had spent the previous evening 

discussing the high avalanche danger. But they had just planned to stay in bounds that day, so even though 

most had beacons and shovels in their cars, they didn’t wear them. They arrived at the top of the 9990 lift 

and saw, for the first time, the inviting powder of the adjacent backcountry and there seemed to be no lack 

of people enjoying it. The slope had several dozen tracks on it. So they 

decided that since so many other people were descending it without 

incident, they would give it a try. 

Widespread, deep-slab instabilities existed at the time—conditions all 

too common to the Intermountain West. Since the huge storm the 

previous week had buried the weak layer under six feet of dense, hard 

snow, the avalanches were difficult to trigger, but if you did trigger one 

of these deep, monster slides, it would be almost impossible to survive. 

On the morning of the accident, our avalanche advisory read, “It’s like 

playing with an armed nuclear bomb. You can probably keep it from 

Looking up from the bottom. Rescue team is visible in the center. Photo: Jake Hutchinson 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

35 

 

exploding but do you want to take the chance.” Maxiner triggered the avalanche by jumping off a small cliff 

on to a mid-slope snowpack where the slab was thinner and the weak layer was unusually fragile 

Not surprisingly, the incident rekindled the ongoing debate among the community, media, Forest Service, 

and the ski resorts over boundary policy of access of backcountry public land from lift-served terrain. 

2-23-05 Near Miss on the Superior Slidepath, Little Cottonwood Canyon 

In what has increasingly become known as ‘Kodak courage’, a lone skier being filmed skiing Mt. Superior 

triggered a small wind drift just off the ridge on a 42 degree, northeasterly facing slope. He was able to stay 

on his skis for a short while before the debris from a subsequently triggered slide 3 to 4’ deep and 250’ 

wide overwhelmed him, carrying him nearly two thousand feet down onto the Superior apron below. Lady 

luck smiled on the skier, as he landed on top of the debris, sustaining only minor injuries. His ten minutes 

of fame came soon, as the survivor and his footage were interviewed and shown on national television.

3-24-05 Near Miss off the Dot-Com Ridge, an Out of Bounds area adjacent to Snowbasin 

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 

An extremely lucky skier sustained only minor injuries after triggering an avalanche on this very exposed slope of 

Mount Superior in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Photo: Daniel Howlett 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

36 

 

FSUAC forecaster Craig Gordon, hikes up the bed surface to inspect the crown of this deadly avalanche. 

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. 

3-31-05 Fatality near Whiskey Hill, Eccles Peak, east of 

Huntsville 

On the 31st, a group of five snowmobilers left the Monte Cristo trailhead outside of Huntsville in the Ogden 

mountains, heading for terrain they knew well. The range had recently experienced a significant storm cycle 

the previous two days. Thirty or so inches of snow had fallen, accompanied by moderate to strong northwest and westerly winds, setting up what was to be another avalanche cycle. The party rode to the top of a 

slope, south of “Whisky Hill”. To everyone’s surprise, one of the riders, a 27 year old man, continued over 

the edge and down onto the slope, triggering a 4 foot deep and 600’ wide hard slab avalanche, pulling out 

onto overloaded weak layers formed during our dry spell in early March. Despite a quick recovery with 

avalanche beacons and shovels, the rescuers were unable to revive him, resulting in Utahs 8th fatality. 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

37 

 

U.S. Avalanche Fatalities by Decade

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50's 60's 70's 80's 90's 00's

Decade

Percentage of Total

Climbers

Backcountry Skiers

Snowmobilers

Snowboarders

Ski Area Skiers

84.5

41.5

18.0

6.5 3.6

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

 Average Number of Incidents per year

Triggered Caught Partly Buried Totally Buried Killed

Avalanche Incidents in Utah 1996-2005
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

38 

 

U.S. Avalanche Fatalities by State 1995-2005

(N = 278)

CO

21%

AK

21%

MT

14%

UT

15%

ID

9%

WY

9%

CA

3%

WA

8%

U.S. Avalanche Fatalities 1950-2005

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

19531954195519561957195819591960196119621963196419651966196719681969197019711972197319741975197619771978197919801981198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005

Winter

Number of Fatalities

5-Year M oving Average 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

39 

 

U.S. Avalanche Fatalities by Activity

Past 5 Seasons - Ending 2005

139 Total Fatalities

Snowboarders

13%

Misc Recreation

9%

Climbers

10%

Others at Work

1%

Skiers

25%

Residents

1%

Motorists/Highway 

workers

1%

Snowmobilers

40%

Patrollers

0%

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

Numbe

1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Year

Unintentional Human Triggered Avalanches in the Backcountry

While we’ve seen past years with more avalanches triggered, none was as deadly as the 2004-05 season. 

Avalanche fatalities didn’t discriminate in Utah where two snowboarders, two snowshoers and one skier were 

killed. Unfortunately, despite very aggressive avalanche education outreach programs, snowmobilers led the list 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

40 

 

Date Region Location Trigger Comments Triggered Caught Partly 

Buried

Totally 

Buried Killed Injured

10/24/2004 SLC Alta Area Skier ?

Probable skier triggered avalanche in middle of day. Debris ran 

to Ballroom. Debris searched but no one found. Alta not yet 

open and not doing avalanche control.

1

10/25/2004 SLC All areas Skier and 

Naturals

Several sensitive, skier-triggered and natural wind slabs in light density 

new snow. PHOTOS 3

10/25/2004 SLC Little and Big

Cottonwood Skier Several skier triggered avalanches, one 2' deep and 400' wide. 2

10/28/2004 SLC Little and Big 

Cottonwood

Skier and 

Naturals

Several sensitive, skier-triggered and natural wind slabs in light 

density new snow. Some naturalling reported. 3

11/13/2004 SLC Red Baldy Skier Skier caught and carried, lost gear. Fracture broke 50' above 

traverse. 1 1

11/26/2004 SLC Holy Toledo Skier Caught and carried 50' - OK. Broke out wall to wall. 1 1

11/26/2004 SLC High Ivory skier Caught and carried 100' - OK 1 1

11/27/2004 SLC

Upper Snake 

Creek/ Brighton 

BC

Human - 

remote 1

11/27/2004 SLC

Upper Snake 

Creek/ Brighton 

BC

Human - 

remote 1

11/27/2004 Provo

with in the 

unopened 

Sundance ski 

area

skier - 

remote Remotely triggered from 50' away. 1

11/28/2004 SLC Superior - Little 

Superior Buttress Skier Skier triggered but not caught 1

11/28/2004 SLC George's Bowl - 

Cardiff Fork Skier Skier triggered remotely 1

11/28/2004 SLC Reynolds Peak - 

BCC

Skier - 

remote Remotely triggered from 200 yards away on ridge. 1

11/28/2004 SLC Pink Pine - LCC Skier Skier triggered and caught but grabbed a tree after going only 4 

feet. 1 1

11/28/2004 SLC Meadow Chutes - 

Silver Fork Skier Remotely triggered from 100 feet away. 1

11/28/2004 SLC Meadow Chutes - 

Silver Fork Skier Remotely triggered. 1

11/28/2004 SLC Emma Ridges 

near Alta ? 1

11/28/2004 SLC Flagstaff near 

Alta ? Released several slides - more sensitive than they have seen in some time. 3

11/29/2004 PC Summit Park skier-remote remotely triggered from 30' away 1

11/30/2004 SLC Meadow Chutes - 

Silver Fork skier Skier probably caught and carried. 1 1

12/1/2004 Provo Giant StaircaseTimp skier 1

12/1/2004 SLC Maybird - Red 

Pine ridge Skier Skier triggered but not caught 1

12/2/2004 SLC near Scotties 

Bowl skier Skier took short ride. 1 1

12/3/2004 SLC above Red Pine 

Lake skier two skiers caught and carried for 20' 1 2

12/3/2004 SLC near Twin Lakes 

Pass skier 1

12/4/2004 SLC Columbine, upper 

White Pine skier-remote remotely triggered from 30' away 1

12/5/2004 SLC Tri-County Peak skier - 

remote Remotely triggered by skier 1

12/7/2004 SLC Near Alta - Patsy 

Marly area Skier See the PHOTO of a skier triggered avalanche near Alta. 1

12/8/2004 all all Skier Numerous remotely triggered slides 8

12/9/2004 SLC Willows - BCC Natural Remotely triggered on 12/8/04 1

12/10/2004 SLC Twin Lakes Pass Skier Skier triggered, buried and killed. See Incidents and Accident and Photos 

links 1 1 1 1

12/11/2004 SLC South Monitor skier-remote Reportedly ran to the ground. 1

12/11/2004 SLC West Monitor skier-remote Remotely triggered from W.Monitor/McDonald Draw subridge and 

triggering avalanches in both McDonald and W.Monitor. 2

12/11/2004 SLC Alexander Basin skier-remote

Remotely triggered 100' from skin track, taking out their ski 

tracks. Avalanche came down from above, missing the party by 

10'.

1

12/11/2004 SLC Mineral Fork Unknown Two snowshoers killed - See Photos and Incidents and Accidents pages 1 2 2 2

Incidents and Accidents 2004-05 

(list includes unintentional human triggered avalanches in the backcountry)
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

41 

 

Date Region Location Trigger Comments Triggered Caught Partly 

Buried

Totally 

Buried Killed Injured

Incidents and Accidents 2004-05 

(list includes unintentional human triggered avalanches in the backcountry)

12/13/2004 SLC Pink Pine - LCC Skier Skier was not caught after triggering slide 1/2 way down the 

slope. Very steep, uppermost bowl in Pink Pine. 1

12/29/2004 SLC Rocky Point skier-remote Both sides slid, chute plus lower angle slope. Triggered remotely 

as skier approached summit. Shallow, new snow slide. 1

12/31/2004 Ogden Coldwater/Hells 

Canyon Skier 3 slides triggered, one person took a 100' ride, grabbed tree, OK 3 1

1/1/2005 Provo Chablis Bowl near 

Sundance Skier Skier-triggered, self-arrested on bed surface. 1 1

1/1/2005 SLC Meadow Chutes - 

Silver Fork skier-remote remotely triggered 50' away, taking out old tracks. Ran on December 

factes and was a wind loaded pocket 1

1/1/2005 Provo Sundance 

backcountry skier skier had to self arrest 1

1/1/2005 Ogden Coldwater/Hells 

Canyon skier Debris nearly reburied 3 previously caught. 1

1/1/2005 Ogden Coldwater/Hells 

Canyon Skier 3 skiers caught and carried 1800', partially buried, one seriously 

injured. 13 1

1/2/2005 SLC Alexander Basin - 

Toots to Boot Skier Triggered by skier - escaped to side. 1

1/2/2005 PC Limelight Bowl 

near Park City Skier Remotely triggered by skier 1

1/2/2005 SLC Millicent Peak 

near Brighton Snow boarder Snowboarder triggered, caught, carried over cliffs, injured knee 

and evacuated by Brighton patrol 11 1

1/3/2005 PC Daily Canyon skier-remote Probably remotely triggered by people on ridge. Ran 100 yards. 1

1/5/2005 SLC Main Days skier Skier-triggered avalanche - rode all the way to the bottom but 

ended up on the surface. 1 1

1/6/2005 SLC Kessler Peak Skier Second hand report of skier triggering a loose snow sluff on the 

north facing Kessler, possibly going for a ride. 1 1

1/6/2005 SLC Flagstaff near 

Alta Skier Skier was caught in two different large sluffs but not injured 2 2

1/7/2005 SLC Beartrap - BCC Second hand report of a skier triggering an avalanche - no 

details 1

1/7/2005 SLC

Brighton 

backcountry - 

Elevator Chute

Skier

Skier jumped rock, broke his femur and triggered a small 

avalanche, uncertain if the avalanche caused the fall or was 

triggered by the skier's fall off the rock. Either way, the 

avalanche seemed to play a minor role.

1

1/8/2005 Manti/ 

Skyline Ephraim Snow boarder Caught, carried, burried and killed 1 1 11

1/8/2005 Manti/ 

Skyline Choke Cherry Snowmobiler Caught, carried, burried and killed 1 1 11

1/9/2005 SLC

Hidden 

Canyon/Guardsm

an 

skier-remote Remotely triggered along the ridgeline 1

1/14/2005 PC Dutch Draw Human Snowboarder fatality (photos) 1 1 1 1

1/14/2005 SLC Alexander Basin Cornice drop triggered by skier kicking off cornice. 1

1/14/2005 SLC Tuscarora Cornice drop triggered by skier kicking off cornice. 1

1/16/2005 PC Murdock Peak Skier skier triggered 1

1/24/2005 SLC Gobblers Knob skier remote Remotely triggered 150' below skier, then sympathetically 

triggered 2 additional slides. Broke on wet facets near ground. 3

2/5/2005 Provo Primrose Cirque snow shoer Snowshoer caught, got out to side OK. Recent wind drift, running

on an old bed surface. 1 1

2/9/2005 SLC Alexander Basin Snow boarder

Boarder cut above his partner and triggered a sluff, which took 

lower boarder down through small trees and small cliffs. Broken 

split board but otherwise OK.

1 1

2/11/2005 Uinta Bald Mountain skier broke 100' above skier, was carried and stopped 1 1

2/13/2005 SLC Kessler Peak Skier Repeater, ran on facets over bed surface 1

2/13/2005 SLC Sunset Peak Skier 1

2/15/2005 SLC Butler Fork Skier-remote Remotely triggered. 1

2/15/2005 SLC Silver Fork skier-remote Remotely triggered from 75' away. 1

2/15/2005 SLC Alexander Basin Skier Skier caught, carried, got out to side. 1 1

2/16/2005 SLC Gobblers Knob Skier Slide released behind skier as they ski cut off of slope. Skier was not 

caught. 1

1/1/2005 SLC Meadow Chutes - 

Silver Fork skier-remote remotely triggered 50' away, taking out old tracks. Ran on December 

factes and was a wind loaded pocket 1.146376

1/1/2005 Provo Sundance 

backcountry skier skier had to self arrest 1.149161

1/1/2005 Ogden Coldwater/Hells 

Canyon skier Debris nearly reburied 3 previously caught. 1.151946

2/18/2005 SLC Argenta Skier-remote remotely triggered from ridgeline 1
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

42 

 

2/19/2005 Provo Mt. Nebo Hiker Media report of a hiker that "rode 1000 feet in an avalanche feet 

first" bruised back and frostbit feet but otherwise OK 11 1

2/19/2005 SLC Snake Creek Skier-remote Three slides triggered, this was largest, triggered remotely on 

uptrack. 3

2/19/2005 Ogden Cutler Ridge Skier 1

2/19/2005 SLC Rocky Point Skier 1

2/19/2005 SLC Little Superior Skier-remote remotely triggered 50' away 1

2/19/2005 SLC East Bowl Silver 

Fork

Skier on 

uptrack pulled out 10' above skier, went for a short ride 1 1

2/20/2005 SLC

Brighton 

backcountry - 

Dog Lake Chute

Skier Unintentional skier triggered, not caught. 1

2/21/2005 Ogden Backcountry/ 

Snowbasin Snow-board Snowboarder caught, taken for ride, partially buried, uninjured, 

self extricated. 1 11

2/21/2005 Ogden Backcountry/Pow

der Mtn Skier Triggered remotely from a snowboarder. 1

2/21/2005 SLC Toledo Chute Snow-board Slide fractured above person but he was able to get out of the 

way. 1

2/21/2005 SLC Flagstaff Ridge Skier Skier remotely triggered on up track near top 1

2/22/2005 Ogden Backcountry/ 

Snowbasin Skier Skier skied out 1

2/23/2005 SLC Pioneer Ridge Snowboarder

The snowboarder broke through the cornice, triggering slide, 

went for ride, injured. 11 1

2/23/2005 SLC Superior skier 1st soft slab caught skier, then released 2nd deeper slide, 

probably into old snow. Injured. 21 1

2/24/2005 SLC No Name Bowl Skier Released remotely from skier walking ridge 1

2/24/2005 Uintas Windy Ridge Skier Skier went for a ride, submerged, partially buried, uninjured 1 11

2/24/2005 SLC Wolverine Skier 1

2/24/2005 SLC Mineral Fk. Skier Skier caught, rode 500’ vertical, submerged a few times, 

uninjured 1 1

2/24/2005 Ogden Snowbasin/ 

Backcountry Skier Skier triggered initial slide which sympathetically released other 

small pockets 3

2/26/2005 SLC Scotty's Bowl Skier Unintentional skier triggered, not caught. 1

3/6/2005 SLC Emma Ridges 

near Alta Skier 1

3/6/2005 SLC Toledo Chute Skier Skier took 300' ride, ok. 1 1

3/7/2005 SLC Lone Peak Skier 2 skiers took short ride, heating weakened a wind slab. 1 2

3/9/2005 SLC South Thunder 

Peak Skier caught, skied off 1 1

3/9/2005 SLC Crows Foot Skier "push-a-lanche", carried short distance and grabbed tree, debris 

pile 5' deep 1 1

3/20/2005 Ogden Tayler Canyon Skier Skier was caught but able to grab a tree and stop before taking a 

nasty ride. 1 1

3/24/2005 Ogden South of 

Snowbasin Skier Out-of-bounds skier buried with only hand sticking out-no beaconrecovered by friends-no injuries 1 11

3/24/2005 SLC Cardiff Bowl Skier One triggered and another sympathetic-not caught 2

3/25/2005 SLC Mt. Olympus 3 snowshoers caught, partially buried, OK 1 33

3/25/2005 SLC Kessler Peak Skiers 3 skiers caught, strained through trees, all serious injuries 1 33

3/25/2005 SLC Georges Bowl Skier Skier triggered, no one caught. 1

3/25/2005 SLC Kessler-Argenta Skier 3 Skiers caught, sustained injuries, no one buried, rescue needed 

to extricate. 13 3

3/25/2005 SLC Near Mt Olympus Snow shoe 3 snowshoers caught, partially buried, self extricated, no one 

injured. 1 3

3/25/2005 SLC Days Fork Skier/ 

boarder

Skier or boarder triggered soft slab but was able to esape to 

right. This was after dropping a refrigerator-sized cornice down 

slope first. 

1 1

3/26/2005 PC Limelight Bowl 

near Park City Skier Reported possible skier triggered 1

3/26/2005 Ogden Needles Cirque Skier No one caught 1

3/26/2005 SLC Snake Creek Skier No one caught 1

3/27/2005 SLC Cardiff Bowl N. of 

Alta Skiers Triggered by booting up from bottom. 4 people caught, one buried to waist, 

all OK 1 41

3/29/2005 SLC Powder Park. Mill 

D north skier Caught, stopped 1 1

3/29/2005 SLC Pioneer Ridge rider Unintentionally triggered, not caught 1

3/30/2005 SLC Mill D N./ Short 

Swing Skier Skier triggered slide on steep roll, far skiers right on Short 

Swing, no one caught. 1

3/31/2005 Rich Co. Near Whiskey 

Peak

Snow 

Machine One person caught, buried and killed. 1 1 11

3/31/2005 SLC Brighton Back 

Bowl

skier/ 

boarder

Ran on interface between Monday's and Tuesday's storms. 

Three other smaller slides triggered by same party. 4

4/8/2005 SLC East Hellgate LCC Skier Skier rode wet slide 350' 1 1

4/10/2005 SLC Thunder Ridge Skier Skier fell with cornice 1500' into Hogum Fork, sustaining serious 

injuries 11 1

Totals 148.4475 65 10 9 8 11

Date Region Location Trigger Comments Triggered Caught Partly 

Buried

Totally 

Buried Killed Injured

Incidents and Accidents 2004-05 

(list includes unintentional human triggered avalanches in the backcountry)
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

43 

 

Date

Male 

Deaths 

Female 

Deaths Location Activity Skier Climber

Snow

boarder

Snow

mobiler

Other 

Recreation Worker Resident

9-Mar-58 2 Snowbasin Rescuer 2

29-Mar-64 1 Snowbasin Worker 1

31-Dec-65 1 Park City In-bounds skier 1

12-Feb-67 2 Pharoah’s Glen Climbers 2

19-Feb-68 1 Rock Canyon Hiker 1

29-Jan-70 1 Alta In-bounds skier 1

29-Jan-73 1 Park West In-bounds skier 1

6-Jan-76 1 Alta Out of bounds skier 1

3-Mar-77 1 Snowbird In-bounds skier 1

19-Jan-79 1 Helper Worker 1

2-Apr-79 1 Lake Desolation Backcountry skier 1

11-Jan-80 1 Evergreen Ridge Out of bounds skier 1

1-Feb-81 1 Cardiff Hiker 1

1-Mar-81 1 Millcreek Backcountry skier 1

22-Mar-82 1 near Park West Backcountry skier 1

2-Jan-84 1 Superior Peak Backcountry skier 1

22-Feb-85 1 Near Powder Mountain Backcountry skier 1

19-Mar-85 1 Park City In-bounds wet slide 1

13-Nov-85 2 Sunset Peak Backcountry skiers 2

6-Jan-86 1 Provo Canyon Backcountry skier 1

17-Feb-86 1 Big Cottonwood Canyon Backcountry snowboarder 1

19-Feb-86 1 Alta In bounds skier 1

20-Nov-86 1 Sugarloaf, Alta Hiker in unopened area 1

15-Feb-87 1 Twin Lakes Reservoir Backcountry skier 1

25-Nov-89 1 Tony Grove Lake, Logan Backcountry skier 1

12-Feb-92 3 1 Gold Basin, La Sal Mtns Backcountry vskiers 4

1-Apr-92 1 Mineral Basin, near Snowbird Backcountry skier 1

16-Jan-93 1 Sundance (closed area) Backcountry skier 1

25-Feb-93 1 Pinecrest, Emig. Cyn. Backcountry skier 1

3-Apr-93 1 Wolverine Cirque Backcountry skier 1

18-Feb-94 1 10,420 Peak, B.C.C. Backcountry skier 1

7-Nov-94 1 Snowbird (pre-season) Backcountry skier 1

14-Jan-95 2 Ben Lomond, near Ogden Snowmobilers 2

23-Jan-95 1 Midway Resident killed in roof slide 1

12-Feb-95 1 Gobbler’s Knob, B.C.C. Backcountry skier 1

2-Feb-96 1 Solitude patroller Worker 1

27-Mar-96 1 Maybird Gulch, L.C.C. Backcountry skier 1

7-Dec-96 1 Bountiful Peak Snowmobiler 1

26-Dec-96 1 Flagstaff Peak Backcountry snowboarder 1

11-Jan-97 3 Logan Peak Three campers 3

25-Jan-97 1 Provo Canyon Climber 1

17-Jan-98 1 Near Coleville Snowmobiler 1

18-Jan-98 1 Sanpete County Snowmobiler 1

26-Feb-98 1 Near Weber State hiker (possible suicide) 1

7-Nov-98 1 Snowbird (pre-season) Snowboarder 1

2-Jan-99 2 Wasatch Plateau Snowboarders 2

29-Jan-99 1 Mt. Nebo Snowmobiler 1

6-Feb-99 1 Little Willow Canyon Hiker 1

11-Jan-00 1 1 Squaretop Out of bounds Skiers 2

14-Dec-01 1 Willard Basin Snowmobiler 1

27-Feb-01 1 Near Canyons Resort Out of bounds Skier 1

10-Mar-01 2 Uinta Mtns near Oakly Snowmobiler 2

28-Apr-01 2 Stairs Gulch, BCC Climbers 2

31-Jan-02 1 Windy Ridge, Uinta Mtns. Backcountry Skier 1

16-Mar-02 2 Pioneer Ridge near Brighton Out of bounds Snowboarders 2

15-Feb-03 1 Gobbler’s Knob, B.C.C. Skier 1

26-Dec-04 3 Aspen Grove, Timpanogos Snowboarders 3

26-Feb-04 1 Empire Canyon - Park City Snowshoer 1

10-Dec-04 1 Twin Lakes Pass Skier 1

11-Dec-04 1 Trout Creek, Uintas Snowmobiler 1

11-Dec-04 2 Mineral Fork Snowshoer 2

8-Jan-05 1 Ephriam Canyon, Wstch Plt Snowboarder 1

8-Jan-05 1 Choke Cherry, Wasatch Plt Snowmobiler 1

14-Jan-05 1 Dutch's Draw Snowborder 1

31-Mar-05 1 Eccles Peak, Monte Cristo Rg Snowmobiler 1

Male Female Male & Female 1958 season - Present 36 5 12 12 11 5 1

Totals 78 4 82 Past 10 seasons 7 3 11 10 8 1 0

Percentage 95.1% 4.9% 100% Past 5 seasons 4 2 7 6 3 0 0

Avalanche Fatalities in Utah 1958-2004 - By Activity
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

44 

 

Avalanche Education 

 We feel that avalanche education is an essential part of staying alive in avalanche terrain. It not only gives 

people the basics of avalanche knowledge, but it helps create and maintain an avalanche culture, where people 

learn from their peers. We teach many free avalanche awareness classes throughout the season, partially to give 

people the basics of how to stay alive, but also to inspire them to take a more detailed, multi-day avalanche class 

from the private sector. This season our staff taught 38 avalanche classes and directly reached over 3,400 people. 

The Know Before You Go Program was taught 81 times to an additional 12,000 people.

 

We also had a very successful Avalanche Awareness Week in February, which started with a signing ceremony by Jon Huntsman Jr. Utah’s Governor. Governor Huntsman was also one of the featured speakers for 

a fundraiser supporting the Know Before You Go Program at Snowbird put on by the Friends of the Utah 

Avalanche Center. Avalanche awareness week consisted of a media blitz and several classes offered both 

indoor and in the field. Many thanks to Roger Kehr and Colleen Graham for organizing the event and to a 

great partner, Snowbird Ski Resort, for hosting the event. 

Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. signing a declaration for February’s Avalanche Awareness Week 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

45 

 

Date Staff Event No. people

10/12/2004 Tremper Forest Service Leadership Team - Avalanche Awareness 10

11/1/2004 Hardesty Kamas Community Development 40

11/4/2004 Tremper Utah County Sheriff - Avalanche Awareness 30

11/17/2004 Tremper Ski With a Ranger training 20

11/20/2004 Tremper Canada, Calgary, Alberta - Avalanche Continuing Education 250

11/20/2004 Tremper Canada, Vancouver B.C. - Avalanche Continuing Education 250

12/2/2004 Tremper Hansen Mountaineering - Avi Awareness 30

12/2/2004 Lees Sandy REI 20

2/2/2005 Tremper Park City Rotary Club - Avalanche Awareness 60

12/14/2005 Tremper REI Avalanche Awareness talk 120

12/14/2004 Lees Parson's, Behle and Letterman Law Firm 45

1/10/2005 Tremper ARUP Labs - Avalanche Awareness 200

1/15/2005 Tremper Park City - Avalanche Awareness and Dutch Draw Accident 200

1/15-17/05 Tremper/Kobernik/Athey Friends of the UAC Level I 32

1/26/2005 Tremper Pannel Discussion - SL Library and live on public radio 150

1/28/2005 Tremper Outdoor Retailer Show - Avalanche Awareness talk 40

2/2/2005 Lees ACE beacon clinic 25

2/6/2005 Lees Backcountry Awareness Week clinics 12

2/15/2005 Tremper REI Science of Avalanches 120

2/19-21/05 Lees/Hardesty/Kobernik/At

hey

Friends of the UAC Level I 

25

2/26/2005 Lees AAI Level II 32

1711

UAC Avalanche Education 2004-05

There were no shortage of large crown faces like this one during the 04-05 season. 

Photo: Bob Athey 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

46 

 

Know Before You Go Program 

Date Staff Event # People 

9-Nov Gordon REI-33rd South Store 52 

10-Nov Gordon University of Utah 48 

13-Nov Gordon REI-Sandy Store 43 

15-Nov Gordon Rowland Hall St. Marks 252 

16-Nov Gordon BYU Student Union Bldg. 78 

17-Nov Kimbrough Skyline High School 120 

18-Nov Gordon Realms of Inquiry 39 

29-Nov Gordon Park City High School 360 

30-Nov Gordon/Hutchinson Park City High School 383 

2-Dec Cardinale Mount Jordan Middle School 720 

2-Dec Gordon The Canyons Ski Resort 68 

3-Dec Gordon Kearns High School 1500 

6-Dec Sackett Indian Hills Middle School 515 

7-Dec Gordon Utah Valley State College 38 

9-Dec Gordon Treasure Mtn. Middle School 610 

10-Dec Wewer/Hirchi Ogden High School 100 

10-Dec Sackett Camp Kostopholius 32 

13-Dec Snowbasin Crew Snow Crest Jr. High School 300 

16-Dec Gordon Brighton Ski Resort 200 

22-Dec Trotter Orem High School 80 

4-Jan Bloom Bountiful Jr. High School 140 

4-Jan Wewer/Hirchi Bountiful Stake Center 100 

6-Jan Gordon West High School 13 

7-Jan Cardinale Waterford School 40 

7-Jan Gordon Westminster College 9 

10-Jan Trotter Utah Valley State College 18 

10-Jan Gordon St. Ambrose Church 53 

11-Jan Trotter Payson Jr. High School 118 

13-Jan Garcia Merrill Lynch 32 

16-Jan Garcia Camp Kostopholius 33 

18-Jan Cardinale Murray High School 43 

18-Jan Hirchi Clearfield Stake Center 38 

19-Jan Trotter Novell 52 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

47 

 

Know Before You Go Program 

Date Staff Event # People 

20-Jan Gordon Cottonwood High School 64 

20-Jan Cardinale Evergreen Jr. High School 800 

21-Jan Gordon Skaggs Catholic School 71 

21-Jan Kobernik MiloSport Park City 25 

24-Jan Sackett Churchill Jr. High School 250 

26-Jan Gordon Westminster College 17 

27-Jan Hutchinson Ecker Hill Middle School 24 

28-Jan Gordon Oakley School 105 

28-Jan Kobernik MiloSport Orem 30 

29-Jan Garcia Camp Kostopholius 42 

3-Feb Gordon Jordan High School 619 

4-Feb Nipkow Wasatch Junior High School 885 

7-Feb Sackett Churchill Jr. High School 539 

7-Feb Gordon Snowbird Ski Resort 9 

9-Feb Gordon Heber Ward 83 

10-Feb Gordon Rocky Mtn. Middle School 603 

11-Feb Kobernik MiloSport Salt Lake City 25 

16-Feb Gordon Wasatch Alternative High School 33 

16-Feb Gordon St. Mary's Catholic Church 63 

16-Feb Hirchi Salt Lake City Boy Scout Troop 48 

19-Feb Gordon Deer Valley-Private group 6 

22-Feb Hutchinson Heber Junior High School 321 

23-Feb Trotter Heber Junior High School 311 

23-Jan Gordon Island View RTC 123 

24-Jan Gordon Granite Park Middle School 131 

25-Jan Gordon Creekside Hgih School 44 

7-Mar Bloom Bountiful Jr. High School 101 

23-Mar Wewer Weber State College 13 

22-Apr Gordon McCollister Private School 23 

29-Apr Gordon Morningside Elementary 528 

 Total 12,163 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

48 

 

Date Staff Agency Subject

National or Inter-national Television InterviewNational or Inter-national Television InformationNational or Inter-national Print MediaLocal Television InterviewsNational Radio InterviewsLocal Radio InterviewsLocal Print Interviews

9/1/2004 Tremper Park City Record Fundraiser X

9/14/2004 Tremper Ski Magazine Article about thrill seekers X

10/13/2004 Tremper New York Times Education Programs X

10/13/2004 Tremper Los Angeles Times Avalanche Funding X

10/24/2004 Tremper Deseret News Recent Avalanches X

10/25/2004 Tremper KSL Radio Recent Avalanches X

11/1/2004 Hardesty Channel 2 TV avalanche awareness X

11/8/2004 Lees Daily Utah Chronical general avalanche info X

12/10/2004 Tremper Channel 13 Avalanche information X

12/11/2004 Hardesty Salt Lake Tribune avalanche fatalities X

12/11/2004 Tremper Salt Lake Tribune Avalanche Accidents X

12/11/2004 Hardesty KSL avalanche fatalities X

12/11/2004 Tremper Channel 5 Avalanche Accidents X

12/11/2004 Tremper Channel 13 Avalanche Accidents X

12/11/2004 Tremper Salt Lake Tribune Human Factors in Accidents X

12/12/2004 Hardesty ABC, New York avalanche fatalities X

12/12/2004 Tremper Good Morning America avalanche fatalities X

12/12/2004 Tremper

ABC News - Good 

Morning America Avalanche Accidents X

12/13/2004 Hardesty Deseret News avalanche fatalities X

12/14/2004 Tremper Powder Magazine Case study of an accident X

12/14/2004 Tremper Weather Channel Weather Warriors segment X

12/18/2004 Lees

KCPW morning talk 

show general avalanche conditions X

1/6/2005 Tremper Salt Lake Tribune Update of Avalanche Conditions X

1/7/2005 Tremper Salt Lake Tribune Update of Avalanche Conditions X

1/8/2005 Tremper Salt Lake Tribune Update of Avalanche Conditions X

1/10/2005 Lees Fox 13 avalanche fatalities X

1/12/2005 Tremper

Las Vegas Review 

Journal General Avalanche Informatin X

1/14/2005 Tremper CNN Interview on Dutch Draw X X

1/14/2005 Tremper Salt Lake Tribune Interview on Dutch Draw X

1/14/2005 Lees CBS national avalanche fatalities X

1/14/2005 Tremper Channel 5 Interview on Dutch Draw X

1/14/2005 Tremper National ABC News Interview on Dutch Draw X

1/14/2005 Tremper National NBC News Interview on Dutch Draw

1/14/2005 Tremper Associated Press Interview on Dutch Draw X

1/15/2005 Lees KSL general avalanche conditions X

1/15/2005 Tremper

All National and Local 

News Outlets Press Conference on Dutch Draw XXXX XXXX

1/17/2005 Tremper NPR Radio Reecnet Accidents X X

1/18/2005 Tremper Park City Record Reecnet Accidents

1/19/2005 Lees CBS national general avalanche info X

1/19/2005 Lees Weather Channel general avalanche information X

1/19/2005 Tremper CBS National News Reecnet Accidents X

1/19/2005 Tremper Channel 5 Recent Avalanches X

1/22/2005 Tremper Outside Magazine Recent Avalanches X

UAC Media Contacts 2004-05
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

49 

 

Date Staff Agency Subject

National or Inter-national Television InterviewNational or Inter-national Television InformationNational or Inter-national Print MediaLocal Television InterviewsNational Radio InterviewsLocal Radio InterviewsLocal Print Interviews

UAC Media Contacts 2004-05

2/25/2005 Tremper Men's Journal Avalanches and Rescue X

3/3/2005 Lees KSL radio avalanche conditions X

3/3/2005 Lees Channel 5 avalanche conditions X

3/9/2005 Tremper Reno Newspaper Accident X

3/9/2005 Tremper Powder Magazine Beacon Technology X

3/10/2005 Tremper Outdoor Life Network Avalanche Rescue X

3/17/2005 Tremper KCPW Radio Dutch Draw X

3/24/2005 Tremper Deseret News Avalanche Conditions X

3/24/2005 Tremper Channel 13 Avalanche Conditions X

4/20/2005 Tremper Skiing Magazine Rescue Technology X

5/12/2005 Tremper Salt Lake Tribune Wet Avalanche Cycle X

5/12/2005 Tremper Logan Herald Journal Wet Avalanche Cycle X

5/12/2005 Tremper Channel 5 Wet Avalanche Cycle X

5/12/2005 Tremper Channel 4 Wet Avalanche Cycle X

5/25/2005 Tremper Logan Herald Journal Wet Avalanche Cycle X

5/25/2005 Tremper KSL Radio Wet Avalanche Cycle X

5/25/2005 Tremper Channel 13 Wet Avalanche Cycle X

6/3/2005 Tremper Skiing Magazine Avalanche Information X

13 3 15 19 1 6 21

Total 78

An unusual debris 

pile: This was actually a new avalanche over running an old debris 

pile 

Photo: Bill Nalli 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

50 

 

Date Staff Agency Subject

National or Inter-nationalTelevision InterviewNational or Inter-nationalTelevision InformationNational or Inter-national

Print MediaLocal Television InterviewsNational Radio InterviewsLocal Radio InterviewsLocal Print Interviews

1/15/2005 Tremper All National and 

Local News 

Outlets

Press Conference on Dutch 

Draw

XXXX XXX

X

1/18/2005 Tremper Park City Record Reecnet Accidents

1/19/2005 Tremper CBS National 

News

Reecnet Accidents X

1/31/2005 Tremper Powder Magazine Human Factors in Accidents X

1/28/2005 Tremper New Yorker 

Magazine

Andrew McLean X

1/22/2005 Tremper Outside Magazine Recent Avalanches X

1/19/2005 Tremper Channel 5 Recent Avalanches X

1/22/2005 Tremper Call Radio Recent Avalanches X

1/30/2005 Tremper Newsweek 

Magazine

Avalanche photo published X

2/5/2005 Tremper New York Times Andrew McLean X

2/25/2005 Tremper Men's Journal Avalanches and Rescue X

2/22/2005 Tremper Skiing Magazine How to Stay Alive X

3/9/2005 Tremper Powder Magazine Beacon Technology X

3/10/2005 Tremper Outdoor Life 

Network

Avalanche Rescue X

3/17/2005 Tremper KCPW Radio Dutch Draw X

3/24/2005 Tremper Channel 13 Avalanche Conditions X

4/20/2005 Tremper Skiing Magazine Rescue Technology X

5/12/2005 Tremper Channel 4 Wet Avalanche Cycle X

5/25/2005 Tremper KSL Radio Wet Avalanche Cycle X

5/25/2005 Tremper Channel 13 Wet Avalanche Cycle X

6/3/2005 Tremper Skiing Magazine Avalanche Information X

13 3 15 19 1 6 21

Total 78

UAC Media Contacts 2004-2005
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

51 

 

Budget 

The Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center is the epitome of a successful community partnership. Funding comes 

primarily from outside the Forest Service including grants from Utah State Parks, the National Recreation Trails 

Program, Utah Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security, Salt Lake County and private fundraising by 

the Friends of the Utah avalanche Center. 

We are especially indebted to Utah State Parks and Recreation, who has provided the primary funding to the 

Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center through grants, both from the National Recreation Trails Program and a 

grant directly from State Parks. This season, they included the avalanche funds in a line item in their regular 

budget and it was approved by the legislature. This means that we no longer have to compete for grants each 

season. We just signed a 5-year funding agreement for $82,000 per year, which greatly helps to stabilize and expand avalanche forecasting in Utah. Special thanks go to Fred Hayes at Utah State Parks and Recreation for his 

unflagging support. 

Note: Staff salary and benefits is spread between six people, most of which work six months per year and the Director works eight 

months per year. Utah State Parks contributes a total of $85,000 but $15,000 of that money goes to the Manti-La Sal National 

Forest for avalanche forecasting and education in the La Sal Mountains and for the Manti-Skyline area.. Finally, as noted above, the 

Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center donate $15,000 to the Forest Service for salaries, but they spend an additional $35,000 per 

year on their own to hire contract observers, avalanche education projects and for equipment. These expenses are not itemized 

here. 

Northern Utah Revenues

$ 2 12 ,0 0 0 t ot a l

Utah State Par ks Gr ant, 50,000

Fr iends of UAC (pr ivate f unding), 

Wasatch-Cache National For est, 50,000

47,000

Utah Pubic Saf ety, 25,000

Salt Lake County, 20,000

NRTP gr ant , 20,000

Wasatch-Cache National Forest $47,000 This includes $10,000 to cover overhead collected from external 

sources.

Utah State Parks and Recreation 

grant

$50,000 This funds avalanche forecasting for Logan and the western Uinta 

Mountains.

National Recreation Trails Program 

(administered by Utah State Parks 

and Recreation)

$20,000 $20,000 goes to northern Utah and an additional $12,500 funds 

weekend and holiday forecasts for the Manti-Skyline, which is provided by the Manti-La Sal National Forest.

Friends of the Utah Avalanche 

Center (private fund raising)

50,000 About half of this money is spent directly by the FUAC, some goes 

to the Know Before You Go avalanche education program, and 

about $20,000 per year is contributed to the Wasatch-Cache National Forest.

Salt Lake County $20,000

Utah Public Safety $25,000

Total $212,000 This includes all money spent on avalanche forecasting in northern 

Utah, including private funds spent outside the Forest Service.
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

52 

 

User Survey 

 This season we conducted an online user survey of our customers and the following graphs indicate the 

results. Over 1150 people responded to the survey. Although we asked people each day on the recorded telephone advisory to go to our web site to complete the survey, because it is an online survey it no doubt under 

represents the customers who only access the advisory via the recorded telephone line and on public radio. 

Nevertheless, we feel that we received some valuable information about our customers. 

 In summary, they are primarily backcountry skiers (outside of the Wasatch Range snowmobilers probably represent the largest group). They access the advisory regularly through the week, usually via the automated 

e-mail and Internet. Amazingly, the respondents access the advisory via the telephone only 13 percent of the 

time. (The survey of backcountry users in Sun Valley Idaho indicated an even lower percentage and in Canada 

telephone use is under one percent.) In other words, it is clear that we should continue our trend of developing 

Internet-based products for the public. Also, our customers seem quite avalanche educated and they seem to 

favor a mix of graphics and text to communicate avalanche danger to the public. 

1. How do you normally recreate in the backcountry?

Backcountry Skiing

68%

Out-of-Bounds Skiing

10%

Backcountry Boarding

8%

Snow shoe

5%

Snow mobile

4%

Hiking

2%

Other

3%
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

53 

 

2. How many times per week do you access the advisory?

1 Day

2%

7 Days

42%

6 Days

13%

5 Days

22%

4 Days

10%

3 Days

8%

2 Days

3%

3. How many times per week do you get into the backcountry?

1 Day

47%

7 Days

1%

6 Days

2%

5 Days

4%

4 Days

6%

3 Days

13%

2 Days

27%
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

54 

 

4. What is your age?

19-25

9%

26-35

35%

36-45

28%

46-55

21%

56-65

5%

66-75

1% 18 or younger

Over 75 1%

0.4%

5. What is your level of avalanche education?

None

6%

Aw arness class

27%

Day class

13%

Level 1

31%

Level 2

13%

Level 3

4%

Professional 

6%
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

55 

 

6. How many years have you been recreating in the backcountry?

0-2

13%

3-5

22%

6-10

20% 11-15

14%

16-20

10%

21-25

8%

>25

13%

7. How many times have you been caught in an avalanche?

never

71%

more then 5 times

1%

5 times

0.4% 4 times

3 times 1%

4%

2 times

6%

1 time

17%
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

56 

 

8. How many times per week do you access the advisory from the following sources?

Telephone

13% Telephone avalanche 

activity line

14%

Public radio

15%

Automated e-mails

34%

Internet

24%

10. Complexity of the information?

Too simple

9%

About right

91%

Too complicated

0.3%
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

57 

 

11. Concerning our danger ratings, do we consistently rate the danger:

Higher than it is

6%

About right

92%

Low er than it is

2%

12. How do you feel about calling a 1-800 number to access an advisory for 

the Wasatch Range as opposed to the customized local numbers for SLC, 

Park City, Alta, Ogden and Provo?

Keep the local numbers

28%

Don't care

54%

1-800 # w ould be fine

18%
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

58 

 

13. When you access the advisory on the Internet, what do you think is the best way to 

present avalanche and weather information?

Completely graphics

5%

Mix of text and graphics

82%

Text only

13%

14. We would like to publish the overall, regional, avalanche danger rating in the 

newspaper each day in the weather section and on the TV weather forecast. Which 

method would work best to reach people who don't normally consult the advisory?

3-level danger rating

22%

5-level danger rating

65%

Not appropriate for TV 

and new s

13%
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

59 

 

15. The current international standard 5-level avalanche danger rating definitions are 

based only on the probability of human triggered and natural avalanches, not on 

avalanche size. Would you prefer to:

Leave definitions the 

same

44%

Incorporate size into the 

ratings

7%

Provide 2 scales

32%

Provide 3 scales

17%

<2%

2-10%

10-20%

20-30%

30-40%

40-50%

50-60%

60-70%

70-80%

80-90%

90-100%

Extreme

H

Consi

igh

derable

Moderate

Low

352

238 273

231

328

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

# of people out of 

1150 responses

Probability of 

triggering an 

avalanche

What do you think is the probability of triggering an avalanche during different danger 

ratings?
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

60 

 

AVALANCHE ADVISORY 

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2004 7:30 AM 

Good morning, this is Drew Hardesty with the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center with your backcountry avalanche and mountain weather advisory. Today is Sunday, December 12, 2004, and it’s 7:30 

am. 

A SPECIAL AVALANCHE ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE MOUNTAINS OF 

NORTHERN UTAH, TO INCLUDE THE WESTERN UINTAS. 

Current Conditions: 

Despite mostly clear skies, mountain temperatures stayed above freezing at all locations below 11,000’. 

Winds were from a westerly direction in the mid-twenties to mid-thirties yesterday, and are now averaging 15-25mph along the highest ridgelines. Snow surface conditions range from mostly supportable to 

breakable on the steep sunny slopes with dense settled powder on protected shady slopes. 

Avalanche Conditions: 

It continues to be very dangerous in the backcountry with more tragic events and near misses occurring 

in the mountains. There is a confirmed snowmobiler fatality yesterday in the Western Uintas above 

Strawberry Reservoir, two missing snowshoers in upper Mineral Fork canyon in mid-Big Cottonwood 

Canyon, and multiple near misses in the Logan, Ogden, and Salt Lake mountains. Craig Gordon and 

Bruce Tremper will try to complete investigations on these incidents today, and my photos/investigation

on the Twin Lakes fatality from Friday are posted on our website. Near misses include three snowmachiners caught and carried in an avalanche near Mt. Naomi up near Logan, a burial and live recovery 

near Bountiful Peak, and a remotely triggered slide (another photo) in Alexander Basin that took out the 

previous run’s tracks. There was also a report of at least one avalanche along the Park City ridgeline 

that ripped out to the ground and a reported natural off Tuscarora in upper BCC that was 2-3’ and 200’ 

wide. And it should come as no surprise that explosive control work in uncompacted terrain at the ski 

areas continues to release large and destructive avalanches. These dimensions are on the lower end of 

the average slides taking place in the backcountry. 

For today, human triggered avalanches will continue to be probable in steep terrain. Any slide triggered 

will likely be large and very dangerous as plenty of the slides have been tree-snappers. Avalanches can 

still be triggered from a distance and from lower angled terrain. With these hard slabs, it will be possible to trigger a slide down on top of you from the valley below, or get dragged from lower angled terrain 

that’s attached to a steeper adjacent slope. Most old-timers are at the resorts, rock climbing, or hiding 

under the bed. 

Also yesterday’s gusty winds may have produced some sensitive wind drifts along the upper elevations. 

Finally, today’s extremely warm temperatures will cause continued wet sluffing, rollerballs and occasional wet slabs at lower elevations and on sun exposed slopes. 

Bottom Line (Salt Lake, Park City, Ogden, and Provo mountains): The danger remains CONSIDERABLE on and below any steep slope at the mid and upper elevations. Those without excellent avalanche and route finding skills should avoid the backcountry. Human triggered avalanches will be probable, with naturals possible. 

Mountain Weather: 

It’ll be mostly sunny with 10,000’ temps near 40 with 8000’ highs in the upper 40’s, again. Winds will 

be 15-20mph from the west. A weak brush-by on Monday and a chance of some more snow by about 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

61 

 

mid week. 

If you are getting out, drop us a line or an email with any reports or observations from the backcountry. 

You can leave us a message at 524-5304 or 1 800-662-4140. Email us at uac@avalanche.org, or send a 

fax to 524-6301. 

The information in this advisory is from the US Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur. 

I will update this advisory by 7:30 Monday morning, and thanks for calling. 

Scotties Bowl - an old avalanche path with a new hair cut.. Photo: Brett Pelletier 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

62 

 

Newspaper Articles 

Note: In the past, the Wasatch-Cache National Forest saved newspaper articles about the Forest Service and we 

posted the avalanche stories in our annual report. They ended the practice this winter and we do not have the 

time or resources to clip all the avalanche articles, so we have included only the few articles we managed to save 

this winter. There was perhaps ten times more articles published than reprinted here. 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

63 

 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

64 

 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

65 

 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

66 

 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

67 

 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

68 

 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

69 

 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

70 

 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

71 

 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

72 

 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

73 

 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

74 

 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

75 

 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

76 

 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

77 

 
Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report 2004-05 

78