Skier dies in avalanche near Solitude
Update: UAC Second Hand Report
Accident & Rescue Summary:
Preliminary details of fatality in Meadow Chutes of Silver Fork from talking with the Solitude Ski Patrol
Meadow Chutes is a popular area for backcountry skiing, which are a series of east-facing, open slopes just west, and across Silver Fork drainage from Solitude Ski Area.
The party consisted of 3 skiers. One descended from the ridge while the other two stood on the ridge. About 5-10 turns down, the skiers on the ridge felt a collapse and they saw the avalanche start down below them and they saw the dust cloud descend into the bottom of the canyon and up the other side of the drainage.
They quickly descended and began a beacon search. The victim was buried about 6 feet deep. After about 5 minutes of digging, the ski patrol from the nearby Solitude Ski Area showed up, who were presumably notified by a 911 call. After about 20 minutes of digging, they recovered the victim. He did not have pulse or respiration and he appeared to have suffered quite a bit of trauma, presumably from hitting the many aspen trees on the slope. Many trees were also buried in the debris. Initial estimates of total burial time is around 40 minutes.
The avalanche broke near the top of the slope, 3-4 feet deep and 200 feet wide on a 35 degree, east-facing slope. It crossed over the creek at the bottom and ran partway up the opposite side of the canyon.
We will investigate this accident further and include more detail and photos as more information becomes available.