Yesterday was the first avalanche fatality in the Wasatch this season, 2011/2012. In addition to the fatality, there were approximately 10 other human triggered avalanches, with the greatest amount of activity in upper Little Cottonwood Canyon, mostly in the unopened, uncontrolled terrain of the Alta and Snowbird ski areas.
It does baffle many skiers as to why there can be avalanche danger so early in the ski season. This has to do with the early season storm we received in October. This month old snow that had been lingering on east and north slopes at elevations of 9500’ and higher had begun to turn into faceted snow consisting of sugary snow and weak crusts. This past weekend the high winds and high water content of the new snow made for an unstable snowpack.
At 2:30pm yesterday Jamie Pierre was snowboarding in bounds at Snowbird ski resort. As he triggered a slab avalanche he was swept 700ft over rocky cliffs, although he was not buried he did suffer trauma. Jamie Pierre was an extreme skier appearing in many ski movies made by Warren Miler and others. He had set a record for the longest cliff jump after he skied off a 255-foot cliff near Grand Targhee in Wyoming in 2006.
Hope the best for his family and friends
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