Observer Name
Franklin County High Markers, C Brackelsberg, M Davis
Observation Date
Friday, March 8, 2024
Avalanche Date
Friday, March 8, 2024
Region
Logan » Southeast Idaho » Bear Lake » Midnight Lake
Location Name or Route
Northeast of Midnight Mountain
Elevation
8,700'
Aspect
East
Slope Angle
40°
Trigger
Snowmobiler
Trigger: additional info
Unintentionally Triggered
Avalanche Type
Hard Slab
Avalanche Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Depth
3'
Width
175'
Vertical
250'
Caught
1
Carried
1
Buried - Fully
1
Accident and Rescue Summary
The party was riding a steep slope on the east side of Midnight Mountain in SE Idaho. The victim rode up the slope, and while making a right-hand turn, the slope broke about 15 feet above him. He attempted to ride out of the slide but was quickly overtaken. He jumped from his snowmobile. He was wearing an airbag, but was unable to deploy it as the trigger was caught under the pack shoulder strap.
The party quickly found the buried victim with his helmet only a couple of inches under the snow. They were able to quickly extract him, and he had no major injuries. It took over 20 minutes of probing to find the buried snowmobile. It was pinned up against trees about 20 feet above where the rider was found and buried about 4 feet deep.
Comments
These pictures are from Franklin County Highmarker's Facebook post. The exact size and location is approximate, based on the description and photos.
Video
Coordinates