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BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON -- The death of one male in an avalanche has been confirmed by local officials.
The three men set out from an area halfway up the canyon near Blind Miner's Mine and made their way to the top of Kessler Peak, at the apex of Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons, Unified Police Lt. Justin Hoyal said.
As they reached the peak of the ridge around 11:30 a.m., Alecsander Barton descended the slope first on his snowboard, reports the Avalanche Center, triggering the avalanche and carrying him an estimated 2,400 feet down the slope, completely burying the 24 year old under about 3 feet of snow.
The other two skiers, whose conditions were reported as "fine," had not been caught in the avalanche and began to search for Barton afterward. The two unharmed men called 911 and switched their avalanche transceivers on to find Barton. By the time rescuers and Wasatch Backcountry Rescue arrived at the scene by helicopter, the two skiers had already found the man deceased. They were flown out of the canyon.
Early Friday, the Utah Department of Transportation announced over Twitter that Little Cottonwood Canyon was closed for avalanche control work and that travel in Big Cottonwood Canyon would be restricted to those with chains and four-wheel drive vehicles. The canyons were reopened later in the day. The three had reportedly headed to Kessler Peak prepared for back country skiing.
"They had beacons and were prepared for the back country, but the backcountry conditions right now are just extremely dangerous," said Lt. Justin Hoyal of the Unified Police.
Truth be told, it's also days like these where we see avalanche accidents. Discipline, self-denial - these are things we not only aspire to - it's what keeps us alive in conditions like these.
–- Drew Hadesty
Barton's death marks the ninth avalanche fatality in the West this season, and experts say the risk of additional slides could remain high all winter.
The Utah Avalanche Center reminded people to check avalanche conditions before heading out to back country, and that when dangers are high, to never venture beyond professionally groomed slopes.
The center issued an advisory early Saturday classifying the danger level as "considerable."
The forecast by Drew Hardesty, included a warning that "very dangerous conditions exist in the backcountry" and said that while there would be clear skies and tempting powder, conditions were still dangerous.
"Truth be told, it’s also days like these where we see avalanche accidents," Hadesty wrote. "Discipline, self-denial – these are things we not only aspire to – it’s what keeps us alive in conditions like these."
Experts say a weak base layer of snow due to a dry winter, packed with large grains of ice that are loosely connected, is plaguing parts of Utah, Colorado, Montana and California, and could keep avalanche risks high for the rest of the season.
Of the West's nine avalanche deaths this season, four were in Colorado, three were along the Wyoming-Montana border, and two were in Utah, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. There were 25 deaths recorded last winter and 36 the season before.
There was another human triggered avalanche Saturday morning in the Holy Toledo area of Big Cottonwood Canyon. The skier was able to get out of it and wasn't hurt.
Written by Emiley Morgan with contributions from Sandra Yi and the Associated Press.
