Headwall Slide Takes Out Mid-Mountain Lodge
The last couple of days in Jackson Hole have been crazy, terrifying, and tragic. I think the best way to explain what is happening in Jackson is to tell a “story.”
“This story has been passed around and may not be accurate.”
Brain was patrolling the Headwall on Monday morning. The snow pack was been upside down, backwards, and needless to say unstable. The radio station asked everyone to avoid the backcountry, calling it “volatile.” Patrol bombed the headwall with hand charges and nothing moved. More patrolmen hiked up the white spider (the north bootpack of the headwall). They decided to attach a bomb to piece of bamboo. The idea is that the charge will effect more surface area. Brian was stationed on the south side of the Headwall Restaurant ready to hike up the headwall when a deluge of snow headed his way. He ran as fast as could to the safety of the building. The snow caught up to him and pinned him against the wall. “I was pressed up against the wall and snow was piling around me. I kept wiping the snow away from my face in hopes of creating an air pocket.” When the snow settled, Brian was neck deep with one free hand to dig for his radio. “Workers down, need assistance.”
Brain and everyone else involved made it out safely. It is hard to believe the events of today are true. The skiing has been amazing, but the snow pack has been terrifying. I have been skiing with a beacon, shovel, and probe within the resort boundaries. Yesterday I skied one of my favorite resort runs, A-1. I have never been so nervous to drop into A-1. I skied it as fast as I possibly could and then held my breath as I watched my partners descend. Skiing should be full of face shots and high fives, but the reality of it is that it is as only as safe as the surface you are skiing on.
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has done an incredible job this past week. Patrol has been working around the clock to make the mountain safe for everyone to ski. Yet with a large upside down snow pack, it has been one of the most volatile snowpacks in the last ten years.
“Ski to ski another day!”
JHMR Press Release
The slide descended from the top of the Headwall, and a second slide was triggered, which continued down to the base of the run reaching the west and south sides of the building that houses three resort restaurants, causing considerable non-structural damage to the building.
This incident took place prior to the Bridger Gondola being open to the public, but a number of JHMR operational employees were in the vicinity. A search for potential victims was conducted and by 10:06am, all JHMR employees were accounted for.
Following the incident a decision was made to close the resort temporarily while further avalanche hazard reduction work took place. Lower mountain lifts were quickly re-opened. At this time the upper mountain remains closed while Ski Patrol continues its avalanche hazard reduction routines in an attempt to get the resort re-opened as quickly and safely as possible.
Due to the significant snowfall received in the Teton region (62 inches in past seven days), we have received a request from our partners at Bridger Teton National Forest to close the OB gates into the surrounding backcountry. JHMR will honor this request and close all our gates into the backcountry until further notice.
“Our patrollers have done a phenomenal job showing the utmost professionalism and teamwork. I am extremely proud of their efforts and appreciate the risks they take on a daily basis. I also want to acknowledge our entire staff under these challenging circumstances” stated Jerry Blann, President, JHMR.
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has established standards and protocols for minimizing the risk of avalanche that are based on the current weather and snowpack conditions. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort receives over 400 inches of snow annually and is dedicated to making the skiing and riding as safe as possible for our guests. Avalanche conditions change hour-by-hour and day-by-day. JHMR Ski Patrol continuously monitors elements of the weather and snowpack conditions 24 hours a day throughout the winter and uses this information to continually assess potential hazards.
We acknowledge and are grateful for the quick response of the community including the Teton County Sheriff’s Department, Teton County Search and Rescue and USFS.
gnarly.
I think ‘gnarly’ sums it up quite well. Not gonna stop me skiing though!