Tetons

Yesterday a skier was caught, carried and completely buried (five feet deep) on a northeast aspect of Starvation Peak (located about 7 miles southwest of Teton Pass). This skier was located by companions with a beacon and rescued without injury. In Granite Canyon another skier was caught and carried. In both instances the person caught was the third person on the slope and these slides failed on mid January surfaces. SIMILAR EVENTS ARE LIKELY TODAY. Strong southwest to northwest winds have formed soft surface slabs up to three feet deep. These slabs lie upon slick old snow surfaces and surface hoar formed during the recent high pressure. These surface slabs are likely to be easily triggered by humans. The volume of these slabs is large considering their depths. Once triggered these slabs have been observed to run long distances.