Swan Range slide hits backcountry skier

The Flathead Avalanche Center reports that a backcountry skier triggered a soft slab avalanche near Noisy Basin in the Swan Range on Saturday evening, Dec. 14.

FAC staff spoke with the skier who triggered the slide. The incident occurred south of, or skier’s left of, Picnic Notch and north of Crown Bowl in the Swan Range.

The skier triggered the avalanche while ascending the slope after already making am earlier run. There were two members in the party, and only one got caught in the slide.

The snow carried the skier about 200 vertical feet downslope, where he came to rest near a tree completely buried with just one arm sticking out of the debris. He was able to extricate himself using his free arm and was uninjured.

FAC staff investigated the avalanche site the next day. The crown depth of the avalanche averaged about 12 inches with a maximum of 16-18 inches. The flanks were difficult to see because of overnight wind-loading, but the width of the crown was estimated at about 200 feet. The debris field extended about 500 vertical feet.