Snowmobiler dies in Cooke City area avalanche

Park County Undersheriff Scott Hamilton reported a snowmobiler from North Dakota died in an avalanche near Cooke City on Wednesday, Nov. 26.

Hamilton said authorities received a report of a slide in the Henderson Peak area at about 1:30 p.m. The 31-year-old man was buried by about 8 feet of snow.

His snowmobiling partner dug him out in about 20 minutes and began CPR, but the man died at the scene. The snowmobilers were equipped with beacons and rescue equipment.

The Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center issued a backcountry avalanche warning Wednesday morning for the Bridger, Gallatin and Madison mountain ranges along with the Lionhead area outside West Yellowstone and the mountains around Cooke City.

Locally, the Flathead Avalanche Center posted a report on Sunday, Nov. 23, about snow conditions on Big Mountain, where skiing is expected to start at Whitefish Mountain Resort on Saturday, Dec. 6.

“The snowpack is inverted, with up to 8 inches of dense snow on top of the older, cold and faceted snow from the previous storm,” the post stated. “Snowpack is hollow in places and the skiing is poor.”

With extreme cold and wind a week ago followed by heavy snow and warmer temperatures, the Flathead area snowpack is considered unstable.

“Allow this weak, shallow snowpack time to adjust to the new load,” the Flathead Avalanche Center advised. “Be conservative in terrain selection, poke around in the snow, and don’t let early season powder fever ruin the whole season.”