An aerial photograph of where the avalanche occurred. Photo: Bridger Teton Avalanche Center.
On December 17 at around 2:50 p.m. local time, the Teton County, Idaho Sheriff’s Office received news of an avalanche west of Driggs in the Big Hole Mountains, the northern portion of the Snake River Range which spans the states of Idaho and Wyoming and includes 10 mountains over 9,000 feet. The avalanche occurred in an area locally known as “Relay Ridge,” close to the Big Hole Mountains landmark of Ryan Peak and the city of Driggs, Idaho.
The reporting party noted that two people were caught in the avalanche, one of them on a snowmobile, the other on skis. Local search and rescue teams from Idaho and Wyoming were immediately dispatched, as well as sheriffs teams, K-9 units, and air support from Air Idaho. By 9 p.m., the Teton County Idaho Sheriff’s Office reported that both of the victims bodies had been recovered from the scene. Due to their age, the names of both victims were being withheld, but have since become available. On the Bridger Teton Avalanche Center’s (BTAC) avalanche event page, the victims are listed as Kade McKinlay and Janson Webster of Rigby, Idaho. Both were just 17 years old.
The snowmobile is believed to have triggered the slide at 8,417 feet on an eastern facing aspect with an angle of 36-40 degrees. These are the second and third avalanche deaths of the season, since a slide on December 11 in the backcountry of Crystal Mountain in Washington claimed the life of a man from Issaquah and trapped five others.
Closeup of the slide area. Photo: Bridger Teton Avalanche Center.
BTAC, which also serves the areas surrounding Jackson Hole, Wyoming, had reported three to four feet of new snow in the Tetons since December 5, and the avalanche danger at the time of the event was rated as “considerable” in the Teton forecast area, which does not cover the Big Holes.
There’s a lot of snow falling very quickly right now, basically everywhere in the Western U.S. If you choose to play out in the backcountry, be smart, stay safe, and if in doubt, don’t go out.
If you’re interested in getting out there safely, a great place to start is Inspire Course’s Backcountry Basics and Avalanche Awareness with instruction from iconic snowboarder Nick Russell and avy expert Sam Thackeray.
