MSU Backcountry Skier Dies Near History Rock In Hyalite Canyon Due To Equipment Failure
Hyalite Canyon, Montana – At 10:45PM on Thursday, February 4, 2016 the girlfriend of Nathaniel “Alex” Wright, 20, called 911 and reported that Wright was overdue from a solo backcountry ski trip in Hyalite Canyon in the Gallatin Range near Bozeman, Montana.
Wright, a Montana State University student from Anchorage, Alaska, had been skiing alone in the History Rock area of Hyalite Canyon when he had an equipment malfunction that did not allow him to return to his car.
Search and Rescue responded to the call and searched all night long on snowmobiles and on skis. They also used night vision from Reach Medical Helicopter. Rescuers found Wright’s body at 6:30 AM on Friday, February 5, 2016 “well north of History rock near Hyalite Creek.”
Temperatures in Hyalite dropped into the single digits overnight. The exact cause of death will be investigated by the coroner’s office.
In a Gallatin County Sheriff/Coroner report, Sheriff Brian Gootkin notes that “Sometimes we let the closeness of the backcountry in Gallatin County lull us into a false sense of safety. You may be able to see town but you really are in the backcountry and if something goes wrong it can turn tragic.”
We will try to update this post as more information becomes available.
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Read more about the MSU student who died while backcountry skiing in Hyalite Canyon:
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History Rock is where a solo backcountry skier impaled himself through the groin in November 2016.
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If you are in the backcountry, are you prepared for an emergency? Make sure you always have a backcountry skiing emergency repair kit, a PLB, and a partner. These things could save your life.
