Yellowstone Club Ski Patroller Dies In Avalanche In Cedar Basin Near Big Sky, Montana
Big Sky, Montana – On Tuesday, January 19, 2016, Darren Johnson, a Yellowstone Club Ski Patroller since 2010, died in an avalanche in Cedar Basin in the northern Madison Range near Big Sky, Montana. The avalanche occurred outside of the ski area boundaries in a backcountry setting.
ABC News reports that the victim was one of two Yellowstone Club ski patrollers who were accompanying Montana State University graduates who were conducting snow science research. The group was heading back to the Yellowstone Club when the avalanche was triggered.
The Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center reports that the avalanche occurred on private land in a backcountry setting. While returning to the Yellowstone Club, one patroller jumped off a cornice and triggered an avalanche on his 2nd turn on a 39-42 degree wind loaded slope. The avalanche broke 2-4 feet deep. It was 300′ wide and carried him 300′ vertically. He was partially buried and his partners arrived in 3 minutes. The victim died of trauma as the avalanche swept him through the trees.
The GNFAC reported the avalanche danger for the Madison Range at the time of the incident on 1/19/16 as, “For today, slopes that are wind-loaded or steeper than 35 degrees have a CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger. All other slopes are rated MODERATE.”
Explore Big Sky wrote a quality article about this avalanche that is worth a read.
Doug Chabot of the GNFAC will investigate the scene and write a report later in the week.
Update 1/24 From GNFAC:
Here is the full avalanche accident report from the GNFAC.
UPDATE 1/21 FROM GNFAC:
The GNFAC investigated the site of the avalanche fatality in Cedar Basin and published their preliminary report in the GNFAC Avalanche Forecast on 01/21/16. Here are a few more details on the avalanche:
“On Tuesday, January 19th, two on-duty Yellowstone Club (YC) Ski Patrollers were helping two MSU graduate students collect data for snow science research. They were on private land in an uncontrolled backcountry setting, when, skiing back in-bounds to the YC, one of the patrollers triggered an avalanche. He jumped off a cornice onto a steep (39-42 degrees) wind-loaded slope which avalanched on his second turn. The slide broke 2-4 feet deep, 300 feet wide and carried him through a terrain trap of thick trees. He was partially buried at the toe of the debris 300 vertical feet below. His partners got to him within three minutes, but the trauma was fatal. We are all deeply saddened by the death of a fellow snow professional. Our hearts are broken for his family and friends.”
See additional photos of the Cedar Basin avalanche area from the GNFAC:
- A marked photo of the Cedar Basin Avalanche
- Cornice Above Slope
- Avalanche Dimensions
- Avalanche Debris In Trees
- Location Of Partially Buried Skier
- Lookin Down Slope From The Crown
- Snowpit In Crown Of Avalanche With Cornice Above
Here is GNFAC Avalanche Forecaster Doug Chabot’s video about the Cedar Basin Avalanche Fatality on 19 January 2016:
We will update this post with more information as it becomes available.
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Read more about the avalanche fatality on Cedar Mountain in the Madison Range from these sources:
- Explore Big Sky
- Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center
- GNFAC Avalanche Forecast – 1/19/2016
- GNFAC Avalanche Forecast on 01/21/16
- NBC Montana
- ABC News
- Explore Big Sky
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According to Avalanche.org, this is the 8th avalanche fatality of the 2015/2016 winter season. It occurred on the same day as an avalanche fatality on the Pyramid in the Tetons.
