A 600-Foot Fall Injures Backcountry Skier In The Great One – A Classic Summer Ski Descent
The Great One, Montana – At 9:27 AM on June 22, 2016, the Gallatin County Search and Rescue was called to the Northern Bridger Range north of Bozeman, Montana to assist a 23-year-old local woman who fell while backcountry skiing in the Great One on Naya Nuki Peak – a classic summer ski descent in remote SW Montana.
The woman suffered arm, leg, neck and head injuries during her 600 foot fall through steep and technical terrain. Gallatin SAR had to climb up to her and prepare her for helicopter extraction as there was nowhere to land a helicopter. She was then transferred to another helicopter and taken directly to Bozeman Deaconess Hospital.
The Great One is a north facing couloir on Naya Nuki Peak that runs about 1500 vertical feet. The backcountry ski descent is located SW of Sacagawea Peak, the highest point in the Bridger Range. The Great One is accessed via the Fairy Lake Trailhead. See photos of The Great One in this trip report.
We will try to update this article if more info becomes available.
