The 29-year-old was snowmobiling with a party of three near Togwotee Pass when the avalanche occurred. Wikipedia Photo.
Tragedy struck Togwotee Pass, near Jackson, Wyoming, on Wednesday afternoon after a snowmobiler died in an avalanche. The 29-year-old victim, Cody Christopherson from Wisconsin, was snowmobiling with a party of three when the incident occurred, according to the Jackson Hole News and Guide. While the details surrounding his death are pending, it is known that Christopherson’s friends were able to dig him out even though he was not using an avalanche beacon and start CPR. However, when emergency personnel arrived Christopherson was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center reported:
A snowmobiler triggered a slab avalanche from the base of a steep slope. The slab failed on faceted snow and propagated to adjacent terrain. This person was buried below the snow surface and did not have an avalanche transceiver. Members of his party searched the debris and located the handle bars of his sled. They the used probes to find him 10 feet uphill of the sled and shovels to excavate him from beneath six feet of avalanche debris. He did not survive. Our sincere condolences are extended to his family and friends.
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Currently, the structural integrity of Togwotee Pass’ snowpack has been compromised by a series of weak snow layers. Many areas are particularly sensitive to a large trigger like a snowmobile or backcountry skier. For more information regarding the Bridger-Teton snowpack, be sure to check out the updated and detailed avalanche forecast from Jhavalanche.org.
About The Author
stash member Katie Lozancich
TGR Staff Writer and photographer. Fond of bikes, pow, and dogs. Originally from Northern CA, home for me has ranged from the PNW to a teepee in Grand Teton National Park.