Snowmobiler Dies in Large Togwotee Pass Avalanche

Very large persistent slab avalanche that buried and killed a snowmobiler near Breccia Cliffs on Togwotee Pass yesterday afternoon.

A post shared by BT Avalanche Center (@btacavy) on Mar 5, 2019 at 7:27am PST

A snowmobiler was killed in an avalanche on the north side of Wyoming’s Togwotee Pass, near the Breccia Cliffs area on Monday afternoon. The 27-year-old Wisconsin man was identified as Dale Walter Clyde Laedtke according to the JH News and Guide.

RELATED: Two Massive Avalanches Hit Colorado's I-70

The man was snowmobiling in a group of four when the avalanche was triggered, fully burying him. His partners uncovered him after five minutes and started CPR, which was unsuccessful. Teton County Search and Rescue responded to the scene. The size R3 D3.5 avalanche broke beneath large cliffs and ran several hundred feet over rocks and through small trees. Bridger Teton Avalanche Center reported the crown to be 96 inches deep.

While the avalanche danger has been lowered to Moderate for the Teton, Togwotee and Greys River zones, numerous large avalanches have been reported since the weekend including one on No Name Face just south of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.

The avalanche crown visible on No Name Peak south of JHMR. BTAC photo.

From Bridger Teton Avalanche Center:

Areas of unstable snow exist and human triggered avalanches are possible. Yesterday in Grand Teton National Park, at an elevation of 12,238 feet the second skier on a slope was caught but not injured after triggering a hard slab avalanche on a very steep northerly aspect. A snowmobiler on Togwotee Pass was buried in an avalanche yesterday afternoon and did not survive. Humans who venture into very steep avalanche starting zones could trigger dense winds slabs. Very large deep persistent slab avalanches may still be a concern in isolated areas, especially for larger triggers like snowmachines. Avalanches are unlikely at the lower elevations except on isolated terrain features during the warmest portion of the day. As the day progresses, sunshine and warming temperatures could increase the sensitivity of areas of unstable snow to human triggers at all elevations. Conduct snow stability assessments, monitor conditions and avoid steep terrain in areas where the snow structure is poor.

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