Snow Danger

Skier Dies in Sun Valley Avalanche

By Sun Valley Online , Guest Writer, 1-24-10

	Avalanche viewed from Broadway. Victim was found in the trees above the person. The avalanche extended above the trees near the top of the photo. (Photo courtesy of SunValleyOnline/ Avalanche Center.)

A 54-year-old Ketchum man was killed Friday in an in-bounds avalanche on Sun Valley’s Bald Mountain.

The Blaine County Coroner confirmed that Timothy L. Michael of Ketchum had died.

Earlier the Sun Valley Resort made the following statement:

“At 2:31 pm today the Sun Valley Ski Patrol responded to a report of a buried male skier on Bald Mountain. Avalanche rescue procedures were instituted and at 2:46 pm the ski patrol located the skier. He was found in a slide below Fire Trail Lane above Lower Broadway. CPR was started and the skier was transported to St. Luke’s Wood River Medical Center.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the skier and his family. We would like to acknowledge the outstanding efforts of the Sun Valley Ski Patrol and the Ketchum Fire Department,” said Tim Silva, General Manager, Sun Valley Resort.

On the Sawtooth National Forest Avalanche center, their current advisory for the South and Central Wood River Valley area stated the following:

“The avalanche danger is estimated to be HIGH. Recent storms have finally loaded extremely fragile faceted snow that is now buried about 2 feet deep. Although conditions are not likely to be as touchy as they were yesterday, additional snowfall today will cause dangerous avalanche conditions to persist in this region. Control work on Baldy produced numerous slides yesterday, and a triggered avalanche may have occurred out of bounds. Travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended, and this includes beneath steep snow covered slopes out our lower elevation side canyons. Strong southeasterly winds overnight will keep wind slabs a concern today – watch for these on upper elevation exposed slopes.”

On Saturday morning Lower Broadway remained closed as numerous blasts were heard for avalanche control.

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