Forest Service Closes Avalanche-Prone Trails Danger Of Slides Prompts Warning To Stay Out Of Back Country

Two North Idaho snowmobile trails were closed Friday because of avalanche danger and the U.S. Forest Service is encouraging people to stay out of the back country.

Priest Lake Ranger Ken Dunstan made the Boulder Trail and the Beaver Creek/Beaver Pass route off limits Friday. Warm weather, winds and heavy snowfall this week all spell high avalanche danger.

If that trend continues, the prospects for getting buried in snow will become extreme, the Forest Service said. There are several signs it will.

The higher elevations at Schweitzer Mountain Resort, for example, reported 1-1/2 feet of new snow on Wednesday. That adds additional weight to an already precariously perched snowpack.

Temperatures are supposed to warm near the 40s today with rain in the valleys, Forest Service officials said. The mercury will climb to at least above freezing in the higher elevations and there will be wet snow or rain.

Such conditions are custom-made for more avalanches.

A 28-year-old Oldtown, Idaho, man, Troy Douglas, was killed by an avalanche last weekend while snowmobiling on state land in northern Bonner County. A 22-year-old man also died last weekend in British Columbia, victim of an avalanche, and there have been a spate of close calls in recent weeks.

In addition, an avalanche temporarily buried part of the Moon Pass snowmobile trail in Benewah County. A mud slide closed the St. Maries to Avery Highway this week.

People almost always trigger the avalanche that catches them, Forest Service officials say, and they survive less than 30 percent of the time. A person’s body weight alone can trigger an avalanche, even on a gentle slope.

The first half-hour after burial - often called the “golden half-hour” is the most critical for a rescue. After 30 minutes, chances of survival drop by 50 percent, the Forest Service said.

While heavy snowfall exacerbates the chances of an avalanche, it’s not a sure thing. The majority of avalanches kick loose under blue skies.

“There’s only one way to completely protect yourself from avalanches: Don’t go into avalanche terrain,” said Bob Kasun, a hydrologist for the Panhandle National Forests.

To decrease the chances of getting caught in an avalanche, the Forest Service recommends:

Never travel alone.

Only allow one person at a time to cross a slope.

Dig a pit to examine the snow layers before venturing into danger areas.

Each member of a party should carry a shovel, an avalanche transceiver and probe poles.

Travel along ridge tops and toward the windward side of the ridge. When traveling in valley bottoms, stay well away from the bottom of slopes.

Stay off slopes steeper than 30 degrees.

, DataTimes