Summer wildfire raises avalanche danger

BOISE – A massive wildfire in central Idaho late last summer has opened up new backcountry ski slopes and changed the character of past favorites so much that an official is warning of increased avalanche danger.

“Do not expect these slopes to have similar conditions as in past years,” said Janet Kellam, director of the Sawtooth National Forest Avalanche Center. “It is a whole new ballgame, and we anticipate an increase in avalanche danger in some burned areas.”

Fire managers declared the Castle Rock fire contained on Sept. 4, but not before the 78-square-mile blaze had forced evacuation of more than 2,000 homes and came within 50 yards of a $12 million Sun Valley ski lodge atop Bald Mountain, prompting the company to run its existing snowmaking equipment to fend off flames.

Workers at the ski area do avalanche control to prevent snow from building up and causing dangerous situations during the ski season. But no such avalanche control is done in backcountry areas.

In those backcountry areas, the Castle Rock fire thinned timbered ridgelines that once sheltered slopes from wind-drifted snow, Kellam said. The timber on the slopes also helped anchor the snowpack.

Without that timber, Kellam said, the slopes are more accessible to skiers and even snowmobilers, but they face a greater avalanche danger.

Slopes containing sagebrush also burned, leaving those areas more prone to avalanche as well.

“The key is to stay alert, marvel at Mother Nature, have all the fun you can, but don’t become complacent and assume we live in a manicured park,” Kellam said.

Besides avalanches, Kellam said, other dangers include downed trees hidden just under the snow that can cause leg injuries on otherwise placid looking slopes.

“They may seem alluring, but be cautious,” she said. “Don’t let powder fever and new opportunities cloud your judgment.”