Avalanche — Gallatin, Montana

2022-02-06 · Gallatin, Montana

Event narrative

Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center reports a snowmobiler was caught in a natural avalanche near the Lionhead Recreation area. Individual was carried into trees by the avalanche.

Wider weather episode

On February 6 a group of 4 men from Iowa were riding in Lionhead. They had ridden in the area for the last 12-15 winters. They all had a beacon, shovel and probe, and 3 of the 4 had airbag packs, including the victim. They all had taken avalanche awareness classes multiple times and read the GNFAC avalanche forecast that morning. The site of the avalanche is locally referred to as 'Ski Hill', a common slope for snowmobilers to ride ever since a large avalanche cleared trees from the bottom of the path in March 2012. The party knew this was avalanche terrain and had seen the slope slide before.

Bradie (30 years old), the victim, was an expert rider who spent 3 winters in the area. No one witnessed the avalanche, but his brother believes he was sidehilling across the slope, which he had done earlier. Two of the 4 were on top of the slope and out of view. His brother rode up the hill from the bottom of Denny Creek when he saw avalanche debris and Bradie's flipped sled. Further upslope he spotted orange fabric from a deflated airbag against a tree. He made his way over on sled and foot. It is undetermined if Bradie deployed the airbag or if the zipper opened and spilled the fabric out of the pack. The bright color signaled his location. The brother estimates 10-15 minutes passed from when the avalanche was triggered to when he saw it. It took him another 5-10 minutes to reach and uncover his brother. Bradie had his back pressed against a tree, head helmeted and slightly uphill, but buried under a foot of debris. He was not breathing, although his brother heard a few gasps after digging him out.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1009762. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.