Avalanche in Wyoming backcountry kills experienced outdoorsman, injures another skier
An avalanche in western Wyoming buried two skiers over the weekend, killing one and injuring the other.
Teton County Search and Rescue said the deadly incident took place on the Togwotee Pass in the Breccia Cliffs area on Saturday afternoon.
The two skiers were part of a group of four ascending a mountain in the backcountry approximately 20 miles east of Grand Teton National Park when they triggered an avalanche.
One skier was completely buried while the other was partially buried with leg injuries.
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An emergency alert for a known avalanche burial went out just before noon on Saturday, but it took first responders nearly four hours to reach the scene because of the weather conditions.
Teton County Search and Rescue initially deployed teams to respond via helicopter, snowmobiles and skis. The helicopter ended up returning because the "conditions did not permit an air response" and the snowmobile team was also unable to reach the skiers because of "challenging conditions."
The team of skiers on skins – fabric that attaches to the bottom of skis to help climb hills – ultimately reached the party at 3:47 p.m. They treated the injured skier and used a litter to ski the person out of the backcountry to an ambulance.
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They were also able to recover the body of the skier and used a sked to bring him out of the backcountry. Teton County Coroner Brent Blue identified him as Kenneth Goff, 36, according to The Associated Press.
Goff, who was from Lander, Wyoming, was an experienced outdoorsman and worked as a nurse and with the city's search and rescue team, according to his resume on a portfolio website.
He had worked as a rock climbing instructor in various capacities since October 2011 and had been teaching climbing and mountaineering courses at the National Outdoor Leadership School in Lander since May 2017.
Goff is the fifth person killed by an avalanche in the United States this winter.
"This serves as an important reminder of how much longer a mission can take when the helicopter is grounded, and is another factor to consider in your backcountry planning should an accident occur," Teton County Search and Rescue wrote on Facebook.
"TCSAR extends its most sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased skier."