Skier OK after Christmas avalanche

A skier is OK after being partially buried in an avalanche on Mount Aeneas in the Jewel Basin on Christmas Day.

A report from the Flathead Avalanche Center states the skier and a snowboarder were touring the area when they decided to descend a northeast aspect into Crown Bowl. The skier dropped in first and made three turns when he triggered the slide. He was carried about 100-150 feet where he ended up waist deep in debris.

The skier was uninjured, but the report notes the soft slab avalanche was large enough to totally bury or kill a person. The slide crown was between four and 12 inches and ran for about 300 feet.

The duo had dug a snow pit and performed compression tests in the start zone prior to riding the slope, the report notes.

“Even very experienced backcountry users that are taking all the right precautions and making the best decisions they can with the information they can gather, can be surprised,” avalanche specialist Seth Carbonair states in the report. “Use caution when entering slopes from ridge tops avoiding convex rolls and wind slabs.”

To view the complete incident report and recent avalanche advisories, visit online at www.flatheadavalanche.org.