Stuck skier rescued from Glacier backcountry

A skier stuck in deep snow had to be rescued from the Glacier National Park backcountry earlier this week, the park announced in a press release Friday.

On New Year’s Day, a 25-year-old man from Great Falls became stuck in the snowpack while skiing off the Apgar Lookout Trail on the west side of the park near West Glacier.

The skier was within cellphone service and contacted Flathead County Dispatch, which in turn alerted the park. Rangers communicated with the skier via text message and directed him back to the trail. Traveling on skis, they then escorted him back to the trailhead.

North Valley Search and Rescue then transported him on snowmobile back to his vehicle, arriving at approximately 11 p.m. The skier was uninjured.

West Glacier received 20 inches of new snow between Dec. 27-30. A remote weather station just south of West Glacier showed 35 inches of snow at 4,300 feet in elevation on Friday.

Glacier National Park Chief Ranger Paul Austin thanked the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office for its assistance, saying it “facilitated a much faster rescue.”

But he also warned prospective skiers to “be prepared for the likely possibility that your cellphone will not work. Even if it does, a rescue could be many hours away depending on your location.”

Recommended precautions include skiing with a partner and planning and dressing for challenging conditions, and checking conditions on the websites of Glacier National Park and the Flathead Avalanche Center.