Observer Name
UAC Staff & The Snowy Torrents
Observation Date
Wednesday, May 22, 2024
Avalanche Date
Sunday, February 12, 1995
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Gobblers Knob
Location Name or Route
Southwest facing Gobblers Knob
Elevation
8,700'
Aspect
Southwest
Slope Angle
37°
Trigger
Skier
Trigger: additional info
Unintentionally Triggered
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
New Snow
Weak Layer
New Snow/Old Snow Interface
Depth
2'
Width
125'
Vertical
200'
Caught
3
Carried
3
Buried - Partly
2
Buried - Fully
1
Injured
2
Killed
1
Accident and Rescue Summary
Three backcountry skiers caught and carried; two partially buried, one injured, and one killed. The party was hit by a slide from above while traversing on moderately-angled terrain. Another party came to their assistance finding the buried skier and providing medical care that stabilized the severely injured skier.
The narrative below is from the UAC Annual Report 1994-95.
***One of the skier's name is listed incorrectly as John Paul. His actual name is James Paul.***
Comments
“The Snowy Torrents are like the Deep Sea: They seldom return their victims alive”
Narrative provided by The Snowy Torrents, courtesy of the American Avalanche Association. More information here: https://www.americanavalancheassociation.org/store
Logan, Spencer, Reardon, Blase, Walker, Emma, Long McKenzie (2022). The Snowy Torrents: Avalanche Accidents in the United States 1986-1996. American Avalanche Association
Avalanche File
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 1995.02.12_Gobblers_Snowy_Torrents_.pdf | 159.74 KB |
| 1995.02.12_Gobblers_Snow_Pit.pdf | 316.3 KB |
| Behavioral_Science_in_the_Backcountry_-_By_Greg_Rosalsky_-_Behavioral_Scientist.pdf | 1.36 MB |
Coordinates
