Accident Report Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center

Saturday, December 11, 2004

Eccles Peak-one snowmobiler killed

Provisional Report by: Craig Gordon, 4/2/05

Location: Eccles Peak, Monte Cristo Range, Rich County

Accident Summery:

On Thursday March 31st a group of five snowmobilers left the Monte Cristo trailhead, located near Ogden, Utah, for a day of snowmobiling. The terrain is relatively benign and is an area many locals go to when there is an avalanche danger on nearby steep, climbing hills. The group was very familiar with the terrain and was thinking about the avalanche conditions, and they were all wearing beacons, shovels, and probes. Four of the riders stopped on top of a slope just to the south of “Whiskey Hill”. The fifth sledder and avalanche victim passed by them, and much to everyone’s surprise began descending a steep adjacent slope to the south, named Eccles Peak.
The snowmobiler was only about 20’ onto the slope when he propagated a large avalanche.

Rescue Summery:

One of the members of the party drove to the top of the slope, got off his machine and ran down the bed surface while the rest of the party approached from the bottom of the slope. Within a matter of minutes the fellow descending the slope pinpointed the victim in a tight group of trees and within 7 or 8 minutes the party had the victim dug out. He wasn’t conscious or breathing and c.p.r. was performed. At approx. 10:51 a cell phone call was made to 911 and both the Rich County Sheriff and Life Flight responded. While a coroners report was not yet available, it seems that massive chest trauma was the cause of death.

Avalanche Data:

The avalanche was classified: HS-AM-R3-D3-O. The slide occurred on a northeast facing slope, at about 9,000’ in elevation. The slope was convex with a 38 degree starting zone and a 43-45 degree mid slope break over. The crown averaged 4’ in depth, was 500-600’ wide, and ran about 400’ vertically. The weak layer was facets formed during our late February- early March dry spell.

Weather History:

The Wasatch Range had recently experienced a significant storm cycle with the final storm beginning on Tuesday March 29th and ending early Thursday morning the 30th. The closest Snotel sight reported nearly 2” of water. Winds had been out of the west and northwest throughout the storm with hourly averages in the 20’s and 30’s and gusts near 50 mph. The slope was heavily loaded by wind transported snow off a flat, broad ridge just west of the accident site. The avalanche danger was rated as Considerable for this type of terrain. This is Utah’s 8th avalanche fatality and third snowmobile fatality this year.

Here are photos of the accident site: http://www.avalanche.org/~uac/BRAIC/WhiskeyHill.htm

Here is a crown profile: http://www.avalanche.org/%7Euac/Accidents/WhiskeyH/Whiskey%20Hill%20Crown%20Profile.htm