Another Avalanche Death in Grand Teton National Park
By Michael Frank on March 4th, 2013
It’s been a grim winter in the backcountry of Grand Teton National Park, with a second death occurring this past Friday. An avalanche killed Jarad Spackman of Jackson Hole, sweeping him down a steep, narrow chute on Prospectors Mountain. He was with another skier at the time, who was unharmed but also unable to save Spackman. The duo was ascending Apocalypse Couloir, a chute on the mountain’s north face that feeds into Death Canyon, with an eye on descending an adjacent chute. If those names sound ominous, the forecast for avalanches in the area was merely moderate but hardly consoling. Bridger-Teton National Forest Avalanche Center director Bob Comey says, “Apocalypse Couloir is extreme terrain, even when the hazard is low. We put out a general avalanche forecast, and it doesn’t apply to terrain like that. Ever. The teeniest little slide could sweep you to your death. It’s been identified as a go-to place for extreme skiers, and you know what — it has consequences,” he said. Via Jackson Hole Daily.
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