Two Skiers Buried in Avalanche Near Park City

Originally posted on Powder | By Ian Greenwood | Last updated Feb 10, 2025 1:18 PM ET

At around 1 p.m. Saturday, February 9, 2025, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office received word that an avalanche had occurred in the Dutch Draw backcountry area just outside the boundaries of Park City Mountain, Utah.

The slide, according to the Utah Avalanche Center’s report, involved three skiers. As two members of the party skied ahead, an avalanche about 200 feet above them released. The skier who remained behind wasn’t buried.

In the avalanche, one skier was fully buried, and one skier was partially buried. The partially buried skier self-extricated and began a beacon search. Four people who were at the top of the Ninety-Nine 90 Express had radio contact with the victims and entered the Dutch Draw area to assist in digging out the buried skier.

The buried skier was safely extricated and unhurt, the Utah Avalanche Center reports.

When the Summit County Sheriff’s Office was notified of the avalanche, Search and Rescue units were dispatched to the scene alongside Park City Mountain ski patrollers. The Summit County Sheriff’s Office and Park City Mountain have a volunteer service agreement, allowing ski patrollers to join Search and Rescue teams.

All three skiers involved in the avalanche were safely escorted off the mountain, the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

“While we are relieved that there were no fatalities or major injuries, this incident serves as an important reminder of the risks of backcountry recreation,” the statement concluded. “We urge all backcountry enthusiasts to check avalanche conditions and carry the necessary safety equipment before venturing into the mountains.”

According to the Utah Avalanche Center, the Dutch Draw area has seen numerous fatal avalanches, including ones in 2021, 2019, 2012, and 2005.

On the day of the latest Dutch Draw incident, the Utah Avalanche Center had reported “considerable” avalanche danger, the third highest level of the North American Public Avalanche Danger Scale.

That same day, another backcountry avalanche occurred in the East Bowl area near Solitude Mountain Resort and Brighton Resort in Utah's Big Cottonwood Canyon, killing one skier via trauma.

The weekend’s elevated avalanche danger in Utah was the result of a moisture-dense winter storm that passed through the state, the Park Record reports.

“We have a lot of concerns about the snowpack, and it’s going to remain dangerous for a while,” Utah Avalanche Center forecaster Greg Gagne told the Park Record. “It’s not going to heal in a day or two. It’s going to get a little harder and harder to trigger an avalanche over time, but this isn’t going to go away anytime soon.”

Today, throughout much of Utah, the elevation danger remains “moderate” and “considerable, per the Utah Avalanche Center.

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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