2012/02/25 - Montana - Skyline Creek, near Marias Pass

Published 2012/11/27 by Stan Bones - Glacier Country Avalanche Center

On Saturday, 2-25-12, the Cutbank snowmobile club, the Summit Snowgoers, was hosting a club outing in the Skyland-Challenge–Morrison Creek areas. Consequently more riders than usual were in the area where the club grooms a number of snowmobile trails, primarily on developed Forest Service access roads. Riding Timbersled Mountain Horse motorized dirt bike conversion snow bikes, The two began their day in the East Fork Skyland Creek area. Riding both on and off the groomed trails and roads, they were working their way cross-country southward, back toward the main groomed route on Skyland Road, NFSR # 569. They were in familiar terrain, having ridden both snowbikes and snowmobiles there for a number of years. On this day they were finding a significant amount of new, soft snow and agreed to “ride low,” remaining in the valley and avoiding the big, steep slopes of Mule and Patrol Ridges, the Puzzle Hills, and the Continental Divide.

By 10:15 AM they had crossed from the East Fork into the West Fork of Skyland Creek. They had entered the recovering clear cut unit sandwiched between the creek and the east-west elongated ridge forming the divide between the Skyland and Challenge Creek drainages. The companion had snowmobiled in this area near the terminus of Forest Service Road # 9604 numerous times with his family, both before and after the fires had altered the area. He said that since the fires he and others had noticed a significant change in the general snow conditions found throughout the burned areas. The cutting unit had escaped the latest Skyland fire, while all the mature timber around the perimeter burned. This left a doughnut hole of small reproduction pine surrounded by an open stand of fire killed, spire-like snags. After the snow biking pair had stopped to free Rider 1’s mired bike, the companion rode west on the road as it cuts along the break between the steeper north facing ridge above and the flatter slope of the old clearcut below.

At the point where he could see the ridge above was beginning to dip and the steep north face starting to flatten, the companion left the road and began an ascending side hill climb into the relatively open stand of fire killed snags. Compared to snowmobiles, motorized snow bikes are far more adept at side hilling. After traveling only a short distance he felt the snow collapse and saw the steep slope above him breaking. A wave of snow soon hit and threw him from his machine, at which point he swam and fought to stay on the surface. Luckily he missed colliding with any of the snags. When the moving snow came to a stop, he was facing downhill, somewhat on his stomach, head out of the snow, buried mostly up to his chest. Looking around he expected to see Rider 1 riding up, thinking that he was some distance behind. Instead he could see or hear nothing of his friend.

While digging himself out, the companion said he then noticed Rider 1’s snow bike was 50-70 feet above him, lying on its side above a snag. Suddenly a hand popped out of the snow a short distance above and east of the companion’s position. The companion struggled to free himself, digging at the snow with his hands. Since beginning to ride snow bikes he said he seldom carried a shovel. In addition to being blocky, the avalanche debris was dense, icy, and set hard, “like concrete.” After considerable struggle and quite some time the companion was able to free himself. Using his cell phone he called 911 and rushed to Rider 1’s position and again began digging with his hands. He said that the protruding hand that earlier had been moving was now motionless. When finally uncovered by a recovery party, Rider 1 was reportedly buried face down.