Now with the increase in back country and “side country” skiing and snowboarding it became clear that everyone, whether in a lesson or free skiing/riding, should have some basic knowledge about snow safety. Prevention is one of the best ways to stay safe whether in the back country or within avalanche controlled areas of ski resorts.
In January 2020, an in-bounds avalanche killed two people at Silver Mountain Resort in Northern Idaho. This was terrain that was “avalanche controlled.” But as we know, avalanche control work does not always trigger avalanches and everyone skiing and snowboarding within an avalanche controlled area should be aware of the risks and some basic understanding of safe travel and how to assist someone who’s trapped in deep snow.
Even more recently, on January 10, 2024 an in-bounds avalanche also occurred at Palisades Tahoe, in avalanche controlled terrain, where one male skier sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased by Tahoe Forest Hospital. Three other skiers sustained non-life threatening injuries, and were released after initial treatment.
Blog post at the Palisades/Tahoe website about the incident: https://blog.palisadestahoe.com/operations/incident-update/