US nears record for avalanche deaths amid risky conditions
MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN, Calif. – The mountains are calling, but the siren song has been especially dangerous this year.
From Alaska to Wyoming, dozens of skiers, snowboarders and other outdoor enthusiasts who see the backcountry as a refuge have been caught in barreling waves of snow and ice in one of the deadliest avalanche seasons in modern history.
On Feb. 27, four snowmobilers were caught in an icy deluge on Tiger Peak, north of a ghost town in Idaho. Two riders were buried, and one died while trapped under the snow. The week before, two other snowmobilers died in back-to-back avalanches over two days.
A month ago, four experienced skiers were killed and four others were injured when an avalanche pummeled a popular backcountry skiing area near Salt Lake City.
From Jan. 30 to Feb. 6, 15 people died in avalanches in the U.S., including a skier in California, near the Oregon border. That's the
