Skiing is a deadly sport. Not only is there plenty of room for mishap and injury from the sport itself, but you also have to contend with the potential for natural disaster - avalanches. Avalanches have been a recurring thing in the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center as of late. The center logged 32 avalanche reports since Dec. 19, 2025. Additionally, two skiers were caught in some of those 32 terrifying Teton avalanches.
Skiers Caught In Teton Avalanches
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Two skiers were caught in avalanches in the Wyoming Tetons over the last two weeks, and their stories are insane. Both of their terrifying encounters with Teton avalanches show just how unstable and dangerous the area and the sport of skiing can be. Cowboy State Daily shared that one of the two skiers was "caught and carried in No Name Bowl south of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort."
Luckily, that individual had come prepared. "An avalanche airbag prevented the skier from being buried." Additionally, that airbag helped locate them and led to a successful rescue. Another day, a separate skier was hospitalized after being rescued from their Teton Avalanche experience. That skier was "caught in an avalanche in The Claw, an area on the south side of Teton Pass," according to the outlet.
Unfortunately, despite his helicopter rescue and hospital transport, the second skier succumbed to his injuries.
The Story Behind The Teton Avalanches
Cowyboy State Daily shared that "The Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center has received reports of 32 avalanches in the Tetons since Dec. 19." That is quite a few avalanches in two short weeks. What is causing the large number of them? According to the director of the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center, Frank Carus, the weather could be to blame. "Anytime we have heavy weather and snowfall, we're going to get avalanches, without question," he told the outlet.
Additionally, the outlet shared that the Center reported 20 of the 32 avalanches were "natural or triggered by explosives." That's right, some of the avalanches were planned, like the one that covered Wyoming Highway 22. When the wind and weather, or planned explosives, are not causing the avalanches, then it is the people. Carus explained that some of the Teton avalanches were "human-triggered."
"Human-triggered" avalanches occur when people accidentally set them off. It can be something as simple as a single person walking across the terrain under the wrong conditions. Additionally, Carus shared that the risks increase when there hasn't been an opportunity for good skiing. "If we haven't had good skiing, people are all going to want to get out after it, all at once, when it is good," he expressed.
When people are too excited to get out there, they sometimes do not assess risk carefully and thus could walk into a dangerous situation. Therefore, potentially causing things like the Teton avalanches.
