Spring skiing in the Rockies can be sublime, with warm daytime temperatures and "corn" snow conditions, all set against incredible scenery. But it also can be risky, as melting snow can be prone to avalanches, and squalls can make conditions dicey. Such was in the case in the backcountry of Grand Teton National Park this past weekend, as a slide killed one skier and seriously injured another. A third skier sustained minor injuries while a fourth was uninjured.

Park officials said the four, all Jackson, Wyoming, residents, were involved in a slide on the northeast face of Mount Moran on Sunday. "Luke Lynch, age 38, of Jackson, Wyoming was killed in the avalanche and one of his companions, Stephen P. Adamson, Jr., age 42, sustained life-threatening injuries, prompting evacuation by helicopter," park spokeswoman Jackie Skaggs wrote in a release.

Brook Yeomans, 37, received minor injuries, while Zahan Billimoria, also 37, escaped injury, she said. Both were evacuated via helicopter "as continuing avalanche activity and a steady cycle of snow squalls across the Tetons made the multi-staged rescue operation more challenging."  

The slide was reported via a 911 call about 9:30 a.m. Sunday. Due to the remote location on Mount Moran—and the report of multiple injured persons—park rangers quickly staged at, and responded from, the Jenny Lake Rescue Cache located at Lupine Meadows near the base of Teewinot Mountain. Rangers also summoned the Teton County SAR contract helicopter.

The four ski mountaineers were ascending the steep Sickle Couloir on Mount Moran when a shallow wet slough avalanche released from above, said Ms. Skaggs.

"The snowslide swept three of the mountaineers downslope for approximately 500 feet over rock and ice covered terrain. Billimoria was able to move out of the heavier portion of the debris flow and was not caught in the slide," she said. "He quickly descended to his teammates, called 911, and began the difficult task of administering aid to his three companions. Light snowfall on the slopes above continued to cause additional sloughs that repeatedly hit the group, requiring Billimoria to work desperately to move Adamson and Lynch to a safer location. Although injured, Yeomans was able to descend slowly downslope under his own power."

During a lull in the snow squalls the Teton County SAR helicopter was able to deliver several rescuers to the base of the couloir. A Teton County SAR member was short-hauled to the scene to aid in the evacuation of Adamson, who receiving emergency medical care by park rangers on site, said Ms. Skaggs.

"Adamson and the Teton County SAR member were both short-hauled directly to the Jenny Lake Rescue Cache, where a team of medics and the park’s medical director, Dr. Will Smith, provided additional emergency care before Adamson was transported by park ambulance to the Jackson Hole Airport," she said. "Upon reaching the airport, Adamson was transferred to a fixed wing air ambulance that flew him to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, Idaho. 

The Teton County SAR helicopter subsequently returned to pick up the two other avalanche survivors and transport them out of the backcountry. Additional flights were made to bring out Lynch’s body, as well as the remaining park rangers and their rescue gear. 

Skiers and climbers should be alert during this time of year for the possibility of wet avalanches. Slides can be shallow, and seemingly benign. However, they have the potential to sweep people off their feet into hazardous terrain below, noted Ms. Skaggs in her release.