Blood Found at Utah Avalanche Burial Site, Skiers "Likely" Ducked Rope
The Utah Avalanche Center (UAC) is reporting that two skiers were buried in a "large" avalanche on January 3, 2026.
Evidence of the avalanche was discovered by Brighton Snow Safety's Malia Bowman and UAC forecaster Drew Hardesty while investigating a separate skier-triggered avalanche in Hidden Canyon.
According to the official accident report published on UAC, Bowman and Hardesty know little about the origins of the slide, as it was not reported. They were able to conclude, however, after discovering two burial holes, one with blood, that two skiers or snowboarders were likely caught, carried, and at least partially buried in the accident.
"It's possible that the two were caught, carried 500' and partially buried," reads the UAC accident report. "The slide is estimated [to be] 2-4' deep and 200' wide, running 600' down the slope on a northwest-facing slope at 10,500'."
The caption for the UAC's Instagram post theorizes, but doesn't confirm, that the skiers "likely" ducked a rope:
"They likely exited the ski area by ducking a closure rope and triggered the avalanche themselves."
Hardesty and Bowman also discovered probe marks on one of the burial holes, indicating that one of the skiers may have been completely buried by the slide. See below. Keep reading for more.
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The UAC and Brighton Resort are hoping to learn more about how this accident occurred. They encourage anybody with information to reach out, and ended their official UAC report with the following statement ensuring that reporting parties are not/will not be in trouble:
"This avalanche was unreported. If anyone has any information about this incident, please reach out to Brighton patrol. YOU ARE NOT IN TROUBLE. Reporting avalanches near ski resort boundaries is very important for rescue operations."
Brighton, like many western ski resorts, has a written policy regarding backcountry access. The mountain features numerous backcountry access gates that lead to popular zones. However, skiers who use these gates assume the risk and are advised to carry backcountry safety gear, including an avalanche beacon, probe, and shovel.
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The Utah Avalanche Center is reporting 'HIGH' avalanche danger at upper elevations and 'CONSIDERABLE' danger at mid-elevations today, January 5, 2025. A special note was included in today's forecast related to ducking ropes and entering the backcountry:
"Remember: If you are ducking ropes or stepping out of bounds at a ski area, you are stepping into potentially dangerous avalanche conditions. It’s worth noting that Utah leads the nation in avalanche fatalities where riders have exited the ski area boundaries and never made it home."