Backcountry
Avalanche
According to the Elko Report, two skiers were reportedly buried and safely rescued after an avalanche was triggered in the Ruby Mountains of Nevada. It was reported that the slide occurred on January 15 at 1:26 pm in Lamoille Canyon, located in northeastern Nevada. The Elko Report also noted that all members of the party are safe and free of injuries. It was later determined that the avalanche occurred during a Ruby Mountain Heli (RMH) tour.
According to RMH guide, Mike Royer, no one was buried in the slide. Royer responded with this comment regarding the Elko Report.
“There was one individual involved, no one was buried or extracted, and no injuries occurred whatsoever.”
In the image below, it is confirmed that there was a helicopter in the area and that it appears there are two individuals on the slope.
The Ruby Mountain Range is located in remote wilderness in northeastern Nevada and sees little recreational use. Currently, there is no avalanche forecast for the area. Undoubtedly, the snowpack is still slowly healing as it recovers from a persistent weak layer within its snowpack that is creating dangerous avalanche conditions.
Who knew there was heli skiing in Nevada