An experienced outdoorsman faced his worst nightmare when he was caught in a thundering avalanche while skiing, sending him plummeting 600 feet down a tree-lined slope.
Against all odds, Travis Halverson survived the January 12 fall with the help of his girlfriend and his gear, despite breaking 10 bones in his spine, ribs, sternum and jaw, Cowboy State Daily reported.
Halverson and his girlfriend decided to go skiing that day near the Wyoming-Idaho border, even though conditions on the Idaho side of Teton Pass were considered a high avalanche risk.
The two weren’t concerned as they had skied earlier in the week. There were also other vehicles parked at the entrance to the trail, leading them to believe it was safe.
Halverson admitted after the fact that they “just ignored the warning signs.”
Travis Halverson said he was “very lucky to be alive” after the skiing accident
Halverson and his girlfriend decided to go skiing that day near the Wyoming-Idaho border, even though conditions on the Idaho side of Teton Pass were considered high avalanche risk.
First responders used an inflatable sled to rescue Travis Halverson from a deep pile of snow after he likely caused an avalanche
Rescuers were unable to use a helicopter to rescue Halverson and had to trek a mile up and down the mountain to get him out.
Halverson and his girlfriend ventured down a steeper, trackless slope, different from the groomed path most skiers took
To that end, Halverson and his girlfriend ventured down a steeper, trackless slope, different from the groomed path most skiers took. That’s where his memory falters.
Halverson was found completely immobile with his helmet, goggles and skis removed and wrapped in an emergency blanket he had with him that day. That blanket probably kept him from freezing to death.
He was grateful to the first responders and passing skiers who helped him survive the near-death experience.
He said he was “very lucky to be alive.”
Because Halverson’s memory faded after the avalanche, his girlfriend could remember him skiing past her and disappearing in front of her.
Fortunately, the couple had radios to communicate, and when Halverson didn’t contact her after completing the run, she tracked him down.
Pictured: Travis Halverson and his girlfriend Lauren Gearhart
Halverson has no memory of the avalanche, but he does have vague memories of being taken down the slope in the sled
Pictured: the daredevil ski couple on Mount Yeckel in Colorado
Halverson’s girlfriend was the first to find him in the snow without a helmet, goggles or skis nearby
Halverson was found completely immobile and wrapped in an emergency blanket that likely froze him to death
The impressions his skis made in the snow led her to a giant pile of loose, disturbed snow known as slush. This was evidence of an avalanche.
After turning on her avalanche transceiver, she found her friend buried in the snow, his bright orange airbag inflated around him.
Such airbags are worn by skiers to prevent them from being completely buried in the snow in the event of an avalanche.
“It could easily have been worse,” he said. “The helmet and airbag probably protected my head enough that I could get through.”
His girlfriend placed SOS calls on her satellite phone – crucial for infrequent ski terrain with poor service – and her cell phone.
It took rescue crews about five hours to reach Halverson and take him down the mountain.
Teton County Search and Rescue was unable to perform a helicopter rescue, so they had to travel a mile up the slope to his location and bring him back down on an inflatable sled.
Pictured: Halverson in hospital after his accident
Halverson has more than a decade of backcountry skiing experience
Pictured: Wyoming’s Teton Mountains, with peaks reaching nearly 13,000 feet
Halverson, whose summits include Mount Denali in Alaska, has more than a decade of experience skiing in the backcountry, areas just outside ski areas that have not yet been groomed or made into an official trail.
This makes these areas a lot more dangerous and prone to avalanches, and Halverson explained that he gradually became comfortable with the risk of a snow slide.
“The first time you do it, you’re hyper-aware of it and probably more bothered by it,” Halverson told the local newspaper.
“Every time you do the same thing, you just get more comfortable with that risk and you can just keep it in the back of your mind a little more.”
Halverson is still recovering from the serious injuries he suffered over four months ago, and even had the courage to ski a backcountry trail early last week.
He plans to continue engaging in this pastime he loves, but said he will be more aware of the risks in the future.
“If you sit there without skiing, you have time to think about it a little more,” he told the local newspaper.