Truman Gulch Avalanche

On Friday, December 29^th 2017, a group of 3 skiers exited the Bridger Bowl Ski Area west boundary to access the backcountry terrain in Truman Gulch. The group skied one run and climbed with skis and skins back to the ridge dividing backcountry and ski area. They skied a second run adjacent to their ascent route which they ascended again on the same track. Then the group split up. Skier 1 skied a gully north of their previous run. The other two skiers went further north towards the ridge between Truman Gulch and Jones Creek. The solo skier (1) dropped into a south-southwest facing slope and triggered an avalanche two turns into the run. He was caught and carried approximately 1200 vertical feet and partially buried and suffered a knee and wrist injury. He was able to remove himself from the debris and call the other two skiers on their cell phones. Skier 2 skied down to skier 1 while skier 3 skinned back up to the ridge to get help at the ski area. The ski patrol was informed of the accident at approximately 1530 hrs. Members of Bridger Bowl ski patrol mobilized and were on scene in just over an hour. The patient was packaged in a rescue litter and transported down Truman Gulch. Members of Gallatin County Search and Rescue skied and snowmobiled up the trail to meet the Bridger Bowl patrollers and assisted in the evacuation. The patient was brought down to the trailhead and loaded into an ambulance at 1900 hours. The avalanche is classified: AS-SS-O-R2.5-D3.