Frazier Lake, MT – The Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center is reporting that a slide in the Bridger Range near Frazier Lake carried and partially buried a backcountry skier on Sunday afternoon, breaking his leg.nUnaware of an earlier avalanche triggered by a separate party on a nearby east-facing slope, the unidentified 32-year-old man was among a group of skiers that decided to ski a 45-degree line slightly to the north. The slope broke beneath the victim, the second to descend, on his first turn, carrying him down 1,000 feet through rocks and other debris. While he was able to dig himself out, he sustained a closed fracture of his femur.

The victim’s partner was able to summon the party that triggered the first slide, and they subsequently contacted authorities for assistance. Gallatin County Search and Rescue responded with a helicopter to evacuate the victim to Bozeman Deaconess Hospital, where he was treated for injuries sustained in the avalanche as well as frostbite.

Nearly two feet of fresh snow fell atop a week facet layer that developed during high pressure in the area last week. The avalanche danger was rated by the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center as “high” at the time of the incident on all wind-loaded slopes and “considerable” on all others.