Victim of Silver Fork avalanche identified

SALT LAKE CITY — A man that died after he was caught in an avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon has been identified.

According to the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s office, Higinio Juan Gonzales, 59, of Salt Lake City, was buried in the Feb. 8 avalanche in Silver Fork Canyon.

Silver Fork is an area in Big Cottonwood Canyon, near Brighton and Solitude ski resorts. According to Wasatch Backcountry Skiing Guide, it can be accessed through Big or Little Cottonwood. 

Two skiers were caught in the Silver Fork avalanche. Per KSL TV, both of the skiers were men in their 50s. One of the men was rescued.  

According to UAC’s preliminary report, the skier who survived “sustained significant leg injuries.” He was removed from the scene via helicopter. 

The other skier was killed by trauma. Specifics were not provided. 

Currently, UAC does not know the cause of the Silver Fork avalanche. However, it was identified as a soft slab avalanche. 

Per Avalanche.org, soft slab avalanches are characterized by soft, powdery snow. They most often form in the top layers of snowpack after storms. 

Soft slab avalanches tend to break at a recreator’s feet. In contrast, hard slab avalanches tend to break above recreators. 

Saturday’s storm brought avalanche activity to Salt Lake region

The Silver Fork avalanche wasn’t the only slide reported in the Salt Lake area following Saturday’s snowstorm. 

UAC’s website displayed several avalanche reports dated to Saturday. While some of the slides were naturally-occurring, several were listed as skier or snowboarder-triggered. 

One of the slides, which occurred in an out-of-bounds area near Park City Mountain Resort, buried one skier. Two others were able to ski out of it, per KSL.com. 

The skier who was buried was later rescued. Photos of the scene and rescue are available on UAC’s report. 

Related: Avalanche danger to remain “considerable” across Utah, forecaster says