Friday, AUGUST 8, 2025 |
Photo – Snowy mountains – by Matt Copeland Bigfoot99
Sheriff Alex Bakken reported on the success of Carbon County’s newly established avalanche forecasting team.
On July 28th, Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken published his first monthly update podcast. During the program, Sheriff Bakken announced the Carbon County Avalanche Operations Team met on Friday, July 25th. Sheriff Alex Bakken explained that the Avalanche Operations Team was formed in response to multiple snowmobile fatalities in the Snowy Range and Sierra Madre Mountains, including the death of Saratoga Town Councilman Jacob Fluty. In February of 2024, Councilman Fluty was killed in an avalanche while snowmobiling in the Sierra Madre Mountains.
Before the creation of the Carbon County Avalanche Operations Team, our area lacked any avalanche prediction capabilities. All forecasting in the state was done by the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center, which did not cover the Snowy Range or Sierra Madre Mountains. Using a $65,000 grant from the Carbon County Visitors Council, Sheriff Bakken was able to establish our area’s first avalanche forecasting center. A team of specially trained volunteers regularly travel into the backcountry to perform snowpack measurements.
In his monthly broadcast, Sheriff Alex Bakken explained that the Carbon County Avalanche Operations Team shares its findings on the Eastern Wyoming Avalanche Information Exchange website. The site gives backcountry users current snow and weather information to help them understand avalanche risks before entering the Snowy Range or Sierra Madre Mountains.
Sheriff Bakken said the Avalanche Operations Team is currently part of Carbon County Search and Rescue. However, the Sheriff said he is working to transition the team into a nonprofit organization, allowing for tax-exempt donations. Sheriff Bakken also reported that he is in talks with the snowmobile brand Ski-Doo, to provide free sleds for the Avalanche Team.
Sheriff Bakken announced that zero deaths occurred in Carbon County last winter. The Sheriff said the lack of fatalities demonstrates the effectiveness of the Avalanche Operations Team’s work.
Sheriff Bakken thanked the public for their support of the avalanche forecasting initiative.
