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Helmet cam video shows snowboarder caught in avalanche at Kessler peak in Big Cottonwood Canyon

UTAH — Sunday saw another avalanche occurring in Big Cottonwood Canyon, but this time captured by the rider’s helmet cam. The snowboarder, Blake Nielsen, who unintentionally triggered the avalanche, caught the harrowing moment on video as snow piled up all around him as he rode it out. The avalanche occurred at 10,200 feet in elevation on a northwest face near Kessler Peak and Argenta.

According to the Utah Avalanche report, the avalanche was 50 feet wide with a depth of 5 feet and slid about 1,250 feet. The report also said the snowboarder made swimming motions with their arms and kicked their board in an effort to stay on top of the slide.

Nielsen posted the video to his YouTube account and mentioned his takeaways on the avalanche report:

“Cross loading is serious. I had read the avy forecast and knew that wind was a problem, but I did not anticipate cross loading to be as obvious as a problem, as this is less common in the Wasatch. Lesson learned.”

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