Squaw Valley patrol crosses difficult terrain to rescue lost, injured skier

Squaw Valley ski patrol is urging skiers to stay in bounds on trails and be aware of avalanche safety after they had to traverse dangerous terrain to find a lost and injured skier on Monday.

The rescuers found the skier two miles out of bounds, near Needle Lake. Terrain was so difficult to access that a CHP helicopter was requested and flew the skier and the ski patrol unit back to high camp at Squaw Valley ski resort.

The rescue comes less than two weeks after a man was killed and another seriously injured in an avalanche on a ski run known as Subway Cirque at nearby Alpine Meadows ski resort, the Sacramento Bee reported. It’s unclear what triggered the snow to let loose, but Alpine Meadows’ steep terrain coupled with heavy bursts of snow have caused deadly avalanches before.

After Monday’s rescue, CHP Valley Division Air Operations posted a comment on Facebook with a video that said “Ski Patrollers traverse dangerous terrain to locate lost and injured skiers. Please stay in bounds on trails and be aware of avalanche safety.”