Avalanche set off in Lee Canyon

Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2000 | 10:58 a.m.

A man-made avalanche in Lee Canyon that buried two members of a snow removal crew to their waists on Monday may have surprised many Southern Nevadans, but only one thing about it surprised 30-year mountain veteran Monetta Bean.

"That was one of the biggest avalanches I've ever seen," said Bean, a spokeswoman for the Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort north of Mount Charleston.

More than a foot of snow fell on the alpine heights of the Spring Mountains Sunday and Monday, making conditions ripe for an avalanche and posing a danger to skiers and snowboarders.

A four-man crew triggered the avalanche about 8 a.m. to prevent skiers and snowboarders from accidentally setting one off later in the day. They placed small amounts of explosives in the snow, but the blast sent so much snow down the slopes, it buried two crew members up to their waists. They were quickly rescued by their companions and no one was hurt, Bean said.

Avalanches occur because of unstable snow conditions. Changes in temperature, a sudden sound or skiers can trigger an avalanche such as the two that occurred in Italy and in Switzerland on Monday, killing a total of six people.

Avalanche is a French word meaning "to swallow," which is exactly what a mass of snow and ice does on the way down a steep mountain slope to anything in its path.

At Mount Charleston, road conditions became so poor as a storm moved through Southern Nevada that state Route 156 and other roads leading to the mountains were closed about 10 a.m. Monday. They were reopened later.