CASPER, Wyo. — The driver of a delivery box truck was unharmed after his vehicle was caught in an avalanche slide on Thursday, Jan. 9.
The local driver’s truck become stuck in the Glory Bowl slide which closed WY 22 over Teton Pass at about 12:30 pm. The cause of that slide is under investigation.
That slide was about 150 feet wide and 2-3 feet high when it came over the road.
“It was white-out conditions and someone had just passed me, so I assumed the road was somewhat clear ahead. But then, my truck just started to come to a gradual stop and then wouldn’t move. I looked out and I was surrounded by snow,” the driver told WYDOT.
He was able to get out of his truck and walk out of the slide area. He doesn’t think his truck sustained damage.
A second slide was reported later in the afternoon from the Twin Slide avalanche path. That slide was much bigger than the first, WYDOT says.
“WYDOT crews responded immediately [to the first slide] with the closure and began clearing the area of recreationalists so avalanche mitigation could take place safely,” WYDOT says. “As crews were working, a second, much larger, avalanche near milepost 11 at Twin Slide came down onto the road.”
WYDOT is still determining the exact size of that slide.
“At first, it looked to be about 400 feet wide, but after looking at it, it’s probably a couple hundred feet wide and roughly 10 feet tall,” WYDOT Maintenance Foreman Bruce Daigle said.
The road closures will remain in place as well as area closures for recreationalists until WYDOT can clear the road and conduct “extensive avalanche mitigation.”
WYDOT anticipates the closure to remain into effect into Thursday night.
“WYDOT would like to remind drivers to slow down in adverse weather conditions, be alert and cautious of roadside workers and obey all road closures. For more information, please visit http://www.wyoroad.info,” the release concludes.
