Harrowing pictures show skier moments from death on top of mountain after being flung 600ft down slope during avalanche - as he reveals the incredible way he survived
- Travis Halverson, an accomplished skier, almost died in an avalanche in Idaho
- He was skiing with his girlfriend, who found him and called rescuers to his aid
- He survived with 10 broken bones, and skied just four months after the accident
An experienced outdoorsman faced his worst nightmare when he got caught in a thunderous avalanche while skiing that sent him careening 600 feet down a slope rife with trees.
Against all odds, Travis Halverson survived the fall on January 12 with the help of his girlfriend and his gear, despite breaking 10 bones in his spine, ribs, sternum and jaw, Cowboy State Daily reported.
Halverson and his girlfriend decided to go skiing near the Wyoming-Idaho border that day even though the conditions were considered high risk for avalanches on the Idaho side of Teton Pass.
The two were unconcerned, given that they'd skied earlier in the week. There were also other vehicles parked at the trail head, making them think it was safe.
Halverson admitted after the fact that they were 'just ignoring the warning signs.'
Travis Halverson said he was 'very lucky to be alive' following the skiing accident
Halverson and his girlfriend decided to go skiing near the Wyoming -Idaho border that day even though the conditions were considered high risk for avalanches on the Idaho side of Teton Pass
First responders used an inflatable sled to rescue Travis Halverson from a deep pile of snow after he likely triggered an avalanche
Rescuers were unable to use a helicopter to save Halverson, and had to trek a mile and a half up and down to mountain to get him out
Halverson and his girlfriend ventured down a steeper, untracked slope, different from the groomed trail most skiers were taking
To that end, Halverson and his girlfriend ventured down a steeper, untracked slope, different from the groomed trail most skiers were taking. That's where his memory falters.
Halverson was found completely immobile with his helmet, goggles and skis gone and wrapped in an emergency blanket he had with him that day. That blanket likely kept him from freezing to death.
He was thankful to the first responders and the passing-by skiers that helped him survive this near-death experience.
He said he was 'very lucky to be alive.'
Since Halverson's memory cut out after the avalanche hit, his girlfriend was able to recall him skiing past her and vanishing ahead.
Luckily, the couple had radios to communicate, and when Halverson failed to contact her upon the completion of the run, she tracked him down.
Pictured: Travis Halverson and his girlfriend Lauren Gearhart
Halverson has no memory of the avalanche, but he does have vague memories of being taken down the slope in the sled
Pictured: The daredevil ski couple at Mount Yeckel in Colorado
Halverson's girlfriend was the first to find him in the snow without his helmet, goggles or skis anywhere near him
Halverson was found completely immobile and wrapped in an emergency blanket that likely kept him from freezing to death
The impressions his skis made in the snow led her to a giant heap of loose, disturbed snow, known as a sluff. This was evidence of an avalanche.
After turning on her avalanche beacon, she found her boyfriend buried in the snow with his bright orange airbag inflated around him.
Airbags like these are worn by skiers to prevent them from being completely entombed in snow in the event of an avalanche.
'Easily could have been worse,' he said. 'The helmet and airbag probably protected my head enough where I was able to make it through.'
His girlfriend placed SOS calls on her satellite phone - crucial for infrequent ski terrain with poor service - and her cellphone.
It took rescue teams approximately five hours to reach Halverson and bring him down the mountain.
Teton County Search and Rescue was unable to do a helicopter rescue, so they had to trek a mile and a half up the slope to his location and take him back down on an inflatable sled.
Pictured: Halverson after his accident in the hospital
Halverson has over a decade of experience skiing backcountry
Pictured: The Teton mountain range in Wyoming with peaks nearing heights of 14,000 feet
Halverson, whose achievements include reaching the summit of Mount Denali in Alaska, has over a decade of experience skiing backcountry, areas just outside of ski resorts that haven't been groomed or made into an official trail.
This makes these areas a lot more dangerous and prone to avalanches, and Halverson explained that he gradually became comfortable with the risk of triggering a snow slide.
'The first time you do it you're hyper aware of it and it probably affects you more,' Halverson told the local paper.
'Each time you do that same thing, you just become more comfortable with that risk and just able to push it in the back of your mind a little more.'
Halverson is still recovering from the serious injuries he sustained over four months ago, and even had the courage to ski a backcountry trail early last week.
He plans to keep engaging in this pastime he loves, but said he will be more aware of the risks going forward.
'Having to sit there without skiing gives you time to think about it a little better,' he said to the local paper.
