DRIGGS, Idaho — An avalanche in eastern Idaho's Big Hole Mountains has killed two teenage boys.
The Teton County Sheriff's Office said at 2:49 p.m. Friday, the office received a report of an avalanche near Relay Ridge in the area of Ryan Peak, which is west of Driggs.
The person who called in the report said one of the boys was skiing and the other was snowmobiling, and that both were buried under the avalanche.
Search and Rescue teams from Air Idaho; Teton County, Idaho; Teton County, Wyoming; and Madison County, Idaho, took part in rescue operations.
The bodies of the boys who died have been recovered. Their names have not been released.
The cause of the avalanche is under investigation. Information about its size was not immediately available Saturday.
The Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center reports "moderate" avalanche danger for the area, and said for more than a week, daily snowfall and strong winds have loaded slopes and formed wind slabs over "a variety of surfaces." The center's avalanche forecast also says that above 9,000 feet, it's possible for backcountry travelers to trigger slab avalanches up to 2.5 feet in depth on avalanche-prone slopes.
The Teton County Sheriff's Office encourages everyone to be aware of avalanche conditions and any other adverse weather conditions before heading into backcountry areas.
An avalanche information website operated by the American Avalanche Association and U.S. Forest Service National Avalanche Center includes an interactive map showing avalanche risk levels and any advisories throughout the U.S.
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