Six National Guardsmen in Vermont taking part in a winter training exercises received the education of their lives yesterday when an avalanche swept them 900 feet down a narrow mountain pass. The soldiers were taking part in an Army Mountain Warfare class when the avalanche hit on Smugglers Notch, a narrow, tree-lined pass on the north side of Mount Mansfield not far from Stowe, Vermont. Smugglers Notch Ski Resort operates in the area and had posted 23 inches of new snow in 24 hours.
According to reports, the soldiers were swept down the mountain about 900 feet but were not buried. Ironically, part of the class is avalanche education. Five of the guardsmen were taken to the hospital with minor injuries and one immediately went back to participating in drills. The avalanche occurred at approximately one in the afternoon.
Avalanches on the East Coast are rare, but they definitely do occur, especially with the amount of snow the area has received lately. Aaron Rice, a backcountry skier in the area, triggered a slide in a chute that he said ran for some 1,300 feet down the mountain.
Search and Rescue officials in Vermont, a centerpiece for snowsports on the East Coast, told local media it has seen some 30 skiers and riders rescued in the state over the last month.
The Army Mountain Warfare School is based in Jericho, Vermont and trains military personnel from around the country in winter warfare tactics.
