Bikers rescued after getting trapped by avalanche in Glacier National Park

A group of cyclists were rescued after getting trapped Thursday by a series of avalanches at Glacier National Park, officials said.

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“The sudden onset of sunny and warm weather on Thursday afternoon, combined with recent new snow from the previous weekend, created unstable surface snow conditions,” Erich Peitzsch, a scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey, said in a statement. “These conditions resulted in a wet, loose avalanche originating above the road in Triple Arches that deposited debris on the road.”

The National Park Service said the trio of bikers, a husband, wife and friend, were riding around 6:30 p.m. when they encountered their first avalanche. They soon came upon a second avalanche in progress. The wife was ahead of the other two bikers and she tried to warn them to stop but the avalanche came down between them. The husband and friend were trapped on the uphill side.

The wife biked down for help and a ranger arrived around 7:30 p.m. But because of the conditions, rescuers decided to wait until the sun was off the slope to decrease the chance of further slides before starting the rescue attempt. Around 9:30 p.m. rangers used an avalanche chute to get the bikers back to safety.

The bikers, who were all from Bigfork, were not injured.

Gina Kerzman, the park’s spokesperson, said road plowing crews are reporting typical snow depths, the Flathead Beacon reported. Avalanche season usually runs through May. Because of avalanche conditions, Going-to-the-Sun Road is closed at Avalanche Creek. Hiker and biker access is not permitted past the Loop.

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