SUNDANCE — More than 70 searchers spent Saturday probing the icy snow of a treacherous Mount Timpanogos slope Saturday, hoping to recover the bodies of three Utah County men feared killed in a Friday avalanche. But as the day wore on, with searchers walking shoulder to shoulder and tediously plunging long aluminum poles through snow-packed debris, hope dimmed.
"It's very hard and icy," Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Yvette Rice said. "This may take some time. . . . It is a very slow process."
With temperatures around 15 degrees, the search ended at dark Saturday with no sign of the missing three — identified by Utah County sheriff's authorities as Rod Newberry, 20; Adam Merz, 18; and Mike Hebert, 19.
Not even a jacket, a glove or a snowboard were found. Crews from various agencies plan to resume the search today and likely will double — maybe even triple — the number of searchers involved, getting help from Wasatch, Summit, Davis, Weber and Salt Lake counties.
The three men and the avalanche's survivors, Matt Long, 18, and J.D. Settle, 20, who suffered a leg injury and hypothermia, are all from the Pleasant Grove and Orem areas. They were part of a snowboarding group caught in the first of four avalanches triggered by record snowfall that has smothered Utah's mountains and overwhelmed city residents as well.
Some of the missing snowboarders were seen by the their friends after the first avalanche but disappeared in the subsequent slides.
15 in the area
The avalanche was reported Friday afternoon in the Aspen Grove area of Provo Canyon, about one mile northwest of Sundance.
Rice said Saturday's search included the help of five dogs, including one animal that has been specifically trained to locate avalanche victims.
At one point, crews also enlisted Long's help, hoping he could assist in pinpointing where the missing snowboarders might be.
"He's been a real trooper," said Sheriff Jim Tracy. "He's done a good job for us."
The work, however, was slow going, as searchers were confronted with rugged, mountainous conditions. The poles used to hunt for avalanche victims can be as long as 12 feet, but the snowpack gets much like concrete the longer it has been on the mountainside, making exploration difficult.
Saturday's efforts also included dropped explosives from helicopters to loosen thick swaths of snow that searchers feared could come tumbling down and pose new threats.
The explosions allowed searchers to resume their hunt, which had been halted Friday evening due to the precarious conditions.
Officials say the three missing men were among as many as 15 snowboarders and other outdoor recreationists caught in the deadly avalanches up Provo Canyon. Brothers Hyram Dirtschi, 28, and Jason Dirtschi, 26, also of Pleasant Grove, survived the avalanche. Many of those caught in its path, however, were rescued by bystanders, some of whom dug out trapped victims buried deep in the snow.
Long was buried up to his chest. He managed to dig himself out and called neighbors to tell them what happened. It was those neighbors who contacted Hebert's family to inform them of the grim news.
Long also could hear Settle, who was completely buried in the snow as a result of the avalanche, which scattered the group of five with its force. Settle was rescued by a bystander, officials said.
A family escapes
Dell Brown and his family were snowshoeing through the Roberts Horn area, near Timpanogos' Aspen Grove trailhead, when they saw two groups of snowboarders in the canyon, some of them navigating a steep slope.
Somehow, Brown said, he began to sense the danger as the group was midway up the slope.
"I spend a lot of time in them mountains. I know the power of avalanches," he said.
He ushered his family — wife, Kristin, and children Adam, 6, and Emily, 8 — out of the area just as the first avalanche roared down, sweeping up the snowboarders to the bottom of the chute.
The Brown family, of Provo, and their two dogs escaped the main thrust of the avalanche but were blasted by the horrific wind and debris.
"We were certain at that point our lives were over," Brown said.
"I sort of panicked," said little Emily Brown. "It looked like a big cloud piling up on the side of the mountain."
Dell Brown said he counted six snowboarders above him, then on a second count saw seven. He called 911 on his cell phone to report the incident.
Brown was talking to the dispatcher for a second time when the second slide occurred. He sent his family on ahead, planning to help dig out the survivors but thought better of it and rejoined his family when they heard the roar of a third avalanche. The fourth slide occurred just as the family reached the parking lot of the Alpine Family Camp, a popular Brigham Young University alumni recreation area.
'User beware'
Family, friends and neighbors joined the command post Saturday, keeping vigil and hoping somehow, someway, their loved ones would be found alive.
"They've been told the likelihood they're still alive is not realistic," Rice said. "When this happens to people you still want to hang onto that hope."
"It's been really tough on the families," Tracy said. "They're all friends. This is a major loss and disaster in those families' lives."
The avalanches occurred on federal land that is open to backcountry skiers, snowboarders and snowshoers, though it is considered dangerous, and emergency beacon equipment is recommended as part of the equipment of individual recreationists. The snowboarders did not have such beacons, officials said.
"It's user beware," Tracy said. "Be prepared. Have the proper training and check the weather and avalanche conditions."
E-mail: rodger@desnews.com; dsmeath@desnews.com