Deputies renew warning to steer clear of Bridal Veil Falls avalanche area
Jan 20, 2023, 7:43 AM
PROVO CANYON, Utah — It was one of the largest avalanches in memory at Bridal Veil Falls, and a little over a week later Utah County deputies renewed warnings for people to stay away due to the potential for a secondary mishap.
The avalanche on Jan. 10 left snow piled as much as 60 feet deep at the base of the falls, according to Sgt. Spencer Cannon with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office.
Cannon said as the snow melts, it does so not only from the top down but from the ground up — leaving the potential for deep drop-offs hidden by only a few inches to a few feet of snow.
“If you walk on that at the wrong time or anytime, and that gives way, you may have a fall of 40 or 50 or 60 feet to rocks below and that may be life-threatening,” Cannon told KSL TV in an interview Thursday.
Cannon said already some people had ignored previous warnings and had gone onto the massive snow pile.
He said signs clearly marked that the general area was closed, though he acknowledged that Bridal Veil Falls was popular in winter for ice climbers and others.
“It’s hard to keep people away because year-round this is a popular attraction,” Cannon said.
Cannon urged people to not go near the avalanche deposit and stay away from the closed-off area in general.
“Do not trespass here,” Cannon said. “People want to see it but they have to understand how dangerous it can be.”
