Snowmobilers outrun avalanche

February 25, 1997
Web posted at: 4:45 p.m. EST

KELLOGG, Idaho (CNN) -- Snowmobilers Neal Houn and Greg Lanja outran a 20-foot wall of snow in full view of a friend's video camera.

Houn, Lanja and another friend were riding the slopes in northern Idaho when the snow gave away above them.

Snowmobilers outrun avalanche

"The only thing I knew to do was move out of the way because it's going to come get me," Houn said.

"There was nothing else I could really do besides point it downhill," Lanja said. "I just hammered the throttle." (24 sec./544K AIFF or WAV sound)

The three raced the avalanche for about a half a mile and barely cleared the sliding snow safely, while Bob Sharpe kept his video camera running.

"I was terrified," Sharpe said. "I think my heart was pumping twice as fast as theirs was. ... I would have liked to see the look on their faces."

Houn said he learned one lesson from his experience -- know your snow in the backcountry.