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Correction: When first published, this story correctly reported that the snowboarder who died triggered the avalanche. A subsequent update from a producer later incorrectly indicated that the friend triggered the avalanche. The photo captions also incorrectly stated that two people died in the avalanche. Those errors have been corrected. We apologize for the mistakes.HELL'S CANYON, Weber County — A snowboarder from Morgan County died Wednesday in an avalanche.

Blake Ford, 21, and his friend were in Hell's Canyon, which is an out-of-bounds area beyond the boundary of Snowbasin, according to the Utah Avalanche Center.

At 10:44 a.m., as the two were cutting back to leave the area, Ford triggered an avalanche, according to Lt. Brandon Toll with the Weber County Sheriff's Office. Ford became caught in the slide, which occurred in a confined gully that is steep and rocky.

A search dog found Ford about an hour later in the 1,000-foot slide. He was buried under 3 feet of snow, according to the avalanche center and Weber County officials.

Investigators said Ford was not wearing a beacon at the time of the accident.

Ford's friend, whose name was not released, did not sustain any injuries, according to Weber County officials.

Right now, the avalanche conditions in Utah's mountains are complex. With so few big storms this winter, avalanche forecaster Evelyn Lees said the conditions are very different across the mountain ranges.

"The conditions are a little bit more variable and tricky, and (people) need to be a lot more cautious," said Lees, who works for the Utah Avalanche Center.

At least four other avalanches were reported by Wednesday afternoon. The avalanche center warned of moderate danger in mountains near Ogden, Park City and Salt Lake Wednesday morning.

With more sunshine and warmer weather expected Thursday, Lees expects more wet, loose slides.

"It will also become very easy for people on steep, sunny slopes to trigger avalanches," she said.

Any time you are headed into the backcountry, experts say be sure to check the Utah Avalanche Center webpage, or call their advisory hotline at 888-999-4019.

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