At one point, search and rescue dogs seemed to pick of the scent of a missing snowboarder. However, crews using long poles to probe the snow in that area couldn't find anything.

"We were looking for anything sticking out of the snow," Bennett said.

The surrounding area has many back-country trails and is frequented by skiers, snowboarders and snowshoers in winter. Many of those trails are often closed because of the avalanche danger, officials said.

In Utah, avalanche-related deaths have been on the rise since a four-year period between 1988-91 when no fatalities were reported, according to the Utah Avalanche Center, which is run by the U.S. Forest Service.

All told, 41 avalanche fatalities have been reported in Utah since 1992, according to the center, which has logged 69 such deaths since record-keeping began in 1951.

Friday morning the Utah Avalanche Center issued an avalanche advisory for the Wasatch Mountains, noting conditions were prime for major slides.

"Although we might be in the Christmas season, the snowpack is pure Halloween," the advisory noted. "Today, expect to easily trigger avalanches anywhere from small powder sluffs (sloughs) to deep soft-slab avalanches, especially in wind-affected areas."

Those dangerous conditions were expected to continue today.

None of those caught in Friday's slide were equipped with avalanche beacons, which emit signals that allow rescuers to locate buried victims, sheriffs officials said.

The avalanche center notes that such beacons are often key to successful rescues, and those who plan to explore Utah's backcountry in winter should equip themselves with such equipment.

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E-mail: rodger@desnews.com; bsnyder@desnews.com