http://live.tetongravity.com/service/getFeed.kickAction?quantity=25&as=75233&set=82848&mediaType=video,audio,photo,blog,user,group,externalmedia,set,pages Sun, 22 May 2011 20:16:09 GMT Sun, 22 May 2011 20:16:09 GMT dev@tetongravity.com (TetonGravityResearch) dev@tetongravity.com (TetonGravityResearch) KickApps Feed Builder 2011-05-22T20:16:09Z 15 http://live.tetongravity.com/service/searchEverything.kickAction?as=75233&includeUser=on&includeVideo=on&includeAudio=on&includePhoto=on&includeBlog=on&includeSets=on&includeGroups=on&sortType=recent&tags=null 0 http://live.tetongravity.com/_Video-Berthoud-Pass-Colorado-Avalanche-Footage/blog/3118648/75233.html Sat, 18 Dec 2010 04:44:54 GMT http://live.tetongravity.com/_Video-Berthoud-Pass-Colorado-Avalanche-Footage/blog/3118648/75233.html media-75233 2010-12-18T04:44:54Z News Featured Ski and Snowboard Teton Gravity Research avalanche, berthoud pass, colorado, featured ski and snowboard, helmet camera, News, pov, ski, skier, skiing, slide nonadult false Video: Berthoud Pass, Colorado Avalanche Footage text blog avalanche,berthoud pass,colorado,featured ski and snowboard,helmet camera,News,pov,ski,skier,skiing,slide 6669 0 0.0 http://live.tetongravity.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=8097810&as=75233 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/75233/photos/PHOTO_4105881_75233_8097810_ap_160X120.jpg false 1 News / Featured Ski and Snowboard 0 3118648 8097810 Gold 208481 http://live.tetongravity.com/_News-Colorado-Dry-Gulch-Avalanche-Fatality-Accident-Report/blog/3123664/75233.html From the Colorado Avalanche Information Center: Avalanche Comments A good example of a cross loaded slope. The western flank ran along a ridge with numerous spruce trees and krumholtz islands which acted as a snow fence. This allowed the western flank to accumulate the deepest snow deposits. Strong and persistent westerly winds in this area allowed deposits on the bed surface to grow to the deepest depths along the western flank. The eastern flank feathered out into rocky terrain with minimal snow coverage which was mostly faceted snow and depth hoar. Weather Summary The nearby Loveland Pass weather station from 10 am to 3 pm on 12/5/2010: Temperatures rising from 21F to 23F. Winds were from the west-southwest 10 to 16 mph with a high gust of 31 mph at 3 pm. At nearby Berthoud pass from noon to 3 PM: Temperature a steady 19F. Winds were stronger from the west-northwest 28 to 39 mph with a peak gust of 44 mph. Snowpack Summary The crown profile showed a crown height varying from 30 cm to 125 cm in depth. A thin fist hard faceted layer was sandwiched between a one finger hard bed surface and a one finger hard wind slab. The slab stepped to the ground about 25 vertical feet below the crown Events Leading to the Avalanche Subject 1 had some background with the Dry Gulch area. They had ski patrolled at Loveland Basin for a few years and this was one of the areas Subject 1 had explored. Subject 1 checked the avalanche advisory on Saturday, Subject 2 had checked it Sunday morning. They were both regular users of the avalanche forecast. Both members of the party broke trail up the eastern or climbers left side of the north-northeast aspect slope. They had looked at a few other lines but either did not like the terrain or there were other groups in the vicinity. Once they got to tree line they moved a little further west to look at a different line around a treed ridge. This path was well scoured from wind and did not have much snow coverage. Both decided to return to the original route. At the top both parties made a plan and reviewed potential safe spots. Subject 1 made a ski cut across the top of the path heading east, across a convex wind roll. Subject 1 stopped at an apex of their up track and turned to signal Subject 2 that it felt ok and they could descend to the pre-determined safe spot. At this pre-determined safe spot, Subject 2 stopped and turned to watch Subject 1 begin their descent a little further to skiers right of Subject 2's line and close to the center of the path. This area had a shallower snowpack depth when compared to the further west line taken by Subject 2. As Subject 1 descended to just about even with Subject 2, Subject 2 heard a loud boom and watched the slab buckle and break into refrigerator sized blocks. Read The Full Report Here From the Colorado Avalanche Information Center: Avalanche Comments A good example of a cross loaded slope. The western flank ran along a ridge with numerous spruce trees and krumholtz islands which acted as a snow fence. This allowed the western flank to accumulate the deepest snow deposits. Strong and persistent westerly winds in this area allowed deposits on the bed surface to grow to the deepest depths along the western flank. The eastern flank feathered out into rocky terrain with minimal snow coverage which was mostly faceted snow and depth hoar. Weather Summary The nearby Loveland Pass weather station from 10 am to 3 pm on 12/5/2010: Temperatures rising from 21F to 23F. Winds were from the west-southwest 10 to 16 mph with a high gust of 31 mph at 3 pm. At nearby Berthoud pass from noon to 3 PM: Temperature a steady 19F. Winds were stronger from the west-northwest 28 to 39 mph with a peak gust of 44 mph. Snowpack Summary The crown profile showed a crown height varying from 30 cm to 125 cm in depth. A thin fist hard faceted layer was sandwiched between a one finger hard bed surface and a one finger hard wind slab. The slab stepped to the ground about 25 vertical feet below the crown Events Leading to the Avalanche Subject 1 had some background with the Dry Gulch area. They had ski patrolled at Loveland Basin for a few years and this was one of the areas Subject 1 had explored. Subject 1 checked the avalanche advisory on Saturday, Subject 2 had checked it Sunday morning. They were both regular users of the avalanche forecast. Both members of the party broke trail up the eastern or climbers left side of the north-northeast aspect slope. They had looked at a few other lines but either did not like the terrain or there were other groups in the vicinity. Once they got to tree line they moved a little further west to look at a different line around a treed ridge. This path was well scoured from wind and did not have much snow coverage. Both decided to return to the original route. At the top both parties made a plan and reviewed potential safe spots. Subject 1 made a ski cut across the top of the path heading east, across a convex wind roll. Subject 1 stopped at an apex of their up track and turned to signal Subject 2 that it felt ok and they could descend to the pre-determined safe spot. At this pre-determined safe spot, Subject 2 stopped and turned to watch Subject 1 begin their descent a little further to skiers right of Subject 2's line and close to the center of the path. This area had a shallower snowpack depth when compared to the further west line taken by Subject 2. As Subject 1 descended to just about even with Subject 2, Subject 2 heard a loud boom and watched the slab buckle and break into refrigerator sized blocks. Read The Full Report Here Sun, 19 Dec 2010 22:23:17 GMT http://live.tetongravity.com/_News-Colorado-Dry-Gulch-Avalanche-Fatality-Accident-Report/blog/3123664/75233.html media-75233 2010-12-19T22:23:17Z News Featured Ski and Snowboard Teton Gravity Research From the Colorado Avalanche Information Center: Avalanche Comments A good example of a cross loaded slope. The western flank ran along a ridge with numerous spruce trees and krumholtz islands which acted as a snow fence. This allowed the western flank to accumulate the deepest snow deposits. Strong and persistent westerly winds in this area allowed deposits on the bed surface to grow to the deepest depths along the western flank. The eastern flank feathered out into rocky terrain with minimal snow coverage which was mostly faceted snow and depth hoar. Weather Summary The nearby Loveland Pass weather station from 10 am to 3 pm on 12/5/2010: Temperatures rising from 21F to 23F. Winds were from the west-southwest 10 to 16 mph with a high gust of 31 mph at 3 pm. At nearby Berthoud pass from noon to 3 PM: Temperature a steady 19F. Winds were stronger from the west-northwest 28 to 39 mph with a peak gust of 44 mph. Snowpack Summary The crown profile showed a crown height varying from 30 cm to 125 cm in depth. A thin fist hard faceted layer was sandwiched between a one finger hard bed surface and a one finger hard wind slab. The slab stepped to the ground about 25 vertical feet below the crown Events Leading to the Avalanche Subject 1 had some background with the Dry Gulch area. They had ski patrolled at Loveland Basin for a few years and this was one of the areas Subject 1 had explored. Subject 1 checked the avalanche advisory on Saturday, Subject 2 had checked it Sunday morning. They were both regular users of the avalanche forecast. Both members of the party broke trail up the eastern or climbers left side of the north-northeast aspect slope. They had looked at a few other lines but either did not like the terrain or there were other groups in the vicinity. Once they got to tree line they moved a little further west to look at a different line around a treed ridge. This path was well scoured from wind and did not have much snow coverage. Both decided to return to the original route. At the top both parties made a plan and reviewed potential safe spots. Subject 1 made a ski cut across the top of the path heading east, across a convex wind roll. Subject 1 stopped at an apex of their up track and turned to signal Subject 2 that it felt ok and they could descend to the pre-determined safe spot. At this pre-determined safe spot, Subject 2 stopped and turned to watch Subject 1 begin their descent a little further to skiers right of Subject 2's line and close to the center of the path. This area had a shallower snowpack depth when compared to the further west line taken by Subject 2. As Subject 1 descended to just about even with Subject 2, Subject 2 heard a loud boom and watched the slab buckle and break into refrigerator sized blocks. Read The Full Report Here avalanche, burial, colorado, death, dry gluch, fataliy, featured ski and snowboard, news, slide nonadult false News: Colorado Dry Gulch Avalanche Fatality Accident Report text blog avalanche,burial,colorado,death,dry gluch,fataliy,featured ski and snowboard,news,slide 2399 0 0.0 http://live.tetongravity.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=8097810&as=75233 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/75233/photos/PHOTO_4105881_75233_8097810_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 News / Featured Ski and Snowboard 0 3123664 8097810 Gold 208481 http://live.tetongravity.com/_News-Berthoud-Pass-Avalanche-Accident-Report/blog/3289419/75233.html From CAIC: Avalanche Comments Snowfall and drifting snow obscured the avalanche crown and debris. The dimensions given are estimates from rescuers on scene. The avalanche ran in the “Fingers”, a couloir on the northeast edge of the “High Trail Cliffs,” starting on a northwest aspect around 11,300 feet. The avalanche was probably less than 2 feet deep, involving only the new snow, about 200 feet wide, and ran about 300 vertical feet. It was small relative to the avalanche path (R2), and capable of burying a person (D2).  The riders triggered the fatal avalanche at the beginning of a natural avalanche cycle. Over the next several days, many natural avalanches ran from east and southeast starting zones above tree line, but only a few triggered or natural avalanches ran on westerly aspects. Weather Summary Snowfall started around 0500 on January 17. The Berthoud Summit SNOTEL site, approximately 0.5 miles west of the accident site, recorded 0.9 inches of water equivalent and 16 inches of new snow by 1300. Recent westerly and northwesterly winds had drifted large amounts of snow near and above tree line. The CAIC’s Berthoud Pass weather station, approximately 0.75 miles west of the accident site, recorded sustained northwesterly winds between 20 and 40 miles per hour, with gusts to 80 miles per hour. Snowpack Summary Approximately 16 inches of snow fell in the 6 hours prior to the accident. This period of heavy snow rapidly loaded the northwest aspect where the avalanche occurred. The avalanche was probably a storm slab that broke either within the new snow layer or at the interface between the new snow and old snow surface. A persistent weak layer did exist within the snowpack at the time of this accident. However, an avalanche that broke down to this layer would have been a much larger slide. Events Leading to the Avalanche A pair of snowboarders and one dog pair left Berthoud Pass and headed northeast. They took a high traverse below the “High Trail Cliffs.” They intended to reach the tree-covered ridge between the Cliffs and the Mines avalanche paths, ride the ridge, and exit out the Sevenmile ski trail. They were near the northeast edge of the Cliffs when they triggered the avalanche. The time was shortly after 1300.  Rider 1 was about 50 feet ahead and slightly below Rider 2 and his dog. Rider 1 noticed that the slope “broke up” around him, a bit like a “moving carpet.” He turned straight down hill, outran the avalanche, and stopped at the trees. He saw no sign of Rider 2 or the dog, and assumed they had outrun the “small” avalanche and were in the trees below him. Rider 1 descended to Highway 40 hoping to catch up with his friend. Accident Summary Rider 2 was buried face down and head pointed downhill. His head was under about 18 inches of avalanche debris. His dog was buried next to him. It appeared that Rider 2 took a diagonal descent when the avalanche started. He was caught and buried at the toe edge of the debris and may have been very close to outrunning the avalanche. Rescue Summary Highway 40 over Berthoud Pass closed mid-morning Monday because of inclement weather and avalanche conditions. CAIC highway forecasters were helping evacuate riders from the Pass. A CAIC forecaster spoke with Rider 1 a few minutes after he reached the Highway. Rider 1 said the pair became separated, and he would wait for his friend.  About an hour later, Rider 1 accepted a ride from the CAIC forecaster to the top of the Pass. He made two runs through the area looking for his friend. The CAIC forecaster picked him up after the second lap. At that time, Rider 1 mentioned that there had been a “small” avalanche. The CAIC forecaster suggested Rider 1 call 911 and notify them of the missing Rider 2.  At 15:10 Rider 1 called 911 to report his missing friend. Grand County Search and Rescue (SAR) mobilized and had hasty teams in the field by 17:30. They suspected avalanche, but included the possibility of a lost or injured rider. One team went up the Sevenmile trail. Another hasty team came in from Berthoud Pass, after the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) plowed a single lane to the Pass for SAR access. Searchers checked tree wells and did a hasty search (including beacons) of avalanche debris that that night.  SAR returned to the scene on Tuesday January 18. A small group of community members equipped with avalanche safety gear, many friends of the victim, offered to help. In an unusual move, SAR incorporated the outside help. Additional snow and wind drifting obscured the avalanche debris, and SAR were unable to determine an exact search area when arrived below the High Cliffs. They used probes to feel out the approximate edges of the debris. A coarse probe line worked much of the search area on Tuesday. Winter Park Ski Area provided a RECCO receiver to search the debris.  SAR returned to the field on Wednesday. The community volunteers swelled to almost 50 people, and Alpine Rescue, Winter Park Ski Patrol, and Powder Addiction provided trained searchers. Probing resumed, and they found the victim mid-morning near the edge of search area. Comments The riders made several decisions, deliberate or otherwise, that led to a tragic outcome. They chose to ride without avalanche safety equipment, ventured into avalanche terrain, and did not use safe travel techniques for moving through avalanche terrain. However, many people make similar decisions with little consequence, especially at busy roadside areas like Berthoud Pass. Rider 2 was probably close to outrunning the avalanche when it caught him. A second faster, a few feet further on, and maybe it would have been a scary escape and not a tragic event. The line between the two outcomes can be very narrow.  Neither rider was carrying avalanche safety equipment. Rider 2 left his in the car because Rider 1 did not have a beacon, shovel or probe. Rider 2 did own, but was not wearing, clothes with RECCO reflectors.  Avalanche safety equipment is not a magic shield that prevents avalanche fatalities. About half of the people who are recovered from avalanche debris with beacons are found dead. However, venturing into avalanche terrain without safety gear is like removing the seatbelts and airbags from a car. There is no safety margin if a crash happens. In this case, only one rider—Rider 2—had avalanche safety equipment. Even if he realized his partner was buried, Rider 1 was unable to search. The outcome of the avalanche would have been the same, but the search and rescue time, and exposure of the rescue workers, could have been cut from three days to one afternoon.  Backcountry travel without avalanche safety equipment requires careful route finding to avoid all avalanche terrain. Rider 1 told rescuers that the pair felt safety equipment was unnecessary because “they only rode in the trees.” There are plenty of areas that are not exposed to avalanches around Berthoud Pass, but the High Trail Cliffs and Trees regularly produce avalanches. From the Pass, it is hard to reach the ridge between the Cliffs and Mines without traversing through avalanche terrain. Treed areas do not guarantee safety from avalanches, either.  On the morning of January 17, the CAIC forecast was for danger “will rise to HIGH (Level 4) on N-NE-E-SE aspects near and above treeline. The danger is CONSIDERABLE (Level 3) below treeline on N-E-S aspects and near and above treeline on S aspects. It is MODERATE (Level 2) on all other aspects and elevations. Snowfall is forecast to ramp upwards today. Expect an increase in avalanche activity.” An Avalanche Watch was upgraded to a Warning that afternoon.  The High Trail Cliffs are near treeline, though low in elevation, with northwesterly aspects. The riders were in terrain with a MODERATE (Level 2) rating. A MODERATE danger means “human-triggered avalanches are possible,” and “small avalanches may occur in specific areas.” Unfortunately, they traversed across rapidly loaded, obvious avalanche terrain and triggered an avalanche. In Colorado, more avalanche fatalities occur on slopes with a MODERATE danger than other danger ratings. From CAIC: Avalanche Comments Snowfall and drifting snow obscured the avalanche crown and debris. The dimensions given are estimates from rescuers on scene. The avalanche ran in the “Fingers”, a couloir on the northeast edge of the “High Trail Cliffs,” starting on a northwest aspect around 11,300 feet. The avalanche was probably less than 2 feet deep, involving only the new snow, about 200 feet wide, and ran about 300 vertical feet. It was small relative to the avalanche path (R2), and capable of burying a person (D2).  The riders triggered the fatal avalanche at the beginning of a natural avalanche cycle. Over the next several days, many natural avalanches ran from east and southeast starting zones above tree line, but only a few triggered or natural avalanches ran on westerly aspects. Weather Summary Snowfall started around 0500 on January 17. The Berthoud Summit SNOTEL site, approximately 0.5 miles west of the accident site, recorded 0.9 inches of water equivalent and 16 inches of new snow by 1300. Recent westerly and northwesterly winds had drifted large amounts of snow near and above tree line. The CAIC’s Berthoud Pass weather station, approximately 0.75 miles west of the accident site, recorded sustained northwesterly winds between 20 and 40 miles per hour, with gusts to 80 miles per hour. Snowpack Summary Approximately 16 inches of snow fell in the 6 hours prior to the accident. This period of heavy snow rapidly loaded the northwest aspect where the avalanche occurred. The avalanche was probably a storm slab that broke either within the new snow layer or at the interface between the new snow and old snow surface. A persistent weak layer did exist within the snowpack at the time of this accident. However, an avalanche that broke down to this layer would have been a much larger slide. Events Leading to the Avalanche A pair of snowboarders and one dog pair left Berthoud Pass and headed northeast. They took a high traverse below the “High Trail Cliffs.” They intended to reach the tree-covered ridge between the Cliffs and the Mines avalanche paths, ride the ridge, and exit out the Sevenmile ski trail. They were near the northeast edge of the Cliffs when they triggered the avalanche. The time was shortly after 1300.  Rider 1 was about 50 feet ahead and slightly below Rider 2 and his dog. Rider 1 noticed that the slope “broke up” around him, a bit like a “moving carpet.” He turned straight down hill, outran the avalanche, and stopped at the trees. He saw no sign of Rider 2 or the dog, and assumed they had outrun the “small” avalanche and were in the trees below him. Rider 1 descended to Highway 40 hoping to catch up with his friend. Accident Summary Rider 2 was buried face down and head pointed downhill. His head was under about 18 inches of avalanche debris. His dog was buried next to him. It appeared that Rider 2 took a diagonal descent when the avalanche started. He was caught and buried at the toe edge of the debris and may have been very close to outrunning the avalanche. Rescue Summary Highway 40 over Berthoud Pass closed mid-morning Monday because of inclement weather and avalanche conditions. CAIC highway forecasters were helping evacuate riders from the Pass. A CAIC forecaster spoke with Rider 1 a few minutes after he reached the Highway. Rider 1 said the pair became separated, and he would wait for his friend.  About an hour later, Rider 1 accepted a ride from the CAIC forecaster to the top of the Pass. He made two runs through the area looking for his friend. The CAIC forecaster picked him up after the second lap. At that time, Rider 1 mentioned that there had been a “small” avalanche. The CAIC forecaster suggested Rider 1 call 911 and notify them of the missing Rider 2.  At 15:10 Rider 1 called 911 to report his missing friend. Grand County Search and Rescue (SAR) mobilized and had hasty teams in the field by 17:30. They suspected avalanche, but included the possibility of a lost or injured rider. One team went up the Sevenmile trail. Another hasty team came in from Berthoud Pass, after the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) plowed a single lane to the Pass for SAR access. Searchers checked tree wells and did a hasty search (including beacons) of avalanche debris that that night.  SAR returned to the scene on Tuesday January 18. A small group of community members equipped with avalanche safety gear, many friends of the victim, offered to help. In an unusual move, SAR incorporated the outside help. Additional snow and wind drifting obscured the avalanche debris, and SAR were unable to determine an exact search area when arrived below the High Cliffs. They used probes to feel out the approximate edges of the debris. A coarse probe line worked much of the search area on Tuesday. Winter Park Ski Area provided a RECCO receiver to search the debris.  SAR returned to the field on Wednesday. The community volunteers swelled to almost 50 people, and Alpine Rescue, Winter Park Ski Patrol, and Powder Addiction provided trained searchers. Probing resumed, and they found the victim mid-morning near the edge of search area. Comments The riders made several decisions, deliberate or otherwise, that led to a tragic outcome. They chose to ride without avalanche safety equipment, ventured into avalanche terrain, and did not use safe travel techniques for moving through avalanche terrain. However, many people make similar decisions with little consequence, especially at busy roadside areas like Berthoud Pass. Rider 2 was probably close to outrunning the avalanche when it caught him. A second faster, a few feet further on, and maybe it would have been a scary escape and not a tragic event. The line between the two outcomes can be very narrow.  Neither rider was carrying avalanche safety equipment. Rider 2 left his in the car because Rider 1 did not have a beacon, shovel or probe. Rider 2 did own, but was not wearing, clothes with RECCO reflectors.  Avalanche safety equipment is not a magic shield that prevents avalanche fatalities. About half of the people who are recovered from avalanche debris with beacons are found dead. However, venturing into avalanche terrain without safety gear is like removing the seatbelts and airbags from a car. There is no safety margin if a crash happens. In this case, only one rider—Rider 2—had avalanche safety equipment. Even if he realized his partner was buried, Rider 1 was unable to search. The outcome of the avalanche would have been the same, but the search and rescue time, and exposure of the rescue workers, could have been cut from three days to one afternoon.  Backcountry travel without avalanche safety equipment requires careful route finding to avoid all avalanche terrain. Rider 1 told rescuers that the pair felt safety equipment was unnecessary because “they only rode in the trees.” There are plenty of areas that are not exposed to avalanches around Berthoud Pass, but the High Trail Cliffs and Trees regularly produce avalanches. From the Pass, it is hard to reach the ridge between the Cliffs and Mines without traversing through avalanche terrain. Treed areas do not guarantee safety from avalanches, either.  On the morning of January 17, the CAIC forecast was for danger “will rise to HIGH (Level 4) on N-NE-E-SE aspects near and above treeline. The danger is CONSIDERABLE (Level 3) below treeline on N-E-S aspects and near and above treeline on S aspects. It is MODERATE (Level 2) on all other aspects and elevations. Snowfall is forecast to ramp upwards today. Expect an increase in avalanche activity.” An Avalanche Watch was upgraded to a Warning that afternoon.  The High Trail Cliffs are near treeline, though low in elevation, with northwesterly aspects. The riders were in terrain with a MODERATE (Level 2) rating. A MODERATE danger means “human-triggered avalanches are possible,” and “small avalanches may occur in specific areas.” Unfortunately, they traversed across rapidly loaded, obvious avalanche terrain and triggered an avalanche. In Colorado, more avalanche fatalities occur on slopes with a MODERATE danger than other danger ratings. Wed, 02 Feb 2011 03:53:04 GMT http://live.tetongravity.com/_News-Berthoud-Pass-Avalanche-Accident-Report/blog/3289419/75233.html media-75233 2011-02-02T03:53:04Z General Snow ski and snowboard Teton Gravity Research From CAIC: Avalanche Comments Snowfall and drifting snow obscured the avalanche crown and debris. The dimensions given are estimates from rescuers on scene. The avalanche ran in the “Fingers”, a couloir on the northeast edge of the “High Trail Cliffs,” starting on a northwest aspect around 11,300 feet. The avalanche was probably less than 2 feet deep, involving only the new snow, about 200 feet wide, and ran about 300 vertical feet. It was small relative to the avalanche path (R2), and capable of burying a person (D2).  The riders triggered the fatal avalanche at the beginning of a natural avalanche cycle. Over the next several days, many natural avalanches ran from east and southeast starting zones above tree line, but only a few triggered or natural avalanches ran on westerly aspects. Weather Summary Snowfall started around 0500 on January 17. The Berthoud Summit SNOTEL site, approximately 0.5 miles west of the accident site, recorded 0.9 inches of water equivalent and 16 inches of new snow by 1300. Recent westerly and northwesterly winds had drifted large amounts of snow near and above tree line. The CAIC’s Berthoud Pass weather station, approximately 0.75 miles west of the accident site, recorded sustained northwesterly winds between 20 and 40 miles per hour, with gusts to 80 miles per hour. Snowpack Summary Approximately 16 inches of snow fell in the 6 hours prior to the accident. This period of heavy snow rapidly loaded the northwest aspect where the avalanche occurred. The avalanche was probably a storm slab that broke either within the new snow layer or at the interface between the new snow and old snow surface. A persistent weak layer did exist within the snowpack at the time of this accident. However, an avalanche that broke down to this layer would have been a much larger slide. Events Leading to the Avalanche A pair of snowboarders and one dog pair left Berthoud Pass and headed northeast. They took a high traverse below the “High Trail Cliffs.” They intended to reach the tree-covered ridge between the Cliffs and the Mines avalanche paths, ride the ridge, and exit out the Sevenmile ski trail. They were near the northeast edge of the Cliffs when they triggered the avalanche. The time was shortly after 1300.  Rider 1 was about 50 feet ahead and slightly below Rider 2 and his dog. Rider 1 noticed that the slope “broke up” around him, a bit like a “moving carpet.” He turned straight down hill, outran the avalanche, and stopped at the trees. He saw no sign of Rider 2 or the dog, and assumed they had outrun the “small” avalanche and were in the trees below him. Rider 1 descended to Highway 40 hoping to catch up with his friend. Accident Summary Rider 2 was buried face down and head pointed downhill. His head was under about 18 inches of avalanche debris. His dog was buried next to him. It appeared that Rider 2 took a diagonal descent when the avalanche started. He was caught and buried at the toe edge of the debris and may have been very close to outrunning the avalanche. Rescue Summary Highway 40 over Berthoud Pass closed mid-morning Monday because of inclement weather and avalanche conditions. CAIC highway forecasters were helping evacuate riders from the Pass. A CAIC forecaster spoke with Rider 1 a few minutes after he reached the Highway. Rider 1 said the pair became separated, and he would wait for his friend.  About an hour later, Rider 1 accepted a ride from the CAIC forecaster to the top of the Pass. He made two runs through the area looking for his friend. The CAIC forecaster picked him up after the second lap. At that time, Rider 1 mentioned that there had been a “small” avalanche. The CAIC forecaster suggested Rider 1 call 911 and notify them of the missing Rider 2.  At 15:10 Rider 1 called 911 to report his missing friend. Grand County Search and Rescue (SAR) mobilized and had hasty teams in the field by 17:30. They suspected avalanche, but included the possibility of a lost or injured rider. One team went up the Sevenmile trail. Another hasty team came in from Berthoud Pass, after the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) plowed a single lane to the Pass for SAR access. Searchers checked tree wells and did a hasty search (including beacons) of avalanche debris that that night.  SAR returned to the scene on Tuesday January 18. A small group of community members equipped with avalanche safety gear, many friends of the victim, offered to help. In an unusual move, SAR incorporated the outside help. Additional snow and wind drifting obscured the avalanche debris, and SAR were unable to determine an exact search area when arrived below the High Cliffs. They used probes to feel out the approximate edges of the debris. A coarse probe line worked much of the search area on Tuesday. Winter Park Ski Area provided a RECCO receiver to search the debris.  SAR returned to the field on Wednesday. The community volunteers swelled to almost 50 people, and Alpine Rescue, Winter Park Ski Patrol, and Powder Addiction provided trained searchers. Probing resumed, and they found the victim mid-morning near the edge of search area. Comments The riders made several decisions, deliberate or otherwise, that led to a tragic outcome. They chose to ride without avalanche safety equipment, ventured into avalanche terrain, and did not use safe travel techniques for moving through avalanche terrain. However, many people make similar decisions with little consequence, especially at busy roadside areas like Berthoud Pass. Rider 2 was probably close to outrunning the avalanche when it caught him. A second faster, a few feet further on, and maybe it would have been a scary escape and not a tragic event. The line between the two outcomes can be very narrow.  Neither rider was carrying avalanche safety equipment. Rider 2 left his in the car because Rider 1 did not have a beacon, shovel or probe. Rider 2 did own, but was not wearing, clothes with RECCO reflectors.  Avalanche safety equipment is not a magic shield that prevents avalanche fatalities. About half of the people who are recovered from avalanche debris with beacons are found dead. However, venturing into avalanche terrain without safety gear is like removing the seatbelts and airbags from a car. There is no safety margin if a crash happens. In this case, only one rider—Rider 2—had avalanche safety equipment. Even if he realized his partner was buried, Rider 1 was unable to search. The outcome of the avalanche would have been the same, but the search and rescue time, and exposure of the rescue workers, could have been cut from three days to one afternoon.  Backcountry travel without avalanche safety equipment requires careful route finding to avoid all avalanche terrain. Rider 1 told rescuers that the pair felt safety equipment was unnecessary because “they only rode in the trees.” There are plenty of areas that are not exposed to avalanches around Berthoud Pass, but the High Trail Cliffs and Trees regularly produce avalanches. From the Pass, it is hard to reach the ridge between the Cliffs and Mines without traversing through avalanche terrain. Treed areas do not guarantee safety from avalanches, either.  On the morning of January 17, the CAIC forecast was for danger “will rise to HIGH (Level 4) on N-NE-E-SE aspects near and above treeline. The danger is CONSIDERABLE (Level 3) below treeline on N-E-S aspects and near and above treeline on S aspects. It is MODERATE (Level 2) on all other aspects and elevations. Snowfall is forecast to ramp upwards today. Expect an increase in avalanche activity.” An Avalanche Watch was upgraded to a Warning that afternoon.  The High Trail Cliffs are near treeline, though low in elevation, with northwesterly aspects. The riders were in terrain with a MODERATE (Level 2) rating. A MODERATE danger means “human-triggered avalanches are possible,” and “small avalanches may occur in specific areas.” Unfortunately, they traversed across rapidly loaded, obvious avalanche terrain and triggered an avalanche. In Colorado, more avalanche fatalities occur on slopes with a MODERATE danger than other danger ratings. accident, avalanche, berthoud pass, caic, colorado, fatality, general snow, report, ski and snowboard nonadult false News: Berthoud Pass Avalanche Accident Report text blog accident,avalanche,berthoud pass,caic,colorado,fatality,general snow,report,ski and snowboard 1906 0 0.0 http://live.tetongravity.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=8097810&as=75233 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/75233/photos/PHOTO_4105881_75233_8097810_ap_160X120.jpg false United States CO Berthoud Pass 0 General Snow / ski and snowboard 0 3289419 8097810 Gold 208481 http://live.tetongravity.com/_Video-Banff-Yoho-and-Kootenay-National-Park-Highway-Avalanche-Control/blog/3297829/75233.html Every winter, avalanches threaten highways and railway lines in Canada's Mountain National Parks. Travel by air through Banff, Yoho and Kootenay national parks with our Visitor Safety Specialists as they perform helicopter explosive control on some of Canada's western Canada's most important transportation corridors. This team effort includes many Parks staff members including highway staff who are on stand-by to clean up any debris that reaches the roadway to ensure routes can be reopened quickly. Every winter, avalanches threaten highways and railway lines in Canada's Mountain National Parks. Travel by air through Banff, Yoho and Kootenay national parks with our Visitor Safety Specialists as they perform helicopter explosive control on some of Canada's western Canada's most important transportation corridors. This team effort includes many Parks staff members including highway staff who are on stand-by to clean up any debris that reaches the roadway to ensure routes can be reopened quickly. Fri, 04 Feb 2011 17:27:01 GMT http://live.tetongravity.com/_Video-Banff-Yoho-and-Kootenay-National-Park-Highway-Avalanche-Control/blog/3297829/75233.html media-75233 2011-02-04T17:27:01Z News News Ski and Snowboard Teton Gravity Research Every winter, avalanches threaten highways and railway lines in Canada's Mountain National Parks. Travel by air through Banff, Yoho and Kootenay national parks with our Visitor Safety Specialists as they perform helicopter explosive control on some of Canada's western Canada's most important transportation corridors. This team effort includes many Parks staff members including highway staff who are on stand-by to clean up any debris that reaches the roadway to ensure routes can be reopened quickly. avalanche, banff, canada, control, helicopter, kootenay, national parks, news, news ski and snowboard, yoho nonadult false Video: Banff, Yoho and Kootenay National Park Highway Avalanche Control text blog avalanche,banff,canada,control,helicopter,kootenay,national parks,news,news ski and snowboard,yoho 3547 0 0.0 http://live.tetongravity.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=8097810&as=75233 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/75233/photos/PHOTO_4105881_75233_8097810_ap_160X120.jpg false Canada AB 0 News / News Ski and Snowboard 0 3297829 8097810 Gold 208481 http://live.tetongravity.com/_News-28-Year-Old-Skier-Killed-In-Mount-Cashmere-Washington-Avalanche/blog/3374954/75233.html From KXLY: Chelan County Sheriff Brian Burnett says a backcountry skier was killed in an avalanche Saturday afternoon while skiing on the southwest face of Mount Cashmere above Trout Creek. 28-year-old Daniel Zimmermann of Leavenworth, Washington suffered fatal injuries when he was swept about 800 feet down a coulee and through a grouping of small trees, said the sheriff's office. The Chelan County Sheriff's Office says people skiing with Zimmermann had to ski and snowmobile away from the area of the avalanche to make a 911 call Saturday afternoon. A search and rescue mission was launched immediately and a Medstar helicopter was sent to the area. According to a press release, by the time rescuers made it to an area north of the avalanche it was determined Zimmermann had not survived his severe injuries. Other members of Zimmerman's skiing party stayed at the scene of the avalanche and attempted to save their friend, but were unsuccessful. No one else was caught in the avalanche or injured. Read The Full Article Here From KXLY: Chelan County Sheriff Brian Burnett says a backcountry skier was killed in an avalanche Saturday afternoon while skiing on the southwest face of Mount Cashmere above Trout Creek. 28-year-old Daniel Zimmermann of Leavenworth, Washington suffered fatal injuries when he was swept about 800 feet down a coulee and through a grouping of small trees, said the sheriff's office. The Chelan County Sheriff's Office says people skiing with Zimmermann had to ski and snowmobile away from the area of the avalanche to make a 911 call Saturday afternoon. A search and rescue mission was launched immediately and a Medstar helicopter was sent to the area. According to a press release, by the time rescuers made it to an area north of the avalanche it was determined Zimmermann had not survived his severe injuries. Other members of Zimmerman's skiing party stayed at the scene of the avalanche and attempted to save their friend, but were unsuccessful. No one else was caught in the avalanche or injured. Read The Full Article Here Wed, 09 Mar 2011 03:47:18 GMT http://live.tetongravity.com/_News-28-Year-Old-Skier-Killed-In-Mount-Cashmere-Washington-Avalanche/blog/3374954/75233.html media-75233 2011-03-09T03:47:18Z News News Ski and Snowboard Teton Gravity Research From KXLY: Chelan County Sheriff Brian Burnett says a backcountry skier was killed in an avalanche Saturday afternoon while skiing on the southwest face of Mount Cashmere above Trout Creek. 28-year-old Daniel Zimmermann of Leavenworth, Washington suffered fatal injuries when he was swept about 800 feet down a coulee and through a grouping of small trees, said the sheriff's office. The Chelan County Sheriff's Office says people skiing with Zimmermann had to ski and snowmobile away from the area of the avalanche to make a 911 call Saturday afternoon. A search and rescue mission was launched immediately and a Medstar helicopter was sent to the area. According to a press release, by the time rescuers made it to an area north of the avalanche it was determined Zimmermann had not survived his severe injuries. Other members of Zimmerman's skiing party stayed at the scene of the avalanche and attempted to save their friend, but were unsuccessful. No one else was caught in the avalanche or injured. Read The Full Article Here avalanche, buried, chelan county, death, killed, leavenworth, mount cashmere, news, news ski and snowboard, slide, trout creek, washington nonadult false News: 28-Year-Old Skier Killed In Mount Cashmere, Washington Avalanche text blog avalanche,buried,chelan county,death,killed,leavenworth,mount cashmere,news,news ski and snowboard,slide,trout creek,washington 2653 0 0.0 http://live.tetongravity.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=8097810&as=75233 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/75233/photos/PHOTO_4105881_75233_8097810_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WA Leavenworth 0 News / News Ski and Snowboard 0 3374954 8097810 Gold 208481 http://live.tetongravity.com/_News-March-10-Mount-Hood-Meadows-Heather-Canyon-Avalanche/blog/3388732/75233.html From the resort's blog: Sometime in the morning of March 10, 2011 prior to 0815 a large avalanche ran through the Clark side of Heather Canyon. The slide scoured the sides of the drainage, deposited a significant amount of debris in the gut which extended well past the confluence of the Clark/Heather drainages and the bottom terminal of the Heather Chair. The track and debris extend to historical trim lines. Further investigation is underway. The origin of the slide is unknown at this time. There are no known casualties or structural damages at this time. The Canyon will remain closed until further notice. We ask that only authorized personnel access the Canyon – please respect all closures. [image] From the resort's blog: Sometime in the morning of March 10, 2011 prior to 0815 a large avalanche ran through the Clark side of Heather Canyon. The slide scoured the sides of the drainage, deposited a significant amount of debris in the gut which extended well past the confluence of the Clark/Heather drainages and the bottom terminal of the Heather Chair. The track and debris extend to historical trim lines. Further investigation is underway. The origin of the slide is unknown at this time. There are no known casualties or structural damages at this time. The Canyon will remain closed until further notice. We ask that only authorized personnel access the Canyon – please respect all closures. [image] Tue, 15 Mar 2011 16:27:11 GMT http://live.tetongravity.com/_News-March-10-Mount-Hood-Meadows-Heather-Canyon-Avalanche/blog/3388732/75233.html media-75233 2011-03-15T16:27:11Z General Snow ski and snowboard Teton Gravity Research From the resort's blog: Sometime in the morning of March 10, 2011 prior to 0815 a large avalanche ran through the Clark side of Heather Canyon. The slide scoured the sides of the drainage, deposited a significant amount of debris in the gut which extended well past the confluence of the Clark/Heather drainages and the bottom terminal of the Heather Chair. The track and debris extend to historical trim lines. Further investigation is underway. The origin of the slide is unknown at this time. There are no known casualties or structural damages at this time. The Canyon will remain closed until further notice. We ask that only authorized personnel access the Canyon – please respect all closures. [image] avalanche, canyon, general snow, heather, mount hood, mount hood meadows, oregon, ski and snowboard, slide nonadult false News: March 10 Mount Hood Meadows Heather Canyon Avalanche text blog avalanche,canyon,general snow,heather,mount hood,mount hood meadows,oregon,ski and snowboard,slide 841 0 0.0 http://live.tetongravity.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=8097810&as=75233 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/75233/photos/PHOTO_4105881_75233_8097810_ap_160X120.jpg false Mount Hood 0 General Snow / ski and snowboard 0 3388732 8097810 Gold 208481 http://live.tetongravity.com/_News-Skier-Killed-In-Hatcher-Pass-Alaska-Avalanche/blog/3404653/75233.html From The Frontiersman: An avalanche buried one skier and broke another’s leg Saturday evening. According to Trooper Richard Chambers, there were two parties relatively close to one another skiing at the time of the slide. One party — two men — were caught in the avalanche. The other party stopped to help. While one went to the nearest parking lot to summon rescuers, the other two started digging. As of 8 p.m., the two diggers were still on the mountain, as was the man with the broken leg. The man buried had not been recovered. An Alaska State Troopers helicopter could not land where the three people were because the slope of the mountain was too steep. Troopers instead dropped a bag of supplies to them.  They called for a military helicopter that could use a hoist to pull the people up and therefore wouldn’t have to land. As night fell, troopers decided not to put anyone on the mountain and to bring the three people there back. “It will resume again at 8 in the morning,” Chambers said. Read The Full Article   From The Frontiersman: An avalanche buried one skier and broke another’s leg Saturday evening. According to Trooper Richard Chambers, there were two parties relatively close to one another skiing at the time of the slide. One party — two men — were caught in the avalanche. The other party stopped to help. While one went to the nearest parking lot to summon rescuers, the other two started digging. As of 8 p.m., the two diggers were still on the mountain, as was the man with the broken leg. The man buried had not been recovered. An Alaska State Troopers helicopter could not land where the three people were because the slope of the mountain was too steep. Troopers instead dropped a bag of supplies to them.  They called for a military helicopter that could use a hoist to pull the people up and therefore wouldn’t have to land. As night fell, troopers decided not to put anyone on the mountain and to bring the three people there back. “It will resume again at 8 in the morning,” Chambers said. Read The Full Article   Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:21:06 GMT http://live.tetongravity.com/_News-Skier-Killed-In-Hatcher-Pass-Alaska-Avalanche/blog/3404653/75233.html media-75233 2011-03-22T16:21:06Z News News Featured Ski Teton Gravity Research From The Frontiersman: An avalanche buried one skier and broke another’s leg Saturday evening. According to Trooper Richard Chambers, there were two parties relatively close to one another skiing at the time of the slide. One party — two men — were caught in the avalanche. The other party stopped to help. While one went to the nearest parking lot to summon rescuers, the other two started digging. As of 8 p.m., the two diggers were still on the mountain, as was the man with the broken leg. The man buried had not been recovered. An Alaska State Troopers helicopter could not land where the three people were because the slope of the mountain was too steep. Troopers instead dropped a bag of supplies to them.  They called for a military helicopter that could use a hoist to pull the people up and therefore wouldn’t have to land. As night fell, troopers decided not to put anyone on the mountain and to bring the three people there back. “It will resume again at 8 in the morning,” Chambers said. Read The Full Article   alaska, avalanche, death, fatality, hatcher pass, news, news featured ski, ski, skier, skiing, slide nonadult false News: Skier Killed In Hatcher Pass, Alaska Avalanche text blog alaska,avalanche,death,fatality,hatcher pass,news,news featured ski,ski,skier,skiing,slide 1614 0 0.0 http://live.tetongravity.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=8097810&as=75233 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/75233/photos/PHOTO_4105881_75233_8097810_ap_160X120.jpg false Thatcher Pass 0 News / News Featured Ski 0 3404653 8097810 Gold 208481 http://live.tetongravity.com/_Video-Running-Avalanche-Control-With-Solitude-Ski-Patrol/blog/3407018/75233.html Come along with Solitude Mountain Resort Snow Safety as they hike, bomb, and control the avalanche terrain of Fantasy Ridge above Honeycomb Canyon. What many don't realize is that before you can shred The Greatest Snow on Earth ® patrol is up there working hard making it safe for us to ski. Solitude Ski Patrol uses explosives to knock down avalanches in exposed and steep terrain to make conditions on Fantasy Ridge and Honeycomb Canyon safe for skiers and snowboarders. Come along with Solitude Mountain Resort Snow Safety as they hike, bomb, and control the avalanche terrain of Fantasy Ridge above Honeycomb Canyon. What many don't realize is that before you can shred The Greatest Snow on Earth ® patrol is up there working hard making it safe for us to ski. Solitude Ski Patrol uses explosives to knock down avalanches in exposed and steep terrain to make conditions on Fantasy Ridge and Honeycomb Canyon safe for skiers and snowboarders. Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:17:36 GMT http://live.tetongravity.com/_Video-Running-Avalanche-Control-With-Solitude-Ski-Patrol/blog/3407018/75233.html media-75233 2011-03-23T17:17:36Z News News Ski and Snowboard Teton Gravity Research Come along with Solitude Mountain Resort Snow Safety as they hike, bomb, and control the avalanche terrain of Fantasy Ridge above Honeycomb Canyon. What many don't realize is that before you can shred The Greatest Snow on Earth ® patrol is up there working hard making it safe for us to ski. Solitude Ski Patrol uses explosives to knock down avalanches in exposed and steep terrain to make conditions on Fantasy Ridge and Honeycomb Canyon safe for skiers and snowboarders. avalanche, explosive, news, news ski and snowboard, patrol, ski, ski patrol, skiing, slide, solitude, trigger, utah nonadult false Video: Running Avalanche Control With Solitude Ski Patrol text blog avalanche,explosive,news,news ski and snowboard,patrol,ski,ski patrol,skiing,slide,solitude,trigger,utah 3238 1 5.0 http://live.tetongravity.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=8097810&as=75233 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/75233/photos/PHOTO_4105881_75233_8097810_ap_160X120.jpg false United States UT Solitude 0 News / News Ski and Snowboard 0 3407018 8097810 Gold 208481 http://live.tetongravity.com/_Video-Tree-Well-POV-Footage-From-Crystal-Mountain/blog/3411966/75233.html Tree Well POV Footage From Crystal Mountain Tree Well POV Footage From Crystal Mountain Fri, 25 Mar 2011 21:05:57 GMT http://live.tetongravity.com/_Video-Tree-Well-POV-Footage-From-Crystal-Mountain/blog/3411966/75233.html media-75233 2011-03-25T21:05:57Z News News Ski and Snowboard Teton Gravity Research Tree Well POV Footage From Crystal Mountain crystal mount, news, news ski and snowboard, pov, safety, ski, skiing, tree well, washington nonadult false Video: Tree Well POV Footage From Crystal Mountain text blog crystal mount,news,news ski and snowboard,pov,safety,ski,skiing,tree well,washington 4296 0 0.0 http://live.tetongravity.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=8097810&as=75233 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/75233/photos/PHOTO_4105881_75233_8097810_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WA Crystal Mountain 0 News / News Ski and Snowboard 0 3411966 8097810 Gold 208481 http://live.tetongravity.com/_News-Backcountry-Skier-Killed-In-Horseshoe-Mountain-Utah-Avalanche/blog/3418384/75233.html CAIC's Incident Report: Weather Summary The Skyline has received above average snowfall during the 2010-11 winter season. Unfortunately, a wide spread surface hoar event occurred and was buried intact in early January. An unusual rain event occurred on January 16th producing a rain crust that was quite stout in many areas. Faceting associated with the crust occurred during a period with fewer storms at the end of January and into February. The buried surface hoar and facets that formed under the crust have produced very scattered avalanches. However, these avalanches have been large and dangerous. Recent snow storms with more wind then normal has made these buried weak layers become more active.  Forecasters and backcountry observers have been noting and speculating about this weakness since it's formation. While it hasn't produced a large number of avalanches, it's scary nature has made the forecasters continue to include it in the avalanche advisories.  About 12" of new snow had accumulated over the few days prior to the avalanche. Skies were partly cloudy. Southerly winds were in the moderate speed category which is very common along the Skyline. Some drifting was occurring.  It should be noted that the forecasters that investigated this avalanche were shut down by white-out conditions just prior to doing a crown profile (looking at the weak layers). It is assumed that the avalanche broke into faceted snow due to it's depth and since it revealed rocks where faceting is likely to have occurred. The short window of clear weather did not allow the forecasters to dig and look at snowpack layering at any adjacent terrain that would be representative of the avalanche site. Snowpack Summary The accident occurred in The Big Shoe or The Big Horseshoe. The aspect of the avalanche was northeast. The slope angle was approaching 40 degrees. A rock band runs horizontally through the upper portion of the bowl. This made the slab above the rock band basically unsupported. The rock band was just covered and a few rocks could be seen poking through the snowpack on adjacent paths. This thin rocky terrain is subject to faceting or in simple terms, the snow becoming weak. Just south of the bowl is an enormous flat fetch which is a perfect place for the southerly winds to pick up loose snow and deposit it into the bowl. Events Leading to the Avalanche Heading south on highway 89, just before you get to Fairview, UT, you get a glimpse of the Mountains of the Manti Skyline. One of the most striking features is the Horseshoe bowl with its steep north facing tree chutes. 7 Skiers from Utah were captivated by that bowl some time ago. After spending time planning & thinking about the captivating shot, they set out to ski it on March 26th, 2011.  These are expert skiers; most of the party has been skiing since childhood. Backcountry experience amongst the members of the group ranges from 2 – 14 years. Each member of the group was carrying beacon, shovel & probe, and they had all practiced with their gear. Most members of the group had taken a Level 1 recreation avalanche course. A few members of the group had read the current avalanche forecast in its entirety which rated the overall hazard as Moderate with pockets of Considerable with “the possibility for deep slab avalanches on steep rocky upper elevation slopes facing the north half of the compass.”  The group left the Ephraim Canyon trailhead in the morning in a modern snowcat, reaching the Horseshoe Bowls after a couple hours of travel. Visibility was good, although it was windy, and they noticed a storm brewing to the west on the Nebo side of the valley.  The group observed that the Little Shoe Bowl was actively wind loading, so they moved over to the Big Shoe Bowl. Once there, they put one person on belay. That person, now tied in, went out to the massive cornice and started cutting and kicking pieces of cornice onto the slope to test for stability. These cornice drops produced very small loose snow avalanches aka sluffs. The group thought these sluffs were a manageable avalanche hazard & decided to send a two members into the slope to conduct more snow stability testing. A & B got into the upper part of the slope and dug down 6’ or so. They then conducted a few compression tests which resulted in sudden planer shears 16” in depth. All members of the group commented how they didn’t like the results. A & B then moved a few feet to a different location to conduct a few more tests. The results were similar, and the group came to the consensus that they didn’t want to ski this slope. They began gathering their gear to leave the area. Accident Summary At that point C & D were standing near the edge of the cornice which suddenly gave way. C fell with the VW Bus sized piece of cornice that broke off and triggered the large avalanche. C was carried almost all the way down the avalanche path. Viewing from above, D saw C get up and start moving around and for a moment the group thought they had dodged a bullet. They soon realized that A & B had also been caught and carried by the avalanche. D instructed E, F & G who were waiting in the snowcat to call 911 which they did as there is cell service at this location. This call was placed around 11:45am & EMS was mobilized. Rescue Summary D then switched his beacon to receive and went down the slope to start the rescue of A & B. As D arrived at the debris pile he found C searching, and C & D got to B who was buried, but had his head & one arm free. They cleared B’s mouth, and then E arrived on the scene and dug B the rest of the way out.  Leaving E to continue digging, C & D searched for A’s beacon signal which they quickly acquired. Using their beacons, they followed the flux lines to A’s location and found a ski boot heal on the snow surface. A was almost completely buried, and appeared to have suffered serious trauma during the avalanche. The group worked in shifts to quickly & efficiently dig A out. Once out of the snow, A had no vital signs; he was blue in the face, not breathing and had no pulse. Heroically, the group began the exhausting work of administering CPR. They did so for a full hour. Just as they contemplated stopping, A’s chest rose on its own and a pulse was detected, although he did not regain consciousness. The group administered rescue breaths for the next two hours while keeping A as warm as possible. The group was utterly exhausted at this point, now waiting for SAR teams to reach them to help get them & their critically injured friend up and out of the steep bowl.  The party estimates they got to B in 8 minutes & had A dug out 15 minutes after the avalanche was triggered which is nothing short of amazing given the circumstances & the size of the avalanche.  At this point SAR teams composed of over 75 volunteers from both Sanpete & Sevier Co. were battling absolutely epic conditions to get to the party waiting in this very remote location. A storm had rolled in and reduced the visibility to just a few feet, further complicating the situation. Eventually, SAR teams were able to deploy over 2100’ of rope to get down to the party. SAR teams brought food, water, started a fire to warm the group and began the long & arduous process of getting the skiers back to the top of the bowl, a distance of over 1000’ vertical feet.  In an amazing show of strength and determination, all rescuers and victims were back on top of the ridge near nightfall. By 9:30pm all rescuers and victims were in vehicles heading back towards the highway. Comments Once the avalanche occurred, the party preformed a text book rescue, and really did everything right. Amazingly, they pulled their friend out of the snowpack dead, and brought him back to life. This is an outstanding effort on their part.  This accident really comes down to being in the wrong place at the wrong time. While the party was trying to do the right thing by gathering information, they were doing so in the start zone of a major avalanche path, an incredibly hazardous area & high risk activity. Unfortunately, the backcountry snowpack can be a very harsh and unforgiving judge, and the party paid the ultimate price for this mistake in the loss of a loved one. I am deeply saddened by this accident and my thoughts & prayers are with the party this evening.  SAR teams were tasked with an incredibly difficult mission in downright nasty conditions. The volunteers who boldly went out into the storm to help the victims truly embody what it is to be a hero. Had the party been forced to endure the cold stormy night out in the elements, the outcome could have been very different. Sanpete & Sevier Co. SAR, my hat is off to you. Well done. View The Full Report Here CAIC's Incident Report: Weather Summary The Skyline has received above average snowfall during the 2010-11 winter season. Unfortunately, a wide spread surface hoar event occurred and was buried intact in early January. An unusual rain event occurred on January 16th producing a rain crust that was quite stout in many areas. Faceting associated with the crust occurred during a period with fewer storms at the end of January and into February. The buried surface hoar and facets that formed under the crust have produced very scattered avalanches. However, these avalanches have been large and dangerous. Recent snow storms with more wind then normal has made these buried weak layers become more active.  Forecasters and backcountry observers have been noting and speculating about this weakness since it's formation. While it hasn't produced a large number of avalanches, it's scary nature has made the forecasters continue to include it in the avalanche advisories.  About 12" of new snow had accumulated over the few days prior to the avalanche. Skies were partly cloudy. Southerly winds were in the moderate speed category which is very common along the Skyline. Some drifting was occurring.  It should be noted that the forecasters that investigated this avalanche were shut down by white-out conditions just prior to doing a crown profile (looking at the weak layers). It is assumed that the avalanche broke into faceted snow due to it's depth and since it revealed rocks where faceting is likely to have occurred. The short window of clear weather did not allow the forecasters to dig and look at snowpack layering at any adjacent terrain that would be representative of the avalanche site. Snowpack Summary The accident occurred in The Big Shoe or The Big Horseshoe. The aspect of the avalanche was northeast. The slope angle was approaching 40 degrees. A rock band runs horizontally through the upper portion of the bowl. This made the slab above the rock band basically unsupported. The rock band was just covered and a few rocks could be seen poking through the snowpack on adjacent paths. This thin rocky terrain is subject to faceting or in simple terms, the snow becoming weak. Just south of the bowl is an enormous flat fetch which is a perfect place for the southerly winds to pick up loose snow and deposit it into the bowl. Events Leading to the Avalanche Heading south on highway 89, just before you get to Fairview, UT, you get a glimpse of the Mountains of the Manti Skyline. One of the most striking features is the Horseshoe bowl with its steep north facing tree chutes. 7 Skiers from Utah were captivated by that bowl some time ago. After spending time planning & thinking about the captivating shot, they set out to ski it on March 26th, 2011.  These are expert skiers; most of the party has been skiing since childhood. Backcountry experience amongst the members of the group ranges from 2 – 14 years. Each member of the group was carrying beacon, shovel & probe, and they had all practiced with their gear. Most members of the group had taken a Level 1 recreation avalanche course. A few members of the group had read the current avalanche forecast in its entirety which rated the overall hazard as Moderate with pockets of Considerable with “the possibility for deep slab avalanches on steep rocky upper elevation slopes facing the north half of the compass.”  The group left the Ephraim Canyon trailhead in the morning in a modern snowcat, reaching the Horseshoe Bowls after a couple hours of travel. Visibility was good, although it was windy, and they noticed a storm brewing to the west on the Nebo side of the valley.  The group observed that the Little Shoe Bowl was actively wind loading, so they moved over to the Big Shoe Bowl. Once there, they put one person on belay. That person, now tied in, went out to the massive cornice and started cutting and kicking pieces of cornice onto the slope to test for stability. These cornice drops produced very small loose snow avalanches aka sluffs. The group thought these sluffs were a manageable avalanche hazard & decided to send a two members into the slope to conduct more snow stability testing. A & B got into the upper part of the slope and dug down 6’ or so. They then conducted a few compression tests which resulted in sudden planer shears 16” in depth. All members of the group commented how they didn’t like the results. A & B then moved a few feet to a different location to conduct a few more tests. The results were similar, and the group came to the consensus that they didn’t want to ski this slope. They began gathering their gear to leave the area. Accident Summary At that point C & D were standing near the edge of the cornice which suddenly gave way. C fell with the VW Bus sized piece of cornice that broke off and triggered the large avalanche. C was carried almost all the way down the avalanche path. Viewing from above, D saw C get up and start moving around and for a moment the group thought they had dodged a bullet. They soon realized that A & B had also been caught and carried by the avalanche. D instructed E, F & G who were waiting in the snowcat to call 911 which they did as there is cell service at this location. This call was placed around 11:45am & EMS was mobilized. Rescue Summary D then switched his beacon to receive and went down the slope to start the rescue of A & B. As D arrived at the debris pile he found C searching, and C & D got to B who was buried, but had his head & one arm free. They cleared B’s mouth, and then E arrived on the scene and dug B the rest of the way out.  Leaving E to continue digging, C & D searched for A’s beacon signal which they quickly acquired. Using their beacons, they followed the flux lines to A’s location and found a ski boot heal on the snow surface. A was almost completely buried, and appeared to have suffered serious trauma during the avalanche. The group worked in shifts to quickly & efficiently dig A out. Once out of the snow, A had no vital signs; he was blue in the face, not breathing and had no pulse. Heroically, the group began the exhausting work of administering CPR. They did so for a full hour. Just as they contemplated stopping, A’s chest rose on its own and a pulse was detected, although he did not regain consciousness. The group administered rescue breaths for the next two hours while keeping A as warm as possible. The group was utterly exhausted at this point, now waiting for SAR teams to reach them to help get them & their critically injured friend up and out of the steep bowl.  The party estimates they got to B in 8 minutes & had A dug out 15 minutes after the avalanche was triggered which is nothing short of amazing given the circumstances & the size of the avalanche.  At this point SAR teams composed of over 75 volunteers from both Sanpete & Sevier Co. were battling absolutely epic conditions to get to the party waiting in this very remote location. A storm had rolled in and reduced the visibility to just a few feet, further complicating the situation. Eventually, SAR teams were able to deploy over 2100’ of rope to get down to the party. SAR teams brought food, water, started a fire to warm the group and began the long & arduous process of getting the skiers back to the top of the bowl, a distance of over 1000’ vertical feet.  In an amazing show of strength and determination, all rescuers and victims were back on top of the ridge near nightfall. By 9:30pm all rescuers and victims were in vehicles heading back towards the highway. Comments Once the avalanche occurred, the party preformed a text book rescue, and really did everything right. Amazingly, they pulled their friend out of the snowpack dead, and brought him back to life. This is an outstanding effort on their part.  This accident really comes down to being in the wrong place at the wrong time. While the party was trying to do the right thing by gathering information, they were doing so in the start zone of a major avalanche path, an incredibly hazardous area & high risk activity. Unfortunately, the backcountry snowpack can be a very harsh and unforgiving judge, and the party paid the ultimate price for this mistake in the loss of a loved one. I am deeply saddened by this accident and my thoughts & prayers are with the party this evening.  SAR teams were tasked with an incredibly difficult mission in downright nasty conditions. The volunteers who boldly went out into the storm to help the victims truly embody what it is to be a hero. Had the party been forced to endure the cold stormy night out in the elements, the outcome could have been very different. Sanpete & Sevier Co. SAR, my hat is off to you. Well done. View The Full Report Here Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:15:20 GMT http://live.tetongravity.com/_News-Backcountry-Skier-Killed-In-Horseshoe-Mountain-Utah-Avalanche/blog/3418384/75233.html media-75233 2011-03-28T19:15:20Z News News Ski and Snowboard Teton Gravity Research CAIC's Incident Report: Weather Summary The Skyline has received above average snowfall during the 2010-11 winter season. Unfortunately, a wide spread surface hoar event occurred and was buried intact in early January. An unusual rain event occurred on January 16th producing a rain crust that was quite stout in many areas. Faceting associated with the crust occurred during a period with fewer storms at the end of January and into February. The buried surface hoar and facets that formed under the crust have produced very scattered avalanches. However, these avalanches have been large and dangerous. Recent snow storms with more wind then normal has made these buried weak layers become more active.  Forecasters and backcountry observers have been noting and speculating about this weakness since it's formation. While it hasn't produced a large number of avalanches, it's scary nature has made the forecasters continue to include it in the avalanche advisories.  About 12" of new snow had accumulated over the few days prior to the avalanche. Skies were partly cloudy. Southerly winds were in the moderate speed category which is very common along the Skyline. Some drifting was occurring.  It should be noted that the forecasters that investigated this avalanche were shut down by white-out conditions just prior to doing a crown profile (looking at the weak layers). It is assumed that the avalanche broke into faceted snow due to it's depth and since it revealed rocks where faceting is likely to have occurred. The short window of clear weather did not allow the forecasters to dig and look at snowpack layering at any adjacent terrain that would be representative of the avalanche site. Snowpack Summary The accident occurred in The Big Shoe or The Big Horseshoe. The aspect of the avalanche was northeast. The slope angle was approaching 40 degrees. A rock band runs horizontally through the upper portion of the bowl. This made the slab above the rock band basically unsupported. The rock band was just covered and a few rocks could be seen poking through the snowpack on adjacent paths. This thin rocky terrain is subject to faceting or in simple terms, the snow becoming weak. Just south of the bowl is an enormous flat fetch which is a perfect place for the southerly winds to pick up loose snow and deposit it into the bowl. Events Leading to the Avalanche Heading south on highway 89, just before you get to Fairview, UT, you get a glimpse of the Mountains of the Manti Skyline. One of the most striking features is the Horseshoe bowl with its steep north facing tree chutes. 7 Skiers from Utah were captivated by that bowl some time ago. After spending time planning & thinking about the captivating shot, they set out to ski it on March 26th, 2011.  These are expert skiers; most of the party has been skiing since childhood. Backcountry experience amongst the members of the group ranges from 2 – 14 years. Each member of the group was carrying beacon, shovel & probe, and they had all practiced with their gear. Most members of the group had taken a Level 1 recreation avalanche course. A few members of the group had read the current avalanche forecast in its entirety which rated the overall hazard as Moderate with pockets of Considerable with “the possibility for deep slab avalanches on steep rocky upper elevation slopes facing the north half of the compass.”  The group left the Ephraim Canyon trailhead in the morning in a modern snowcat, reaching the Horseshoe Bowls after a couple hours of travel. Visibility was good, although it was windy, and they noticed a storm brewing to the west on the Nebo side of the valley.  The group observed that the Little Shoe Bowl was actively wind loading, so they moved over to the Big Shoe Bowl. Once there, they put one person on belay. That person, now tied in, went out to the massive cornice and started cutting and kicking pieces of cornice onto the slope to test for stability. These cornice drops produced very small loose snow avalanches aka sluffs. The group thought these sluffs were a manageable avalanche hazard & decided to send a two members into the slope to conduct more snow stability testing. A & B got into the upper part of the slope and dug down 6’ or so. They then conducted a few compression tests which resulted in sudden planer shears 16” in depth. All members of the group commented how they didn’t like the results. A & B then moved a few feet to a different location to conduct a few more tests. The results were similar, and the group came to the consensus that they didn’t want to ski this slope. They began gathering their gear to leave the area. Accident Summary At that point C & D were standing near the edge of the cornice which suddenly gave way. C fell with the VW Bus sized piece of cornice that broke off and triggered the large avalanche. C was carried almost all the way down the avalanche path. Viewing from above, D saw C get up and start moving around and for a moment the group thought they had dodged a bullet. They soon realized that A & B had also been caught and carried by the avalanche. D instructed E, F & G who were waiting in the snowcat to call 911 which they did as there is cell service at this location. This call was placed around 11:45am & EMS was mobilized. Rescue Summary D then switched his beacon to receive and went down the slope to start the rescue of A & B. As D arrived at the debris pile he found C searching, and C & D got to B who was buried, but had his head & one arm free. They cleared B’s mouth, and then E arrived on the scene and dug B the rest of the way out.  Leaving E to continue digging, C & D searched for A’s beacon signal which they quickly acquired. Using their beacons, they followed the flux lines to A’s location and found a ski boot heal on the snow surface. A was almost completely buried, and appeared to have suffered serious trauma during the avalanche. The group worked in shifts to quickly & efficiently dig A out. Once out of the snow, A had no vital signs; he was blue in the face, not breathing and had no pulse. Heroically, the group began the exhausting work of administering CPR. They did so for a full hour. Just as they contemplated stopping, A’s chest rose on its own and a pulse was detected, although he did not regain consciousness. The group administered rescue breaths for the next two hours while keeping A as warm as possible. The group was utterly exhausted at this point, now waiting for SAR teams to reach them to help get them & their critically injured friend up and out of the steep bowl.  The party estimates they got to B in 8 minutes & had A dug out 15 minutes after the avalanche was triggered which is nothing short of amazing given the circumstances & the size of the avalanche.  At this point SAR teams composed of over 75 volunteers from both Sanpete & Sevier Co. were battling absolutely epic conditions to get to the party waiting in this very remote location. A storm had rolled in and reduced the visibility to just a few feet, further complicating the situation. Eventually, SAR teams were able to deploy over 2100’ of rope to get down to the party. SAR teams brought food, water, started a fire to warm the group and began the long & arduous process of getting the skiers back to the top of the bowl, a distance of over 1000’ vertical feet.  In an amazing show of strength and determination, all rescuers and victims were back on top of the ridge near nightfall. By 9:30pm all rescuers and victims were in vehicles heading back towards the highway. Comments Once the avalanche occurred, the party preformed a text book rescue, and really did everything right. Amazingly, they pulled their friend out of the snowpack dead, and brought him back to life. This is an outstanding effort on their part.  This accident really comes down to being in the wrong place at the wrong time. While the party was trying to do the right thing by gathering information, they were doing so in the start zone of a major avalanche path, an incredibly hazardous area & high risk activity. Unfortunately, the backcountry snowpack can be a very harsh and unforgiving judge, and the party paid the ultimate price for this mistake in the loss of a loved one. I am deeply saddened by this accident and my thoughts & prayers are with the party this evening.  SAR teams were tasked with an incredibly difficult mission in downright nasty conditions. The volunteers who boldly went out into the storm to help the victims truly embody what it is to be a hero. Had the party been forced to endure the cold stormy night out in the elements, the outcome could have been very different. Sanpete & Sevier Co. SAR, my hat is off to you. Well done. View The Full Report Here avalanche, backcountry, death, fatality, horseshoe mountain, killed, news, news ski and snowboard, rescue, ski, skiing, slide, utah nonadult false News: Backcountry Skier Killed In Horseshoe Mountain, Utah Avalanche text blog avalanche,backcountry,death,fatality,horseshoe mountain,killed,news,news ski and snowboard,rescue,ski,skiing,slide,utah 2718 0 0.0 http://live.tetongravity.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=8097810&as=75233 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/75233/photos/PHOTO_4105881_75233_8097810_ap_160X120.jpg false United States UT Horseshoe Mountain 0 News / News Ski and Snowboard 0 3418384 8097810 Gold 208481 http://live.tetongravity.com/_Aspen-Local-Killed-In-Maroon-Bowl-Sidecountry-Avalanche/blog/3437174/75233.html From The Aspen Daily News: Local man Adam Dennis was killed Monday in an avalanche in the Aspen Highlands sidecountry. Authorities received a call from members of a five-person group in which Dennis was skiing at 2:45 p.m., according to a Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office press release. The caller, using a cell phone, reported the slide in Desolation Row, an out-of-bounds run dropping toward the Maroon Creek Valley accessed from the Highland Bowl ridge.  Dennis, 38, and his companions were all wearing beacons, said sheriff’s deputy Adam Crider. Other members of the group were able to ski to Dennis’ location and dig him out within 15 minutes of the slide, Crider said, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. Read The Full Article Here From The Aspen Daily News: Local man Adam Dennis was killed Monday in an avalanche in the Aspen Highlands sidecountry. Authorities received a call from members of a five-person group in which Dennis was skiing at 2:45 p.m., according to a Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office press release. The caller, using a cell phone, reported the slide in Desolation Row, an out-of-bounds run dropping toward the Maroon Creek Valley accessed from the Highland Bowl ridge.  Dennis, 38, and his companions were all wearing beacons, said sheriff’s deputy Adam Crider. Other members of the group were able to ski to Dennis’ location and dig him out within 15 minutes of the slide, Crider said, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. Read The Full Article Here Tue, 05 Apr 2011 18:07:57 GMT http://live.tetongravity.com/_Aspen-Local-Killed-In-Maroon-Bowl-Sidecountry-Avalanche/blog/3437174/75233.html media-75233 2011-04-05T18:07:57Z General Snow ski and snowboard Teton Gravity Research From The Aspen Daily News: Local man Adam Dennis was killed Monday in an avalanche in the Aspen Highlands sidecountry. Authorities received a call from members of a five-person group in which Dennis was skiing at 2:45 p.m., according to a Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office press release. The caller, using a cell phone, reported the slide in Desolation Row, an out-of-bounds run dropping toward the Maroon Creek Valley accessed from the Highland Bowl ridge.  Dennis, 38, and his companions were all wearing beacons, said sheriff’s deputy Adam Crider. Other members of the group were able to ski to Dennis’ location and dig him out within 15 minutes of the slide, Crider said, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. Read The Full Article Here adam dennis, aspen, aspen highlands, avalanche, backcountry, colorado, desolation row, general snow, maroon bowl, sidecountry, ski, ski and snowboard, skiing, slide nonadult false Aspen Local Killed In Maroon Bowl Sidecountry Avalanche text blog adam dennis,aspen,aspen highlands,avalanche,backcountry,colorado,desolation row,general snow,maroon bowl,sidecountry,ski,ski and snowboard,skiing,slide 1385 0 0.0 http://live.tetongravity.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=8097810&as=75233 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/75233/photos/PHOTO_4105881_75233_8097810_ap_160X120.jpg false United States CO Aspen 0 General Snow / ski and snowboard 0 3437174 8097810 Gold 208481 http://live.tetongravity.com/_News-Missing-Grand-Teton-National-Park-Skiers-Likely-Dead/blog/3489713/75233.html 4/25/2011 Update, Both skier's bodies have been found. Details below from The Jackson Hole News & Guide: Grand Teton National Park rangers dug the bodies of two skiers from 13 feet of snowslide debris Sunday, a day after detecting transmissions from avalanche beacons and six days after the men were reported missing. Officials confirmed the deaths of Walker Pannell Kuhl, 27, of Salt Lake City and Gregory Seftick, 31, of Columbia Falls, Mont. Rangers dug the two from the snow at around noon Sunday and ferried the bodies by helicopter from the burial site at about 9,000 feet in Garnet Canyon, park spokeswoman Jackie Skaggs said. In the waning hours of daylight Saturday, as the last of 35 searchers was being airlifted from the scene for the day, seasonal Jenny Lake climbing ranger Nick Armitage detected the beacon transmission, Skaggs said. Only about eight searchers were in the canyon when Armitage made a sweep of the search area with his receiver at 7 p.m. and picked up a “beep” on its fringe. “Nick just used his Tracker II transceiver one more time — he didn’t want to give up,” Skaggs said. “He wanted to do one more sweep.” Armitage picked up one signal then another on the east side of the avalanche debris field, a place that had been combed before. When he heard the beeps, other rangers helped him pinpoint a more certain location. They probed and dug, reaching about 5 feet down before getting another clue, Skaggs said. Rangers believed they struck an object under the snow with a 10-foot probe pole. Confirmation would have to wait for Sunday, however, because of fading light and regulations that limited the helicopter pilot’s flying hours. Nicole Ludwig of Hillsboro Aviation was working under contract with Teton County Search and Rescue. From The Jackson Hole News & Guide: A Grand Teton National Park spokeswoman said Thursday officials are assuming two skiers missing in Teton avalanche country since Monday are dead. The grim assessment came after another frustrating day when weather kept rangers and other searchers from venturing into Garnet Canyon where the pair were headed. Walker Pannell Kuhl, 27, of Salt Lake City, and Gregory Seftick, 31, of Columbia Falls, Mont., haven’t been seen since Saturday, the day they set off toward the 13,770-foot Grand Teton. “At this point we are assuming we don’t have survivors,” park spokeswoman Jackie Skaggs said. As late as Wednesday, the first day crews were able to venture to the top of Garnet Canyon and probe potential bivouac nooks, searchers held out hope. Reality set in Wednesday night when family members of the missing men and one girlfriend viewed photographs of the search area and were briefed on the ongoing mission. “It was an emotional night last night” Skaggs said Thursday. “They basically were coming to that conclusion — this was a potentially fatal situation for their sons.” Read The Full Article Here 4/25/2011 Update, Both skier's bodies have been found. Details below from The Jackson Hole News & Guide: Grand Teton National Park rangers dug the bodies of two skiers from 13 feet of snowslide debris Sunday, a day after detecting transmissions from avalanche beacons and six days after the men were reported missing. Officials confirmed the deaths of Walker Pannell Kuhl, 27, of Salt Lake City and Gregory Seftick, 31, of Columbia Falls, Mont. Rangers dug the two from the snow at around noon Sunday and ferried the bodies by helicopter from the burial site at about 9,000 feet in Garnet Canyon, park spokeswoman Jackie Skaggs said. In the waning hours of daylight Saturday, as the last of 35 searchers was being airlifted from the scene for the day, seasonal Jenny Lake climbing ranger Nick Armitage detected the beacon transmission, Skaggs said. Only about eight searchers were in the canyon when Armitage made a sweep of the search area with his receiver at 7 p.m. and picked up a “beep” on its fringe. “Nick just used his Tracker II transceiver one more time — he didn’t want to give up,” Skaggs said. “He wanted to do one more sweep.” Armitage picked up one signal then another on the east side of the avalanche debris field, a place that had been combed before. When he heard the beeps, other rangers helped him pinpoint a more certain location. They probed and dug, reaching about 5 feet down before getting another clue, Skaggs said. Rangers believed they struck an object under the snow with a 10-foot probe pole. Confirmation would have to wait for Sunday, however, because of fading light and regulations that limited the helicopter pilot’s flying hours. Nicole Ludwig of Hillsboro Aviation was working under contract with Teton County Search and Rescue. From The Jackson Hole News & Guide: A Grand Teton National Park spokeswoman said Thursday officials are assuming two skiers missing in Teton avalanche country since Monday are dead. The grim assessment came after another frustrating day when weather kept rangers and other searchers from venturing into Garnet Canyon where the pair were headed. Walker Pannell Kuhl, 27, of Salt Lake City, and Gregory Seftick, 31, of Columbia Falls, Mont., haven’t been seen since Saturday, the day they set off toward the 13,770-foot Grand Teton. “At this point we are assuming we don’t have survivors,” park spokeswoman Jackie Skaggs said. As late as Wednesday, the first day crews were able to venture to the top of Garnet Canyon and probe potential bivouac nooks, searchers held out hope. Reality set in Wednesday night when family members of the missing men and one girlfriend viewed photographs of the search area and were briefed on the ongoing mission. “It was an emotional night last night” Skaggs said Thursday. “They basically were coming to that conclusion — this was a potentially fatal situation for their sons.” Read The Full Article Here Sat, 23 Apr 2011 04:56:00 GMT http://live.tetongravity.com/_News-Missing-Grand-Teton-National-Park-Skiers-Likely-Dead/blog/3489713/75233.html media-75233 2011-04-23T04:56:00Z News News Ski and Snowboard Teton Gravity Research 4/25/2011 Update, Both skier's bodies have been found. Details below from The Jackson Hole News & Guide: Grand Teton National Park rangers dug the bodies of two skiers from 13 feet of snowslide debris Sunday, a day after detecting transmissions from avalanche beacons and six days after the men were reported missing. Officials confirmed the deaths of Walker Pannell Kuhl, 27, of Salt Lake City and Gregory Seftick, 31, of Columbia Falls, Mont. Rangers dug the two from the snow at around noon Sunday and ferried the bodies by helicopter from the burial site at about 9,000 feet in Garnet Canyon, park spokeswoman Jackie Skaggs said. In the waning hours of daylight Saturday, as the last of 35 searchers was being airlifted from the scene for the day, seasonal Jenny Lake climbing ranger Nick Armitage detected the beacon transmission, Skaggs said. Only about eight searchers were in the canyon when Armitage made a sweep of the search area with his receiver at 7 p.m. and picked up a “beep” on its fringe. “Nick just used his Tracker II transceiver one more time — he didn’t want to give up,” Skaggs said. “He wanted to do one more sweep.” Armitage picked up one signal then another on the east side of the avalanche debris field, a place that had been combed before. When he heard the beeps, other rangers helped him pinpoint a more certain location. They probed and dug, reaching about 5 feet down before getting another clue, Skaggs said. Rangers believed they struck an object under the snow with a 10-foot probe pole. Confirmation would have to wait for Sunday, however, because of fading light and regulations that limited the helicopter pilot’s flying hours. Nicole Ludwig of Hillsboro Aviation was working under contract with Teton County Search and Rescue. From The Jackson Hole News & Guide: A Grand Teton National Park spokeswoman said Thursday officials are assuming two skiers missing in Teton avalanche country since Monday are dead. The grim assessment came after another frustrating day when weather kept rangers and other searchers from venturing into Garnet Canyon where the pair were headed. Walker Pannell Kuhl, 27, of Salt Lake City, and Gregory Seftick, 31, of Columbia Falls, Mont., haven’t been seen since Saturday, the day they set off toward the 13,770-foot Grand Teton. “At this point we are assuming we don’t have survivors,” park spokeswoman Jackie Skaggs said. As late as Wednesday, the first day crews were able to venture to the top of Garnet Canyon and probe potential bivouac nooks, searchers held out hope. Reality set in Wednesday night when family members of the missing men and one girlfriend viewed photographs of the search area and were briefed on the ongoing mission. “It was an emotional night last night” Skaggs said Thursday. “They basically were coming to that conclusion — this was a potentially fatal situation for their sons.” Read The Full Article Here avalanche, buried, dead, death, fatality, garnet canyon, grand teton national park, gtnp, jackson hole, killed, news, news ski and snowboard, ski, skiing, slide, wyoming nonadult false News: Missing Grand Teton National Park Skiers Likely Dead text blog avalanche,buried,dead,death,fatality,garnet canyon,grand teton national park,gtnp,jackson hole,killed,news,news ski and snowboard,ski,skiing,slide,wyoming 3099 0 0.0 http://live.tetongravity.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=8097810&as=75233 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/75233/photos/PHOTO_4105881_75233_8097810_ap_160X120.jpg false Jackson Hole 0 News / News Ski and Snowboard 0 3489713 8097810 Gold 208481 http://live.tetongravity.com/_News-Two-Killed-In-Split-Couloir-Avalanche-In-The-Eastern-Sierra/blog/3544048/75233.html From ESPN: Well-known ski mountaineer Kip Garre, along with his girlfriend Allison Kreutzen, were killed in an avalanche near Lone Pine, Calif. on Tuesday, April 26. Their bodies were found Thursday in a search and rescue mission after friends became alarmed that they had not heard from the pair, who had set out three days ago to ski the Split Couloir in the eastern Sierra. Garre was 38. Originally from New Hampshire, he was based in Squaw Valley and worked as a guide at Points North Heli-Adventures in Cordova, Alaska. He was also an athlete for K2 and Mountain Hardwear and traveled the world climbing and skiing remote peaks. Garre's friends drove to the trailhead from Tahoe to assist in the search and rescue operation on Thursday. Robb Gaffney, one of Garre and Kreutzen's friends, told Powdermag.com about the recovery mission: "It appeared that they were probably climbing the couloir when the avalanche hit from above, and it looked like a pretty powerful avalanche. Each of them was partially buried -- Kip a little bit more so, while Allison had been ejected to the side. Read The Full Article HereRead Powder Magazine's Article Here  From ESPN: Well-known ski mountaineer Kip Garre, along with his girlfriend Allison Kreutzen, were killed in an avalanche near Lone Pine, Calif. on Tuesday, April 26. Their bodies were found Thursday in a search and rescue mission after friends became alarmed that they had not heard from the pair, who had set out three days ago to ski the Split Couloir in the eastern Sierra. Garre was 38. Originally from New Hampshire, he was based in Squaw Valley and worked as a guide at Points North Heli-Adventures in Cordova, Alaska. He was also an athlete for K2 and Mountain Hardwear and traveled the world climbing and skiing remote peaks. Garre's friends drove to the trailhead from Tahoe to assist in the search and rescue operation on Thursday. Robb Gaffney, one of Garre and Kreutzen's friends, told Powdermag.com about the recovery mission: "It appeared that they were probably climbing the couloir when the avalanche hit from above, and it looked like a pretty powerful avalanche. Each of them was partially buried -- Kip a little bit more so, while Allison had been ejected to the side. Read The Full Article HereRead Powder Magazine's Article Here  Fri, 29 Apr 2011 20:01:44 GMT http://live.tetongravity.com/_News-Two-Killed-In-Split-Couloir-Avalanche-In-The-Eastern-Sierra/blog/3544048/75233.html media-75233 2011-04-29T20:01:44Z News News Ski and Snowboard Teton Gravity Research From ESPN: Well-known ski mountaineer Kip Garre, along with his girlfriend Allison Kreutzen, were killed in an avalanche near Lone Pine, Calif. on Tuesday, April 26. Their bodies were found Thursday in a search and rescue mission after friends became alarmed that they had not heard from the pair, who had set out three days ago to ski the Split Couloir in the eastern Sierra. Garre was 38. Originally from New Hampshire, he was based in Squaw Valley and worked as a guide at Points North Heli-Adventures in Cordova, Alaska. He was also an athlete for K2 and Mountain Hardwear and traveled the world climbing and skiing remote peaks. Garre's friends drove to the trailhead from Tahoe to assist in the search and rescue operation on Thursday. Robb Gaffney, one of Garre and Kreutzen's friends, told Powdermag.com about the recovery mission: "It appeared that they were probably climbing the couloir when the avalanche hit from above, and it looked like a pretty powerful avalanche. Each of them was partially buried -- Kip a little bit more so, while Allison had been ejected to the side. Read The Full Article HereRead Powder Magazine's Article Here  allison kreutzen, avalanche, backcountry, california, death, died, eastern sierra, fatality, killed, kip garre, lone pine, news, news ski and snowboard, rescue, search, sierra, ski, skiing, slide, squaw valley nonadult false News: Two Killed In Split Couloir Avalanche In The Eastern Sierra text blog allison kreutzen,avalanche,backcountry,california,death,died,eastern sierra,fatality,killed,kip garre,lone pine,news,news ski and snowboard,rescue,search,sierra,ski,skiing,slide,squaw valley 2750 0 0.0 http://live.tetongravity.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=8097810&as=75233 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/75233/photos/PHOTO_4105881_75233_8097810_ap_160X120.jpg false United States CA Split Mountain 0 News / News Ski and Snowboard 0 3544048 8097810 Gold 208481 http://live.tetongravity.com/_News-Atlin-British-Columbia-Heli-Skiing-Guide-Killed-In-Crevasse-Fall/blog/3555171/75233.html From The Vancouver Sun: On Sunday, the Atlin RCMP received a report of a 47-year-old Austrian heli-ski guide having fallen into a crevasse, while guiding a group of skiers, on the Swanson Glacier near Atlin, B.C. The incident occurred when the group of four skiers accompanied by two guides, were beginning their day of skiing on the Swanson Glacier, approximately 65 kilometers southwest of Atlin, according to a news release. Witnesses said that one of the guides had stopped to take a photograph, when the snow beneath him gave way and he plunged into a deep crevasse. A company employee returned to the accident site after the other skiers were evacuated and was able to descend into the crevasse and confirmed the guide had suffered fatal injuries in the fall. It was reported that the crevasse was only 1.5 m wide by 35 m deep with ice overhangs and would pose difficulties to safely effect a recovery of the dead man. Read The Full Article Here From The Vancouver Sun: On Sunday, the Atlin RCMP received a report of a 47-year-old Austrian heli-ski guide having fallen into a crevasse, while guiding a group of skiers, on the Swanson Glacier near Atlin, B.C. The incident occurred when the group of four skiers accompanied by two guides, were beginning their day of skiing on the Swanson Glacier, approximately 65 kilometers southwest of Atlin, according to a news release. Witnesses said that one of the guides had stopped to take a photograph, when the snow beneath him gave way and he plunged into a deep crevasse. A company employee returned to the accident site after the other skiers were evacuated and was able to descend into the crevasse and confirmed the guide had suffered fatal injuries in the fall. It was reported that the crevasse was only 1.5 m wide by 35 m deep with ice overhangs and would pose difficulties to safely effect a recovery of the dead man. Read The Full Article Here Tue, 03 May 2011 23:25:39 GMT http://live.tetongravity.com/_News-Atlin-British-Columbia-Heli-Skiing-Guide-Killed-In-Crevasse-Fall/blog/3555171/75233.html media-75233 2011-05-03T23:25:39Z News News Ski and Snowboard Teton Gravity Research From The Vancouver Sun: On Sunday, the Atlin RCMP received a report of a 47-year-old Austrian heli-ski guide having fallen into a crevasse, while guiding a group of skiers, on the Swanson Glacier near Atlin, B.C. The incident occurred when the group of four skiers accompanied by two guides, were beginning their day of skiing on the Swanson Glacier, approximately 65 kilometers southwest of Atlin, according to a news release. Witnesses said that one of the guides had stopped to take a photograph, when the snow beneath him gave way and he plunged into a deep crevasse. A company employee returned to the accident site after the other skiers were evacuated and was able to descend into the crevasse and confirmed the guide had suffered fatal injuries in the fall. It was reported that the crevasse was only 1.5 m wide by 35 m deep with ice overhangs and would pose difficulties to safely effect a recovery of the dead man. Read The Full Article Here atlin, british columbia, canada, crevasse, death, fall, guide, heli ski, heli skiing, killed, news, news ski and snowboard, ski, skiing nonadult false News: Atlin, British Columbia Heli Skiing Guide Killed In Crevasse Fall text blog atlin,british columbia,canada,crevasse,death,fall,guide,heli ski,heli skiing,killed,news,news ski and snowboard,ski,skiing 1732 0 0.0 http://live.tetongravity.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=8097810&as=75233 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/75233/photos/PHOTO_4105881_75233_8097810_ap_160X120.jpg false Canada BC Atlin 0 News / News Ski and Snowboard 0 3555171 8097810 Gold 208481 http://live.tetongravity.com/_News-Snowboarder-Killed-In-Torreys-Peak-Colorado-Avalanche/blog/3654204/75233.html From The Summit County Citizen's Voice: The seventh avalanche death of the season in Colorado occurred May 21 when a snowboarder died on 14,267-foot Torreys Peak, a popular mountaineering destination on the Continental Divide between Summit County and Clear Creek County. According to a preliminary report from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, the accident involved a party of three backcountry travelers. The first of the trio to start down Dead Dog Couloir was caught in a small slide and swept into some rocks. According to Summit County emergency personnel, he was alive when rescuers reached the scene but died about 20 minutes after the rescue party arrived. Avalanche experts have been warning of the potential for dangerous slides the past few weeks as an unusually deep spring snowpack remains poised to avalanche as the weather warms or as cornices give way under their own weight. The Summit County Rescue Group sent about five or six emergency responders to the scene to assist Alpine Rescue Team. From The Summit County Citizen's Voice: The seventh avalanche death of the season in Colorado occurred May 21 when a snowboarder died on 14,267-foot Torreys Peak, a popular mountaineering destination on the Continental Divide between Summit County and Clear Creek County. According to a preliminary report from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, the accident involved a party of three backcountry travelers. The first of the trio to start down Dead Dog Couloir was caught in a small slide and swept into some rocks. According to Summit County emergency personnel, he was alive when rescuers reached the scene but died about 20 minutes after the rescue party arrived. Avalanche experts have been warning of the potential for dangerous slides the past few weeks as an unusually deep spring snowpack remains poised to avalanche as the weather warms or as cornices give way under their own weight. The Summit County Rescue Group sent about five or six emergency responders to the scene to assist Alpine Rescue Team. Sun, 22 May 2011 20:16:09 GMT http://live.tetongravity.com/_News-Snowboarder-Killed-In-Torreys-Peak-Colorado-Avalanche/blog/3654204/75233.html media-75233 2011-05-22T20:16:09Z News News Snowboard Teton Gravity Research From The Summit County Citizen's Voice: The seventh avalanche death of the season in Colorado occurred May 21 when a snowboarder died on 14,267-foot Torreys Peak, a popular mountaineering destination on the Continental Divide between Summit County and Clear Creek County. According to a preliminary report from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, the accident involved a party of three backcountry travelers. The first of the trio to start down Dead Dog Couloir was caught in a small slide and swept into some rocks. According to Summit County emergency personnel, he was alive when rescuers reached the scene but died about 20 minutes after the rescue party arrived. Avalanche experts have been warning of the potential for dangerous slides the past few weeks as an unusually deep spring snowpack remains poised to avalanche as the weather warms or as cornices give way under their own weight. The Summit County Rescue Group sent about five or six emergency responders to the scene to assist Alpine Rescue Team. backcountry, caic, colorado, couloir, dead dog couloir, death, fatality, killed, may, news, news snowboard, snowboarder, torreys peak nonadult false News: Snowboarder Killed In Torreys Peak, Colorado Avalanche text blog backcountry,caic,colorado,couloir,dead dog couloir,death,fatality,killed,may,news,news snowboard,snowboarder,torreys peak 1997 0 0.0 http://live.tetongravity.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=8097810&as=75233 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/75233/photos/PHOTO_4105881_75233_8097810_ap_160X120.jpg false United States CO Torreys Peak 0 News / News Snowboard 0 3654204 8097810 Gold 208481