Avalanche death near Marble CO

[hatchgreenchile]

Very sad, prayers to the family and everyone involved.

[spook]

probably a stupid question, but is there any significance to what looks like a deeper release? (sorry, i don't know proper term)/bed? could the whole thing have been much larger?

or is the larger area something that slid previously and the smaller area what slid this time?

[MakersTeleMark]

It was a classic step down.

[spook]

thanks...

[smitchell333]

Sounds like his friends had him out quickly, but he was gone. Maybe trauma was fatal?

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/2...ntProfile=1055

It started as a shallow slide.

Only approximately 8-10 inches deep, according to experts who are assembling a report on the avalanche near Marble that killed Frisco resident James Lindenblatt Sunday afternoon.

But further down the slope, the avalanche stepped down into a deeper weak layer of that gave way. Lindenblatt, 37, was knocked off his feet and moments later buried 3 feet deep in snow.

Two friends who had skied the pitch above Raspberry Creek ahead of Lindenblatt watched him get swept up by the slide. They immediately followed, armed with beacons and shovels.

With the help of the tools, they located and were able to pull Lindenblatt from the snow within minutes, but it was too late.

“It was almost an immediate response,” said the Colorado Avalanche Information Center's Brian McCall, who is investigating the incident. “He did not have a pulse and he was not breathing when they did uncover him.”

The two friends began CPR, while a third person skiing with the group skinned back up the slope to go for help.

[benkraj]

probably a stupid question, but is there any significance to what looks like a deeper release? (sorry, i don't know proper term)/bed? could the whole thing have been much larger?

or is the larger area something that slid previously and the smaller area what slid this time?

It looks like he triggered the larger area(but shallower) slab at the top probably because he got into a bit more windloaded section near the edge of the gully(which based on the tracks, it seems the others didn't hit/trigger). This slab's release(and it's weight) caused a step-down avalanche on the deeper weak layer on the ground.

[media310]

Vibes to everyone in Colorado. Whats the weather and more important temperatures been like in the week leading up to this sad event?

I thought we normally waited till spring to ride lines like that in Colorado? Have things changed

[Slaag Master]

^^ it appears that depth hoar underlies much of the snowpack in the intermountain west.

[mmmm...pow!]

Bummer. Haven't been in touch with too many Summit peeps for a while, but I did some mountain biking with him a long ways back, good dude. RIP brother.

[Danno]

Vibes to everyone in Colorado. Whats the weather and more important temperatures been like in the week leading up to this sad event?

I thought we normally waited till spring to ride lines like that in Colorado? Have things changed

arctic cold. And while you're right, I believe the avy forecast was moderate at all aspects/elevation (someone correct me if I'm wrong), so I can certainly see how some might have ventured into lines that are normally off-limits in mid-winter.

[Cosmic Suncloud]

arctic cold. And while you're right, I believe the avy forecast was moderate at all aspects/elevation (someone correct me if I'm wrong), so I can certainly see how some might have ventured into lines that are normally off-limits in mid-winter.

why would that be normally "off limits" in mid-winter?

[ferniebiker]

why would that be normally "off limits" in mid-winter?

Maybe something to do with the 40 degree gully their line runs down? Looks risky without the right conditions in my opinion ... But I'm not saying I know enough about the conditions at the time of the slide.

[Cosmic Suncloud]

edit - not the time or place. my bad

[Micol]

vibes+++

[mtnbikerskierchick]

My condolences to the friends and family of the victim.