Slide outside Aspen mtn

[jm020]

Just saw a post from Pitkin County Sheriffs Office, slide happened outside Aspen Mtn, one dead. No ID's released yet.
RIP.


Stay safe out there!

[timmaio]

https://www.facebook.com/PitkinSheri...891697?fref=nf

[Shredhead]

http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/165774

Keno's right off the top of the Ruthies lift. Very visible, sweet line, but it goes right into a scary terrain trap.

Becareful out there.

22yr old CU student.

RIP

[JaytaeMoney]

22yr old CU student.

RIP

Source? That's a lot different than what I'm hearing...

[Shredhead]

Source? That's a lot different than what I'm hearing...

9News. That wouldn't really surprise me, said the kids name was Jacob K.

http://www.9news.com/story/news/loca...tain/23911095/

[timmaio]

There was a fatality at Breck, I think they are mixing the two up.

The skier was identified as 22-year-old Jacob Koltun. He's from California but was attending school at the University of Colorado.

He was not wearing a helmet when he was skiing the expert area on Peak 7.

[timmaio]

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news...t-breckenridge

SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo. - A 22-year-old University of Colorado student died in a skiing accident at the Breckenridge Ski Resort.

Summit County deputy coroner Maggie Cox said Jacob Koltun was skiing in an expert area on Peak 7 Monday when he was found dead.

Cox said Koltun was not wearing a helmet and his death appears to be an accident, but Cox didn't release any other details about what happened.

Koltun was from California.

[timmaio]

Prelim photos are report is up at CAIC

http://avalanche.state.co.us/caic/ac...=558&accfm=rep

Soft slab, on old snow interface. Doesn't look bad. No report on cause of death yet, but he was pronounced dead at 5pm last night, so I imagine trauma.

What a shame, looks pretty much like poor sluff management to me. It will be interesting to learn more as info becomes available.

[jm020]

Prelim photos are report is up at CAIC

http://avalanche.state.co.us/caic/ac...=558&accfm=rep

Soft slab, on old snow interface. Doesn't look bad. No report on cause of death yet, but he was pronounced dead at 5pm last night, so I imagine trauma.

What a shame, looks pretty much like poor sluff management to me. It will be interesting to learn more as info becomes available.

I was thinking the same thing - smaller slide, so either trauma or terrain trap? Also, the only mention of a partner or anyone else out there was "another BC skier noticed a slide and called the sheriff's, who then contacted ski patrol". It then goes on to say Patrol found him an hour later. Was he out there solo?

[adrenalated]

On Sunday afternoon in the CB backcountry, we were finding that small storm slabs (slabs, not point release sluff) were becoming very sensitive to human triggering once about 5-6" of new snow had accumulated. With the 15" of new snow that Ajax had reported from Sat-Mon, I have no doubt that a lot of snow could have easily been entrained in a storm slab and that triggering one would have been very easy. The 5" slabs we were triggering Sunday were pretty harmless, but a 15" slab would have been a whole 'nother animal.

RIP.

[dcpnz]

Was he out there solo?

Both local papers report party of two and uninjured partner called it in.

[timmaio]

On Sunday afternoon in the CB backcountry, we were finding that small storm slabs (slabs, not point release sluff) were becoming very sensitive to human triggering once about 5-6" of new snow had accumulated. With the 15" of new snow that Ajax had reported from Sat-Mon, I have no doubt that a lot of snow could have easily been entrained in a storm slab and that triggering one would have been very easy. The 5" slabs we were triggering Sunday were pretty harmless, but a 15" slab would have been a whole 'nother animal.

RIP.

In Frisco on Sunday afternoon I was getting minimal point release sluffs on East facing slopes below treeline. On the last run we skied a west facing slope again below treeline. This snow was slightly more cohesive and it was sloughing on the old snow interface(whereas E aspect wasn't going as deep as the old snow) and once we had it actually crack 1-2ft above as a soft storm slab, but that one didn't run.

I could see if it was 1'+ deep storm slabs, even if it didn't break much above the skier it could take them for a ride. Unfortunate since looking at the pictures given conditions in Summit I would probably have skied it.

[grskier]

Source? That's a lot different than what I'm hearing...

Me too.

[Shredhead]

Me too.

FKNA

RIP Marty

[Karl Stall]

I will miss Marty! Always smiling and a kind word for all. Rest easy, bud.

[BLOOWERPOW]

We've lost a member of the tribe. Don't think I ever met Marty, but many that I know will certainly miss him.

[huckbucket]

A mag?

[MakersTeleMark]

I'm guessing no transceivers on this one. Pure speculation, but that is what my gut says. That, and trauma.

Who knows. MMQB. Either way.

Line looked pretty innocuous, but I read the slope angles and it's right there. I've not skied that exact line, but close. So much goodness there. Sucks it wasn't.

RIP Marty.

[funkendrenchman]

I'm guessing no transceivers on this one. Pure speculation, but that is what my gut says.

He asked patrol for batteries before going out. They told him skiing that area wasn't a good decision.

Avalanche watch with 18" of dense snow on top of crust.

The slope isn't as lame as it looks. Definitely a narrow terrain trap.

Still haven't heard of a beacon search being initiated.

Let's learn from this one.

RIP Marty.

[dcpnz]

Line looked pretty innocuous,

Not so much. Steep enough and no trees in that narrow little terrain trap gully because as I understand it this has happened there before.

Very questionable decision making to be there under those conditions IMHO.

By all accounts Marty sounds like he was a great guy. RIP!

[Foggy_Goggles]

Rest Easy Marty

Those that say you would of skied it either are not familiar with the terrain or snowpack, have a higher risk tolerance that I do or don't know what the fuck you are talking about. But hey, I'm only one bad decision away from being dead myself so don't listen to me. Be safe, sad that it takes this type of tragedy to bring out the OG Aspen Locs.

[Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo]

He asked patrol for batteries before going out. They told him skiing that area wasn't a good decision.

Really? Ouch.

Hard to imagine the decision-making process that lead them to think it was a good idea to ski that slope that day. In any case he was a ski-bum's ski-bum. RIP Marty

[Shredhead]

I guess I posted the 9News report, even though it was sketchy, because I wanted it to be someone I didn't know.

Turns out I knew both parties involved well. They are long time residents ski bums, adventurous back country veterans and best friends.
Both helped my parents in their later years and would come over for dinner on occasions.
Marty painted our house one summer and he was a big boater. It was a really wet summer and he'd not only miss the rainy days, but the next few days as well, because the river was up.
He finally finished in September and did a great job. It's just the way he lived. He ripped it, when it was good and made money when it didn't interfere with fun.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, friends and the Aspen Mountain Patrol. This one had to be hard on them.

RIP Marty, may your powder be deep and your water high.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Condolences to the folks who knew the victim. I'm not going to judge because I've surely done stupid shit.

What's with the comments about that not seeming so bad? Starting zone 38-40 degrees, 30-35 degree path funnels into narrow gully with vegetation, new dense snow(storm slab), that path isn't much different than the one where JJ, CR and JB were killed on the Tunnel Creek run. Not as long or as much snow but it looks like a death trap to me.

[knumbskull]

Very sad. Marty was a staple at the Glenwood wave with Marilyn. It seemed like they were out there almost every day spring summer and fall. RIP