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Snowboarder Rescued After Buried in Squaw Valley Inbounds

Feb 21, 2017 By: Julie Kukral
0 1

If your mountain has been getting slammed by this winter's non-stop powder beatings, it may be time to start wearing your beacon inbounds. Seriously.

This veteran snowboarder was almost completely buried in the Squaw Valley inbounds after he landed head first on a botched 30-foot cliff jump. Apparently, he lost his footing on the approach and clipped his back heel on the way off. 

Luckily his two feet were sticking out of the snow so his buddy was able to spot him and flag down the help of some other skiers to dig him out. 

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tags: squaw valley |snowboarding |snow safety |in-bounds

Regarding wearing one’s beacon inbounds… Why wouldn’t you? A beacon is like a seatbelt. You wear it all the time, and you hope you will never need it. If you are skiing in avalanche terrain, inbounds or out, wear your beacon, even if you don’t think there is a hazard. A lot of avalanche experts have been buried before, and skiers and riders have been buried and killed on open slopes in ski areas managed by the best.

Good job making sure the airway was clear.  That should always be the first priority once you safely get to the victim.

We often ride inbounds hike-back/to stuff that if you check the history of the places, people died in avalanches there before it became “inbounds” hike-back/to stuff.  Sometimes and sometimes not, there are signs there that say to the effect that “avalanche mitigation is not an exact science”.

I have seen ski-patrol cornice cut our hike-back stuff just round the corner from of us.  Have seen ski-patrol bomb a bowl, get nothing but a nice black-powder divot, scratch their noggins, and open up the bowl.  As I walked by the patroller I asked, “Do you carry beacons up here?”  The response was, “ohhh yes!” as he let us saunter into the bowl he just bombed with no slide.  I then turn back and ask, “think it is a good idea for us to carry avy gear here also”, the response was yes it would be a good idea.  Hmmm, avalanche mitigation is not an exact science.

I now carry avy gear in the hairy edge areas inbounds and ride with trusted people back there that cary and know how to use avy gear as well.  Then again, I attend periodic free seminars on avalanche awareness at my local shops, and even have taken an Avy 1 class for the days I do go out of bounds.

All of us know of people who ride out of bounds sidecountry and slackcountry without any avy gear or knowledge at all.  (And they are the same people who try to hitchhike a ride back with me.  The answer is, No.)  So I seriously doubt people will be prepared for the worst inbounds.

The guy in the video stuck like a lawn dart in Squaw was lucky to have somebody watching him.  Google “Squaw avalanches” and there have been a number of people buried inbounds slides at Squaw.  Then again, how many people ride/ski Squaw and have never had a problem?  Guess it is safer than riding a bike on the streets, but most people do look both ways before crossing the intersection; well, most people look both ways.

Here is an article that briefly speaks of carrying avy gear inbounds:

https://www.outsideonline.com/1925946/crossing-line-dangers-bounds-skiing

    I agree fully with your assessment.  I am always surprised by the number of people I meet that have gone into the backcountry without any training or equipment.  Carrying a beacon inbounds is a great idea.  Not just for avalanche risk, but also for tree holes.

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About The Author

stash member Julie Kukral

Freelance writer & creative marketer making her way West.