Sun Valley Avy claims one

[carvedog]

http://www.mtexpress.com/vu_breaking_story.php?bid=8539

vibes to the family and the patrollers who did recovery and attempted CPR.

Damn be careful out there.

[da klixter]

Tim was a friend-to me, and many in the valley.
We had skiied the same general area the day before.

We miss you.

CK

[Crampedon]

Tim was a friend-to me, and many in the valley.
We had skiied the same general area the day before.

We miss you.

CK

So very sad you lost your bro, take some time and do something with your mutual friends. Have a nice memorial and remember him well. I lost a dear friend to a freak accident last spring, she had an anuerism and pretty much dropped dead. I planned a nice memorial for her visiting family and it seemed to give them a sense of closure and connection with where she lived.

Be safe in the bad snow-pack +++++Vibes++++++

http://lizsutherlandhorses.com/

[sfotex]

Sucks. Sounds like it was on an open run in bounds?

From avalanche.org

Date: 2010-01-22
Submitted By: SNFAC
Place: Off trail run in bounds at Sun Valley Ski Resort
State: ID
Country: USA
Fatalities: 1
Summary: 1 skier caught, buried, and killed

*** PRELIMINARY REPORT FROM THE SNFAC ***

On Friday, January 22, 2010, a skier was killed by an avalanche in bounds at Sun Valley Ski Resort. The avalanche occurred in an off-trail area near the bottom of the Firetrail run on Seattle Ridge. The victim appeared to have been traversing low on the path when the avalanche released. The avalanche propagated approximately 100 vertical feet above him, breaking 2-3 feet deep and 40-50 feet wide. He was carried down into a dense stand of small trees just above a groomed run, and was fully buried 5-6 feet deep. The victim was wearing a beacon and found using a transceiver search. Ski patrol dug him out 15 minutes after the initial report, began administering CPR, and transported the victim to the base of the ski area where he was taken to the hospital and pronounced deceased.

Janet Kellam and Chris Lundy of the Sawtooth National Forest Avalanche Center were at the resort that day, and conducted a site investigation shortly after the rescue was completed. Snow profiles near the top and in the flank mid-path showed 70-80 cm of soft (F to 4f) snow above a 20-30 cm layer of F-hard facets and depth hoar on the ground. Total snow depth ranged from 90-120 cm. The slab fractured at the top of the facet/depth hoar layer and scoured to the ground. An extended column test in the flank profile produced an ECTP25 Q1 on this layer. The avalanche was classified as a SS-ASu-D2-R2-O and occurred on a northeast aspect at an elevation of 7300 feet. Average slope angle was approximately 38 degrees, with a short rollover of 40-45 degrees near the likely trigger point.

Three storms during the 5-day period leading up to and including the day of the avalanche deposited 30 inches of snow and 2.6 inches of SWE at the resort study plot at 9000’. This fell atop a shallow and extremely weak snowpack consisting largely of facets and depth hoar.

Our thoughts go out to the victim’s family, and we commend the ski patrol for an expedient and well executed rescue.

[Tye 1on]

That's just not good at all...+++vibes+++ to family and friends---

[carvedog]

Sucks. Sounds like it was on an open run in bounds?

From avalanche.org

Date: 2010-01-22
Submitted By: SNFAC
Place: Off trail run in bounds at Sun Valley Ski Resort
State: ID
Country: USA
Fatalities: 1
Summary: 1 skier caught, buried, and killed

*** PRELIMINARY REPORT FROM THE SNFAC ***

On Friday, January 22, 2010, a skier was killed by an avalanche in bounds at Sun Valley Ski Resort. The avalanche occurred in an off-trail area near the bottom of the Firetrail run on Seattle Ridge. The victim appeared to have been traversing low on the path when the avalanche released. The avalanche propagated approximately 100 vertical feet above him, breaking 2-3 feet deep and 40-50 feet wide. He was carried down into a dense stand of small trees just above a groomed run, and was fully buried 5-6 feet deep.

klixter - glad to hear from one of his friends. I knew Tim's face but did not know him well. I am sorry for your loss.

sfotex - yes the area could be skied to from "open" runs. There is a rope that runs along the cat road above (500 yards away down to 50 yards upslope) - that says permanent closure due to avy hazards along the whole way.

It is quite easy to get to and not implying at all that Tim went into a closed area. But you do have to traverse along the edge of the run against the trees to get above the slope. I have no idea where he was on the pitch when it went.

I personally have poached the gully above it a couple of times- definitely violating the rope line. I stopped when I started a slide that looked to be a carbon copy of the one that trapped Tim. I was able stay above it and to the left and was in the trees with lots of anchors. I never considered the impact to any skiers who might be below as it's hard to imagine anything of size going in here due to the heavy woods.
Never went in there again and that was five or six years ago.

Very sad for his wife and son who don't get to ski with their husband and dad anymore.

[da klixter]

My understanding is that he cut across Broadway from Guntower Lane.His wife and son skiied down,but Tim cut over to get 6 or 8 sweet turns on the nose-who wouldn't?
I try to make some turns with him every day.
BTW,he preferred his powder untracked.