Avalanche Fatality In LCC

[natty dread]

positive vibes from the PNW APD.

[iskibc]

I know it's tough APD, but keep your head up and take care of yourself. Don't forget that your family and friends are there for you. Prayers out to those involved.

[Blurred]

Known since it happened bro. PM me and what not. You've got a friend here.

[AltaPowderDaze]

i just got back from speaking with zach's dad for the last five hours. he has been extremly supportive and i hope i was able to answer some questions that were on his mind.

rev, your thoughts are all correct more than you know. i would like to see the footage if you have a link. when was it taken?

homer j, you never want to use it in a real life situation. you can never practice enough with it. you can always assemble it faster. and when you think you can find a beacon in 2-3 min on a practice slope, you're not even close to finding it out on a real slide path with terrain features. practice in all settings. pray you never do anything but practice.


edit:

Wasatch Backcountry Rescue will be having a fundraiser Saturday night in Park City at 7 pm at Suede.  Tickets are available at SmithTix.  A free Beacon Rescue  Training Center is now open at Snowbird and a second one will open at Canyons on Thursday.  For more information go to wasatchbackcountryrescue.org. 

please support these guys. they have a tough job to do and need all the help they can get.

[Grange]

Just read this thread. Sorry for your loss APD. Losing a friend is never easy, but being there for his family will help all of you in this difficult time.

[Keoni]

Thoughts prayers are with you APD. Support is all around you, remember that and use it if YOU feel the need too.

[The Reverend Floater]

.

rev, your thoughts are all correct more than you know. i would like to see the footage if you have a link. when was it taken?

.

Sledford was over at my place last night and had the footage with him. He took it two days after on a tour with the Collins' and others. PM me and I'll call Steve for you if you want. Not sure if he can burn it or what, but we can hopefully do something for you.

[baseWeldr]

it's scary out there, the mountains just don't give a shit... hang in there APD, I'm sure his family appreciates your communication... don't kill yourself with the "what ifs..." I will practice more because I read this thread, period.

[cololi]

APD,

Like I said in my pm, my sincerest condolences to you and the Eastman's. I for one appreciate your willingness to share what you can. The events you are going through are unimaginable. Early new years resolution: practice with my beacon, assembling my probe, getting my shovel out, etc. Like others have said, we are all here to support you.

Cololi

[Yeti]

APD, just wanted to send support from Maine. RIP all and prayers for everyone's safety.

[AltaPowderDaze]

after going back today i now have a better understanding of how i would have done things with a clearer head. i can't say that they would have been much different with the visual and terrain information that i had at the time. i ran through the scenario and i think it took me between 5-7 minutes at the very most to clear an airway for him. as i looked back at the slope and ran over my route again, i realized how hard it was to travel and how many likely deposition zones there were. he was in the first. i was physically drained by reinacting it and now wonder how i could have done it when i was so tired to begin with. when i reached the pit today, i collapsed and laid on the ground infront of the pit. after some time i got up and assembled my probe and began looking for some of his gear. i found his car key and a few other items.

i took pictures to help myself later. the slope looked so menacing and in my mind it was like seeing the person that robbed you at gunpoint a week before. i can't explain the fear i have of it. there still is some collapsing on the shady slopes out there right now. the uac has lowered the danger rating, but the few slopes that are still ready to go will go big with bad consequences. please be safe.

[summit]

[AltaPowderDaze]

midway down the slide path looking up:

[Tippster]

Good work. Keep it up, let it out.

[nest]

Thanks for sharing man. I for one will be more careful in the backcountry as a result of these tragic events. It sounds like you did everything you could. A five to seven minute recovery in that area is amazing. Best wishes to all.

[1080Rider]

APD- I would say that you did a hell of a job to recover him in 5-7 minutes. I would think there was some trauma that hindered your efforts. Although it doesn't help any, and it won't make you feel any better, you did a good job!

Prayers go out to you and to his family. Sorry you had to go through this... it sucks however you look at it.

[Particle]

Good to hear from you again APD, and my hearfelt prayers go out to you and Zach's family.

One of the snowshoers who was killed in Mineral was a good friend of mine; it's been a rough week.

[Agent 00X]

Condolences to APD, friends and families of those lost recently. Take care.

[Hicks]

APD,

So sorry to hear your great job did not save your friend.
Sincere condolences to you and his family.

[Shredgar]

Got to see the Twin Lakes site for the first time today. That thing pulled out big, a lot of snow came down. Stunning to see, I've skied that a few times. Very sad.

On the return I was by the Twin Lakes dam & the wind was blowing through the railings like a flute playing for Zach.

Best wishes & peace to family & friends.

[AltaPowderDaze]

this is part of what i had been writing the following days after the incident. it should shed some light on what we were doing prior and what was going through our minds:


The day was supposed to begin at 7am with a skin up grizzly gulch but my partner had slept in after a late night hanging out with friends. I didn’t call to wake him for some reason. Instead I went to Snowbird and skied one lap before heading to Alta. Along the way I stopped to do a quick beacon drill at the new training center. It was quick and emotionless.

I skied a few laps and watched the control work before heading out the rope line on Supreme. I stayed outside of Alta’s boundaries as I made my way out to Rocky Point. Zach called me when I was atop Rocky Point and asked if I would wait for him and I said yes. I dropped cornices and dug pits and decided that it was safe to ski. A solo skier had taken a line down it prior to me. I skied from ridge to ridge while ski cutting in between them and then made fast arcs to get to a safe area in the flats. I skinned back up and talked to an Alta patrol while waiting for my friend. We took one more lap in rocky point and then I lead the way up the ridge to Tuscarora. Seagull had already slid so we decided to take that line. I tested and skied first down to a safe zone under a cliff at about midway down. I yelled to Zach and he followed to a separate safe zone. We were worried about the graupel that may have sloughed down to the bottom creating a weak layer so I skied it out first at high speed into the apron to avoid any slab activity. We then tried to take a safe route back to the west and toward Patsy Marley/Grizzly Gulch.

My friend, an ex-patroller from park city, took over the lead after I became too tired to continue. I had not eaten since 7am and was skiing inbounds from 9-12. We found instability on low angle east and southeast slopes that had hard slabs failing on buried surface hoar. It would not let us attain the ridge that we needed to be on but we still found our way to the North facing bowl near Tuscarora. We decided instead of taking the Patsy Marley ridge, to take a west facing line that had slid, into the flats of Wolverine Cirque. At that point we thought it best to go all the way to the bottom and then come up a Southeast slope that had been blasted and attain the twin lakes pass ridge. Half way down, Zach said that he would feel ok cutting back across to the usual skin out to the pass. We were tired, hungry and mentally drained as the light faded quickly. I did not question him, as I should have. I just didn’t think for some reason that we’d be under those slopes. At the time, it was the quickest way out and i was ready to call it end to a good day. We came around the corner and were only 2-4 min away from the ridge. I was in the first of two safe zones that I was going to use. I asked him if he wanted me to lead and he said no I’m ok. I think he thought I was asking if his legs were tired of breaking trail. I then moved up toward the second safe zone as he started across a new slope. I could not yet see what was above him, but asked him how it felt. He did not respond. I got to the safe zone and saw he was below a 35-degree chute that was North East facing. He stopped 3/4 of the way across the chute and turned to say that this is the type of slope that sketches him out. I said to move quickly to his next safe zone which I thought was only ten yards away. I should have said for him to come back. He took 3-5 more strides and the slope broke 30yrds above 2 feet deep. I yelled slide as soon as I heard it and for him to get off quick. He said nothing as he disappeared.






x-posted:

this is what is in the front of my mind days after:


first, take an oec or wilderness medicine course. they deal with a lot of extrication duties.

second, get a full size 10x12" or 12x12" shovel. always metal. the big ones move so much more snow in much less time.

third, don't let outside factors affect how you make your decisions. cold,wet, uncomfortable, storm coming in, tired, hungry, light fading? any one of those can change your mind and allow you to make a less safe choice.

[summit]

Wow!

Thank you for sharing that. I'm sure it wasn't easy.

And good points.

Condolences again.

[fattwins]

this sad news is poops as my japanese friend would say. Rip
rip
it up in
peace

This year for some reason mother nature has a bite. Japan has seen record typhoons as has florida. this funky weather could affect us be careful
RIP

[LCC]

My God...

I'm reading about this from across the country about the problems in my old stomping grounds. I am speachless. APD, I am very sorry for your loss, as well as to the family. I cannot imagine what you must be going through. Keep talking about it, it will help to heal deep wounds.

To the rest of us, please be careful out there...

[SugarDadyPrenup]

Daaaaaayum that sux!