Hiker missing in Tuckerman Ravine crevasse

[JayPowHound]

http://www.nhpr.org/post/boston-man-...unt-washington

Saw this on t4t but don't think it's made it here yet.

**EDIT I see now that the EC Roll Call is all over it, but I feel it deserves its own thread so I'm going to leave this up. **

I'm planning on being up there tomorrow and this is a sobering reminder that shit can get real serious real quick even when the avy forecast is low. I think I'll do a little self-arrest practice before I get too high, it's been a while...

+++++++ My thoughts are with the family and loved ones +++++++

[dark_star]

Tuckerman Ravine can be an incredibly fun place, but it's also extremely dangerous, and sometimes the huge crowds can lead directly to a highly elevated "human factor" as they discuss in avalanche courses, whether the risk is from avalanches, ice falls, or simply the icy terrain. I've learned to pay very close attention to the avy forecasts and basically ski where they say to ski while avoiding the places they say to avoid.

Always sad and sobering to hear news like this. My thoughts go to the family as well.

Be careful up there.

[thin cover]

Seriously horrible situation. Positive thoughts to his family.

[icelanticskier]

worried about the hazards? stay away from them. pure and simple. plenty of warnings posted. plenty of good skiing in there away from that zone. it's the same every year, just like avy deaths, slides for death.

just pay attention. something not enough folks do. edu can't really fix that. life goes on.

vibes.

rog

[phishstx]

Even 3 weeks ago the ravine was pretty bony with plenty of fully formed crevasses, I can only imagine the amount of water coursing beneath the snow now. The refresher snow since then probably just served to disguise some of them.

Vibes to friends and family.

[neufox47]

The refresher snow since then probably just served to disguise some of them.

Vibes to friends and family.

Yeah, lots and lots of traps were set by that new snow. As the bulletin says, everything in the middle is a no go.

[Chugachjed]

There's a glacier on the EC? I had no idea. Vibes to the family.

[Philip Oliver Wholz]

worried about the hazards? stay away from them. pure and simple. plenty of warnings posted. plenty of good skiing in there away from that zone. it's the same every year, just like avy deaths, slides for death.

just pay attention. something not enough folks do. edu can't really fix that. life goes on.

vibes.

rog

wow, that's deep. how's the view from up there?

You are the biggest douchebag on TGR, and that is saying something, congrats

[bbense]

There's a glacier on the EC? I had no idea. Vibes to the family.

More of a proto-glacier that melts out eventually every summer, I think that in the 1800's in the mini ice age it had a permanent snowfield.
But it's a classic cirque with headwall that collects the deepest snowpack on the mountain and each spring all the hazards are there when
conditions line up. Tuckerman's is relatively small, an easy hike from the road and often very benign. Often has hundreds of people skiing
there on a spring weekend, more like a beach party than BC skiing.

It can get very nasty very fast.

[Soups]

There's a glacier on the EC? I had no idea. Vibes to the family.

This. Learn something new everyday I guess. Had no idea. Hoping for the best.

[MMP]

a friend of a friend is a volunteer rescuer and was on the scene. He said there was a hole (30' deep?) in the crevasse where the water was rushing through and when they lowered a rescuer into the hole it appeared the victim went through the opening. Brutal and gruesome, and the fact that his kids (albeit adult) were with him, makes it even more heartbreaking if possible.

[Kied]

Ah shit. That sucks. I used to go all the time when I was growing up. Definitely a place that demands a ton of respect. More scary situations there than I've ever encountered in the west. Vibes to the fam.

[DaveTV]

http://www.unionleader.com/article/2...WS07/704049967

For those not familiar http://timefortuckerman.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=14926

[neckdeep]

So this is basically a 'schrund between the snowpack and the face of a cliff? Formed by melt water running over the rocks and rotting out a gap? Yikes. I did not know anything like that formed in the eastern mountains. That must be an incredible amount of wind deposit for a feature like that to form even in a lean snow year.

[neufox47]

So this is basically a 'schrund between the snowpack and the face of a cliff? Formed by melt water running over the rocks and rotting out a gap? Yikes. I did not know anything like that formed in the eastern mountains. That must be an incredible amount of wind deposit for a feature like that to form even in a lean snow year.

Kinda. I've heard arguments that the "crevasse's" in Tucks are actually best termed glide cracks, but whatever. They are big fucking cracks in the snow / ice pack that forms in Tucks and most have running water in the bottom.

Yeah, the wind deposit is something to behold. The fetch area for Tucks is approximately the size of 300 football fields and the wind almost always blows right into tucks at 40-80mph. Even in a good snow year there is usually little snow to be found in the fetch areas. Tucks itself will have a snowpack up to 70' deep in a good year.

[PNWbrit]

Definitely not a crevasse......

But vibes.

[lionelhutz]

Call it whatever you want. But it's a 50+ foot black hole filled with a torrent of freezing cold melt water. That's miserable anyway you name it.

Total vibes.

[ak_powder_monkey]

shitty shitty shitty

[userA]

bummer news

[ecskier7]

Very sad/ bad news vibes to his family.

[mposa]

scary stuff. vibes

[_Aaron_]

worried about the hazards? stay away from them. pure and simple. plenty of warnings posted. plenty of good skiing in there away from that zone. it's the same every year, just like avy deaths, slides for death.

just pay attention. something not enough folks do. edu can't really fix that. life goes on.

vibes.

rog

Jeez rog. Howd you get back on your high horse so quickly? Doesnt seem like to long ago you made a life threating mistake. Were all human and prone to mistakes no matter how much we "just pay attention"

This is not the place to debate choices of the involved parties.

[Dobak]

worried about the hazards? stay away from them. pure and simple. plenty of warnings posted. plenty of good skiing in there away from that zone. it's the same every year, just like avy deaths, slides for death.

just pay attention. something not enough folks do. edu can't really fix that. life goes on.

vibes.

rog

Just to start off, Vibes to the family. Cant find a harder and shittier way to go

Also, ROG, do you mind...... FUCKING OFF

Your an asshole. Someone DIED, respect

[esales09]

I was up there. Had lunch with the guy. He was pumped on the wailer 99s. He seemed like a really cool dude. He was up there to watch his son who I've seen up there frequently. Terrible tragedy and mega vibes to the family. Rog, I know there are a bunch of warnings but I was there, the hole was hidden, plenty of people skied the middle. I've seen a hole/crevasse/bergshrund/whatever there before so I know to stay away, but this guy was in hiking boots and unaware. This was a tragic accident. It probably could have been avoided if he knew better but he didn't, he wasnt up there skiing a line while knowing the danger, he slipped on the ice and fell pretty far into the covered hole.

Serious vibes to everyone involved. Everyone else please be careful up there, its skiable but sketchy.

[dark_star]

DaveTV, that second photo you posted is awesome!