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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Denver/BoCo
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    208

    East Vail Slide 12/22/13

    I triggered and got caught in a slide yesterday in the East Vail Chutes, here is my report:

    Three of us headed up from the top of Orient Express via China Wall skin track for our second lap of Abraham's that day around 3:00. Reached the top of the skin track around 3:45, prepared, and dropped in around 3:45. We skied over to the farthest skier's left side of Abraham's in the gladed area, the same line we had skied that morning. My brother dropped in first and went skiers left, deeper into the trees. I dropped into the glade, and area covered with about 10 sets of tracks, and the same face I had skied earlier. I dropped off a two foot roller into a right turn and saw the snow below me cracking up and beginning to slide. I looked uphill, to my right, and saw the crown about 25 feet uphill from me. I then attempted to ski out of the slide to the skiers right, continuing in the direction I was facing, and aimed at a small tree in an attempt to grab on. The slide took me downhill and the front of my skis hit the tree trunk, and I fell headfirst downhill into the slide. I believe I lost my right ski at this point. After sliding headfirst a couple hundred feet, my avalung got torn from my mouth. I slid another couple hundred feet through small trees, still headfirst, my legs get thrashed back and forth whacking the trees. I lost my other ski at some point during this period, and managed to get my avalung back in my mouth only to find it jammed with snow. I then slid over the first cliff band, probably 20ft high, landed, still headfirst, and continued sliding, at this point much deeper under the snow. I swallowed a lot of snow, and coughed it out. I could feel that the slide was slowing to a stop and swam as hard as I could upwards. As it slowed and cemented in place I was able to keep one arm sticking directly in the air, and got my face barely exposed so I could breath.

    At this point my brother and friend who had been waiting for me on top of the cliff band, to the skiers left of the slide, had seen me go over the cliff and spotted where my arm was. They dropped the cliff, skied right towards me, and dug me out within a minute. After I had calmed down somewhat, I tried to stand up and realized neither of my legs could bear weight. I had felt my knee ligaments getting destroyed in the small trees in the upper part of the slide. We assessed the situation, knowing rescue could be very costly, but ultimately deemed it necessary due to my condition. The Vail Ski patrol decided it was too risky and late in the day to send someone from above, so we contacted the local search and rescue team.

    around 4:15pm we were able to find one of my skis, and realizing we had no other rescue options, began devising a plan to get down to i70 where search and rescue was waiting. After some failed attempts to carry me down we began a strategy of my brother and friend side-sliding a path for me to slide down, sitting on my single ski. We got to the flat below the second cliff band via the slide path with had continued much further down from where I was buried. As it began to get dark, we started cutting traverse paths and I began to be able to bear weight on my right leg and ski across very mild pitches, falling uphill to stop. We continued this process of traversing leftwards as far as possible, and then sliding on my butt down the steep sections, for the next three hours in the dark. Search and rescue guided us over the phone, and recommended we follow the gully down to i70. Because of my traversing ability, and the depth of the snow that was untracked, we decided it would be easier to follow the standard east vail runout to the water tower. Around 8:15 pm we reached the water tower where search and rescue was waiting.

    I went to the hospital and sustained no broken bones, but am waiting on MRI results for what is likely a torn ACL in my right leg and a possible torn meniscus in my left leg. I am extremely lucky to be alive and to have been with two guys who were extremely capable of reacting properly and making the right judgement calls to get me out and save my life. My brother was wearing a GoPro which filmed for a couple hours until it died, capturing the entire rescue and most of the way out in the dark. I have yet to watch it, but will likely post it in the thread at some point. Below I have attacked a picture of Abraham's and marked the slide path.

    Stay safe out there, it was a very unexpected slide, but proof that anything can go anytime. I feel very lucky to be alive and will be taking a serious look and my backcountry skills and judgements.

    Click image for larger version. 

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    12,611
    Congrats on getting out. I'm sure you have a lot to think about still. Don't forget to submit your story to CAIC.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Posts
    705
    wow, thanks for posting this, and with such clarity. good work getting out of there.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Couloirfornia
    Posts
    8,871
    Thanks for the writeup man. Best of luck with the recovery.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ernest_Hemingway View Post
    I realize there is not much hope for a bullfighting forum. I understand that most of you would prefer to discuss the ingredients of jacket fabrics than the ingredients of a brave man. I know nothing of the former. But the latter is made of courage, and skill, and grace in the presence of the possibility of death. If someone could make a jacket of those three things it would no doubt be the most popular and prized item in all of your closets.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Colorado
    Posts
    5,917
    Wow dude. Thanks for sharing. I'm so glad you are relatively OK. We will all learn from your experience.

    Sent from my DROID RAZR using TGR Forums
    "Can't vouch for him, though he seems normal via email."

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Your Mom's House
    Posts
    8,302
    Glad you're mostly OK. Thanks for sharing your story. Also seconded to make sure you forward to the CAIC.

    FYI on your "rescue could be very costly" comment - all SAR teams in Colorado are entirely funded by donations and staffed by volunteers and will NEVER charge you for a rescue. You can and will be charged for ambulance transport (either ground or helicopter) but never for SAR services. Don't ever hesitate to call them.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    tetons
    Posts
    8,509
    Thanks for sharing and glad you were not hurt any worse. I got chills reading your post. sending vibes to your knee ligaments

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Front Range, CO
    Posts
    677
    Thanks for the report. Vibes to you for a speedy recovery! Scary day in EV yesterday.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Denver/BoCo
    Posts
    208
    Heres my brother's GoPro footage

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g62fWdNFeD4

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Posts
    7,167
    thanx for sharing. good job fighting yer way up to the surface. good on yer buddy for keeping an eye out so he could ski right to you. hope for a speedy recovery for ya

    rog

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    somewhere in wyoming
    Posts
    302
    Thanks for sharing bud. Yes, you are VERY lucky. Hope you heel quick! Your brother stomped that pillow like a boss btw
    to ski another day

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Posts
    19,215
    Glad you're OK. I can only imagine how brutal your ride and slog was.

    What was the failure layer? From your pic, it doesn't look like it ripped to the ground.
    Is it radix panax notoginseng? - splat
    This is like hanging yourself but the rope breaks. - DTM
    Dude Listen to mtm. He's a marriage counselor at burning man. - subtle plague

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    tetons
    Posts
    8,509
    damn. just watched the video. I might buy your brother some new mittens

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Southern NH
    Posts
    4,286
    Glad you are safe n sound. Mad props to your bro and friend for being prepared and solid partners. Interested to hear more details as they come. Best of luck to you and a quick recovery. Xmas/Holidays this year will be an extra good one!

    Sent from my SCH-I535 using TGR Forums
    The Passion is in the Risk

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    funland
    Posts
    5,250
    wwwhoooaaaaaaaaaaaa. crazy video. glad you're still with us and best wishes for a speedy recovery.

    thanks for sharing, will be interested to hear your reflections after a little bit of time has gone by.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Front Ranger
    Posts
    906
    Holy hell, I am so happy you are ok. So scary. Heal quickly!

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    2 hours from anything
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    10,734
    Thanks for posting. Would like to see some of the footage after that but understand if that's something you don't want to post.

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Denver/BoCo
    Posts
    208
    Will post some of the later video soon

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Jackson, WY
    Posts
    168
    2nd that^ Love seeing your brother on a mission skiing like he means it! Glad you're OK. Happy Holidays!

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Behind the Potato Curtain
    Posts
    4,042
    Glad you're alive, thanks for sharing that in detail. Good learning tool. And your bro stomped the shit out of that getting to you.

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    2 hours to Whiteface
    Posts
    708
    Glad you are safe. Your brother did not hesitate for a second. He was damned well going to make sure he saved your butt...and it was amazing to watch. Vibes on the recovery.
    Sent from my SCH-I535 using TGR Forums

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Colorado
    Posts
    9,356
    Damn, glad you made it.

    According to your OP, you requested SR support, but were told to make it out down to the road?
    Terje was right.

    "We're all kooks to somebody else." -Shelby Menzel

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    OOTAH
    Posts
    3,940
    Chills watching and reading this. Glad you are alive and heal fast. I know that buried feeling all to well, scary shit.
    Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield: Oh, I'm sorry. Did I break your concentration?

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    In the swamp
    Posts
    11,125
    Scary shit, glad you're ok

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Denver/BoCo
    Posts
    208
    Quote Originally Posted by DasBlunt View Post
    Damn, glad you made it.

    According to your OP, you requested SR support, but were told to make it out down to the road?
    Yes, S&R decided it was too dangerous to come up to meet us, so they guided us down and wanted us to meet them at i70 but I was able to traverse easily and that point so we headed to the water tower where they were waiting.

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