12/31/13 CAIC Reporting Avy Fatality on Parkview Mtn-Near Steamboat

[ColoMike]

Vibes++++ to friends and family.

py way to end the year. Stay safe folks.

[HikeforTurns]

Fuck me, not good.

[DaHeel]

Damn! Thoughts to all who knew and loved them. Wishing you all a safe 2014.

[Hacksaw]

What a way to end the year. Its a big reminder to be careful out there.

[simplypow]

Vibes to those who loved and knew him+++

[killclimbz]

Completely crappy way to end the year.

RIP

[Foggy_Goggles]

Sucks. Sounds like a local dude from Fraser. For those not familiar, Parkview is challenging mountain to negotiate with not many places to hide. Massive windloading.

[icelanticskier]

vibes. 3 deaths so far to close out the year. exactly the same number that closed out 2012 (for the 2012/2013 season). hopefully the trend will slow going into 2014.

RIP

rog

[BFD]

vibes. 3 deaths so far to close out the year. exactly the same number that closed out 2012 (for the 2012/2013 season). hopefully the trend will slow going into 2014.

RIP

rog

I usually have you on ignore but am using a different computer.
http://www.avalanche.org/accidents.php?date=2012-2013
my thoughts to the family and friends of the deceased. Sad way to end the year.

[bendtheski]

That sucks.

Got out on Berthoud yesterday. Forecast said moderate at or above treeline, but this jong thought things seemed pretty touchy for moderate, even well below treeline. Not faulting CAIC; I think I just need to adjust my interpretation of "moderate".
Be careful out there.

[Lindahl]

Shitty news.

Yeah, I'm also not too sure about the CAIC ratings either. I feel like last year, things would have been rated considerable under the same conditions I've been hearing about (accidents aside, of course). I felt that if there were pockets of considerable, the rating was considerable - erring on the conservative side. Now, with pockets of considerable, it seems the ratings are moderate. That's just my non-forecaster opinion, but it does seem pretty inconsistant with last year. I'm certainly not alone in this opinion, as its been brought up in conversation by other people I've spoken with this year as well.

[icelanticskier]

"Moderate" is a terrible word for an avy rating, imo. Another word should be used. Like "caution" or something like it.

Rog

[GoldenBear]

The CAIC uses the North American Public Avalanche Danger Scale.

This is the same scale used by the UAC, CAC, NWAC, etc.

I haven't seen the CAIC use pockets of considerable, moderate, etc. for a couple of years now. I think it is important to read the danger scale and understand the conditions currently happening in the snowpack. The scale is based on a combination of the expected likelihood, size, and distribution of avalanches. We have a different snowpack right now than we had last year and it is totally different in the Front range zone vs. the Aspen zone, vs. the steamboat zone.

Vibes to the family and friends of yesterday's victim. Sad news for sure.

[bendtheski]

So "moderate" is the Winter equivalent of a 50% chance of showers Summer forecast?
In the end, whether you're caught in an avy on a moderate or low danger day, or struck by lightning above treeline with a zero % of precip forecast, you're just as dead. Small comfort what the forecast said conditions were supposed to be like will provide to those you leave behind. Obviously local observations should carry equal, or greater weight than regional forcasts, in any season.

[totaliboard]

"Moderate" is a terrible word for an avy rating, imo. Another word should be used. Like "caution" or something like it.

Rog

yea but the more precise they are and the more specific their ratings, the more gapers are going to take every sentence in the advisory to heart, and in turn take less precautions out of bounds. i think moderate is a fine descriptor. if you had a moderate chance of getting shot at a bar, you would not go into said bar..

[icelanticskier]

"Moderate" confuses many, whether they read every word of an advisory or not. "Moderate" is a green light for many people/parties that have their sights set on a particular line. Even when pits are dug and discussed, the decision to ski that line has been 95% made whether the results show some instability or not. Imo.

Rog

[GoldenBear]

One more reason the avalanche forecast is just one tool to have in the toolbox. It is not the end all decision maker.

[icelanticskier]

Very true

Rog

[Bunion 2020]

"Moderate" confuses many, whether they read every word of an advisory or not. "Moderate" is a green light for many people/parties that have their sights set on a particular line. Even when pits are dug and discussed, the decision to ski that line has been 95% made whether the results show some instability or not. Imo.

Rog

While you are probably right, who's fault is that?

My favorite analogy is, Would you walk into a bar if there was a moderate chance of being beaten to a bloody pulp?

[icelanticskier]

The rider, of course.

Rog

[skifishbum]

as much as I'd like to argue about a objective one word rating to do much anything in life
i'm just offerin vibes to those who knew him.
and hopes for a safe new year for the tribe

[Lindahl]

I haven't seen the CAIC use pockets of considerable, moderate, etc. for a couple of years now. I think it is important to read the danger scale and understand the conditions currently happening in the snowpack. The scale is based on a combination of the expected likelihood, size, and distribution of avalanches. We have a different snowpack right now than we had last year and it is totally different in the Front range zone vs. the Aspen zone, vs. the steamboat zone.

Took my response to the other thread.

[simplypow]

as much as I'd like to argue about a objective one word rating to do much anything in life
i'm just offerin vibes to those who knew him.
and hopes for a safe new year for the tribe

Well said dread head shred dog. Take it to the CAIC feedback thread

[killclimbz]

CAIC does a pretty solid job, but I do agree the Moderate rating the past few days seemed to be missing the mark with all the activity. It was all out there though.

[bendtheski]

Well said dread head shred dog. Take it to the CAIC feedback thread

I thought vibes threads were reserved for the general forum? No disrespect meant to the victim or those who knew him, but some discussion of what's included under the heading of "moderate" doesn't seem inappropriate for the slide zone.
It's hard enough to get some people to read the forecasts (let alone understand them); how many folks here are going to go digging for the feedback thread?

CAIC updated their report:

Accident Summary

PRELIMINARY REPORT

A backcountry split-boarder was buried and killed just off the northeast ridge of Parkview Mountain, west of Willow Creek Pass, around 1:15PM. Two companions found the victim using avalanche transceivers. They located and extricated the victim, performed CPR for 25 minutes, but to no avail. Search and rescue retrieved the victim from the field and transported him overland to Willow Creek around 6:15PM.