Jackson Hole Rock Springs area fatal avalanche

[Cactus]

SS-AS-D2 in the Ralph’s Slide area, skiers right of Zero G Couloir. Fx was considerable with wind slab and deep slab problems on elevation and aspect reported. News article below suggests skier was without a beacon and in a group of 2.

http://jhavalanche.org/eventmap/

http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/c...1cb29091b.html

[rod9301]

It wouldn't make any difference if he had a beacon, because of the trauma.

What would made a huge difference is not too go out in conditions with a buried weak layer.

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[wstdeep]

Very similar event a couple years back with two visiting victims. Nearly identical crown contours, trigger point and burial location. Bad vibe at the area today as info got out. Too sad, too preventable. Sobering reminder that there is no substitute for knowledge of both the conditions and terrain when heading out for a tour, lap or climb. If you find yourself in a bad place shelve your ego and backtrack to get your ass out of there instead of pushing ahead hoping for the best.

[Bdog325]

Ducking ropes tends to be a bad idea when lots of new snow has dropped

Make money. Buy toys.

[Djongo Unchained]

Very similar event a couple years back with two visiting victims. Nearly identical crown contours, trigger point and burial location. Bad vibe at the area today as info got out. Too sad, too preventable. Sobering reminder that there is no substitute for knowledge of both the conditions and terrain when heading out for a tour, lap or climb. If you find yourself in a bad place shelve your ego and backtrack to get your ass out of there instead of pushing ahead hoping for the best.

Bingo!! All of it. Prior knowledge is everything there. My money says pure navigational error, then you're in a historical fracture zone that is a catchers mitt for the weather blowing over cody ridgeline.
I have walked back from both a few times.

[wstdeep]

Ducking ropes tends to be a bad idea when lots of new snow has dropped

Make money. Buy toys.

Open boundary, out the gate and you are on your own. There is an open gate with lots of signage at the top explaining the risks and mapping out the actual cliff bands below. One of the great things about Jackson is the opportunity to explore and determine your own routes and risk and be able to get back to the area to do it all again. The unfortunate part is that despite all the warnings every day people venture out with skills that do not support their desire to explore. Most of the time they get away with it...today someone did not.

[panchosdad]

Open boundary, out the gate and you are on your own. There is an open gate with lots of signage at the top explaining the risks and mapping out the actual cliff bands below. One of the great things about Jackson is the opportunity to explore and determine your own routes and risk and be able to get back to the area to do it all again. The unfortunate part is that despite all the warnings every day people venture out with skills that do not support their desire to explore. Most of the time they get away with it...today someone did not.

People with "skills" sometimes don't get away with it as well. While recent accidents OB at the village have mostly been people without a good knowledge of the area, there have been numerous fatalities in the Teton area of late involving very experienced people.

[baron]

Even those with the best skills , stay inside the gates on "Considerable" avalanche days... usually

I make a religion of checking the forecast ,even on inbound days; nice to know if the road is in the hazard zone

[skifishbum]

Even those with the best skills , stay inside the gates on "Considerable" avalanche days... usually

I make a religion of checking the forecast ,even on inbound days; nice to know if the road is in the hazard zone

every time you post your dumbfuck i think im an expert and having a small risk tolerances that others should share bullshit
i cringe

[TahoeJ]

Even those with the best skills , stay inside the gates on "Considerable" avalanche days... usually

No, they choose appropriate terrain based on the hazards presented.

[wstdeep]

Even those with the best skills , stay inside the gates on "Considerable" avalanche days... usually

I make a religion of checking the forecast ,even on inbound days; nice to know if the road is in the hazard zone

You obviously have not spent much time in Jackson, we have spent the majority of the last two months in considerable rating and skied great snow every day.

[doebedoe]

every time you post your dumbfuck i think im an expert and having a small risk tolerances that others should share bullshit
i cringe

Every time you post your dumbfuck "I-think-I'm-an-expert and have small risk tolerance that others should share" bullshit

I cringe.

Translated services provided by: dude who is stoned and had a had a rough time figuring out the legendary SFB prose.

[baron]

every time you post your dumbfuck i think im an expert and having a small risk tolerances that others should share bullshit
i cringe

you are so gonna die in a slide dumbass..remember your smug attitude when you are suffocating

[Djongo Unchained]

Baron - that has not been my experience. JH locs that ski OB a lot, are constantly assessing, discussing and thinking about that pack. Road conditions are not even a thing; if you can't drive to the village, surely you shouldn't ski there.
Skills may not help if you are by nature a poor decision maker.

In a nutshell, TJ nailed it.

I embrace the risk, so for me, going in an avy beats many of the alternatives.
My list of friends and acquaintances who are gone now from avies is longer than most. Steve Haas, Everyday Ray Azar, Steve Romeo, Big Wally...RIP my friends. All had skills beyond reproach and a shitton of mileage.

Fuck it Dude, let's go skiing.

[wstdeep]

Yesterday the sun popped and the clouds cleared to reveal tracks about 15 feet below the crown line from last weeks fatality.

Risk tolerance, avi rating, ability to assess, planing, gear or no gear all had nothing to do with the survival of the tracker.

They didn't know where they were and they got lucky.

[wstdeep]

The track is dead center and just above the cliff band.

[glademaster]

Dude, how are you ever going to end up in a Teejer movie if you don't roll the dice on those bluebird days. You only live once, so why prolong it?

[Ermine]

Dude, how are you ever going to end up in a Teejer movie if you don't roll the dice on those bluebird days. You only live once, so why prolong it?

Meh :-) I'm with you to some extent, but the longer you're alive the more you can ski...gotta be something with that, eh? Few weeks ago, I hooked up with group of guyz, (snagged part of their skin track), BS-ed a bit while they ate lunch, (soup, burritos, etc.). I was the young pup of the group @ 54...by like 10-20 years! Yea, I wouldn't mind shooting the shit here 10-20 years from now, getting freshies and eating warm chow for lunch up some canyon in the hills...