San Juan double fatality

[miserywhip]

https://classic.avalanche.state.co.u...=831&accfm=rep

This was just around the corner from me, and a weird spot that I wouldn't usually think of as being avy terrain. Mid elevations are in this year, but in means avy danger, too.

Vibes.

[goldenboy]

https://classic.avalanche.state.co.u...=831&accfm=rep

This was just around the corner from me, and a weird spot that I wouldn't usually think of as being avy terrain. Mid elevations are in this year, but in means avy danger, too.

Vibes.

Sounds like there were 2 other incidents as well in the SJ's, one of them is still active SAR.

[easyrdr]

I told my wife something bad happened after the heli flew over our house for the 4th time in a two hour period yesterday.

[seano732]

Yep. Awful.


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[MakersTeleMark]

Oof. Chills.

both skiers buried about four feet deep in avalanche debris

[seano732]

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[AlpiNord]

A couple buddies just sent me the CAIC report, including one I was touring with yesterday at the same time, elevation, aspect and temps, 10 miles from this accident. After a good storm and high winds Wed -Thurs the temps, rose considerably. The snow turned to mank suddenly and doughnuts were rolling on our run of 30-40 degrees or so in the trees and Western aspect. The top part at 8600 WNW, was just starting to transform and got heavy at 8500 and a little more west. We decided to get out promptly.

Edit: (re-read report & aspect)The zone aspect sounds similar to ours, but less trees due to the 2002 Missionary Ridge fire and would have also transformed substantially on Friday. The CAIC report showed ‘considerable’ for yesterday and today above tree line and ‘moderate’ (Sat) and ‘low’ (today) below tree line.





Condolences to all of those affected. A snowboarder died at Purgatory last week boarding OB and apparently nailing the coaster apparatus and puncturing his heart with a broken rib. Rough week.


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[BFD]

I know one of the victims. He is close friends with the people I have met and tour with since I moved here. Older ,very experienced. and safe. They had been skiing this area. Pictures show a shallow snowpack and a convexity. Everyone makes mistakes. Sad day in my new small world.

[goldenboy]

Condolences BFD and anyone else who knew them. The pics on the CAIC look like it was definitely one of the burn scars. NW, 38 degrees, 8400'

I can't speak to conditions down there, but yesterday felt like the warmest day in months here in CB. More than that, however, is that we had high clouds so it was also greenhousing like crazy. Even the shady slopes were getting hot.

[AlpiNord]

Sorry BFD.

I hadn’t heard the ‘green housing’ term before, but that is what happens. On overcast days, everything can feel fine and even firm, but then like a light switch, everything can seem to transform to soft and less cohesive in an instant.


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[miserywhip]

Ugh. I've seen people coming out on the Nordic trails there after skiing that zone, and it's just the type of place I could see myself skiing solo/more worried about deadfall than avalanches.

Five miles from my house, I'm going to think about this one for a long time. Not looking forward to the release of the names...

[Rideski]

Vibes BFD. Text or call if you need anything.

[BFD]

Vibes BFD. Text or call if you need anything.

I appreciate that. I am good. It is different when you have shared your lives with someone for over 25 years.

[Tech Tonics]

Super sad story. I’ve checked in with my circle and everyone is safe and none of my community know who the victims were, fingers crossed it stays that way.

I’ve heard of people skiing that zone this year with the mid-elevations being in. I’d probably go there with my guard down, just given the lower elevation and rolling terrain features.

Scary. ++vibes++ to everyone involved


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[John_B]

I'm not familiar with that location and haven't lived in the SJs for a decade but I could 100% see myself getting into trouble on a slope like that. My condolences to the victims and all that knew them.

[adrenalated]

Sounds like there were 2 other incidents as well in the SJ's, one of them is still active SAR.

The active SAR incident appears to be a missing snowmobiler near Cumbres/La Manga Pass and seems likely to be a fatality as well.

[AlpiNord]

While reevaluating our choices Saturday and looking at the two new photos posted on the Preliminary accident report, what appears to be wind loading looks different than what we experienced. There were super high, sustained winds on Wednesday (Putney clocked 106mph), and the full length of Lake Vallecito was an unobstructed path. Brutal and depressing.

Follow-up article: Four burials, two deaths, one missing in San Juan avalanches

After more than a month without any reported burials in Colorado, four backcountry recreationists were caught in avalanches last weekend in Southwest Colorado. On Saturday, two skiers were caught, buried and killed near Vallecito Reservoir and a snowmobiler was caught and buried in a slide near Red Lake Trail off Highway 17. He remains missing.
A fourth person was fully buried in an avalanche Sunday off West Mancos Road and was successfully rescued by his companions.

Edit: Skiers killed in avalanche near Vallecito Reservoir are identified

RIP

[seano732]

Missing snowmobiler found, deceased….

[goldenboy]

Follow-up article: Four burials, two deaths, one missing in San Juan avalanches

Wow, the 3rd avalanche near Mancos sounded like a really close call. Props to those riders, that sounds like a very well executed rescue.

"When the snowmobiler triggered an avalanche and was buried in the debris Saturday north of Mancos, his two riding partners immediately initiated a beacon search. According to a report submitted to the CAIC, the other two riders had been watching their friend and had a general sense of where he was located.

After pinpointing their partner’s location using a beacon, the riders were able to confirm his burial location by striking him with an avalanche probe, and began to dig him out of about 5 feet of snow. Within 5-7 minutes, the two snowmobilers had cleared their partner’s airway. He had fallen unconscious but quickly regained consciousness once his airway was clear, the report said."

[ASmileyFace]

I've toured in this exact zone before and never would have thought it could produce an avalanche like that. What a crazy year and a horribly tragic weekend. Vibes to those who knew them.

[AlpiNord]

I've toured in this exact zone before and never would have thought it could produce an avalanche like that. What a crazy year and a horribly tragic weekend. Vibes to those who knew them.

To a reasonable extent, the only real difference between mid-elevation terrain and places like Sam’s, The Backyard, Deer Creek, Commodore, Hudson Mine, Minnehaha, etc, etc is the actual elevation. A weak layer is a weak layer, 38 deg is 38 deg (both slope & temp), 4’ of wind slab is 4’ of wind slab, considerable risk is considerable risk…..




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[ASmileyFace]

To a reasonable extent, the only real difference between mid-elevation terrain and places like Sam’s, The Backyard, Deer Creek, Commodore, Hudson Mine, Minnehaha, etc, etc is the actual elevation. A weak layer is a weak layer, 38 deg is 38 deg (both slope & temp), 4’ of wind slab is 4’ of wind slab, considerable risk is considerable risk…..




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No doubt, but for some reason I can't explain I let my guard down a little more than I ought too in those lower elevation spots. Had some pretty good conversations with friends and touring partners these last two days about this accident. Time for a little self-reflection and a reset of mentality.

[adrenalated]

Wow, the 3rd avalanche near Mancos sounded like a really close call. Props to those riders, that sounds like a very well executed rescue.

"When the snowmobiler triggered an avalanche and was buried in the debris Saturday north of Mancos, his two riding partners immediately initiated a beacon search. According to a report submitted to the CAIC, the other two riders had been watching their friend and had a general sense of where he was located.

After pinpointing their partner’s location using a beacon, the riders were able to confirm his burial location by striking him with an avalanche probe, and began to dig him out of about 5 feet of snow. Within 5-7 minutes, the two snowmobilers had cleared their partner’s airway. He had fallen unconscious but quickly regained consciousness once his airway was clear, the report said."

Yeah those guys performed a rockstar companion rescue, really impressive. A little tidbit I heard was they probed the machine first (buried more deeply) but decided to keep probing to find something softer. That's some impressive clarity of mind in a stressful situation.

I wandered around that area above Mancos a bunch this summer and a little this winter, and where they got caught is really innocuous terrain - the kind of stuff that many or maybe even most people would travel on without thinking too much about it. Small pitch, mostly gentle terrain around it, not really that steep.

I try to remind myself all the time, and all these recent incidents really hammer it home - avalanche terrain is avalanche terrain. If it's steep enough to slide, given the right (wrong) snow conditions, at some point it will.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

To a reasonable extent, the only real difference between mid-elevation terrain and places like Sam’s, The Backyard, Deer Creek, Commodore, Hudson Mine, Minnehaha, etc, etc is the actual elevation. A weak layer is a weak layer, 38 deg is 38 deg (both slope & temp), 4’ of wind slab is 4’ of wind slab, considerable risk is considerable risk…..




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That view freaks me out if I think about inter mountain/continental snowpack.


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[AlpiNord]

No doubt, but for some reason I can't explain I let my guard down a little more than I ought too in those lower elevation spots. Had some pretty good conversations with friends and touring partners these last two days about this accident. Time for a little self-reflection and a reset of mentality.

If any good can come out of this tragedy is increased respect and awareness of ‘un-cool’ elevations and terrain.

I shot this image shortly after the death of cool dude in Sam’s Trees (Abel was his name, slide upper, mid-right). Looking at Sam’s on it’s own looks not unlike foothills or lower level terrain. A reminder that even benign looking terrain and conditions on a bluebird day requires potential situational awareness and respect.

https://classic.avalanche.state.co.u...=649&accfm=inv



A buddy also had a wild, lucky ride and partially burial (IIRC) in Sam’s where it ‘broke into refrigerator size blocks’.

Edit: name correction.

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