Tree well rescue at Mt Baker

**Lvovsky** · 03-30-2023, 09:15 PM

Can’t see if it was posted already. Terrifying but ends well.

https://youtu.be/wQ8Kgb_XUkk

**bennymac** · 03-30-2023, 09:48 PM

Literally just came here to post that video. So crazy. That skier makes one different turn and it’s all over for the boarder.

The skiers buddy must also have been panicking when he doesn’t show up down slope

**yeahman** · 03-30-2023, 10:15 PM

Holeeeeeee crap!!!

**SkiLyft** · 03-30-2023, 10:24 PM

So freaking scary

Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

**Norseman** · 03-30-2023, 10:30 PM

Yup. Good job, rando!

*Carry your shit*

**jackattack** · 03-30-2023, 10:37 PM

Holy Fuckin shit is right

**summit** · 03-30-2023, 10:48 PM

Jeez, good work skier dude. A wreck like that and a whistle ain't doin shit. Avalung pack!

**mcski** · 03-30-2023, 11:04 PM

Just saw that vid elsewhere and yea, holy shit. Border lucked out skier dude blew his turn and actually saw him. Scary shit. Hope he bought skier lifetime beers

**Yonder_River** · 03-30-2023, 11:08 PM

Dooood! Wow, right place right time. Hope he bought him a beer after that.

**whipski** · 03-31-2023, 07:30 AM

excellent ad for the Kinko Coop gloves

**Core Shot** · 03-31-2023, 07:48 AM

Kinco makes goop gloves??

Watched the video a while ago. It is scary. But also it’s terrain choice. The rescuer pops through a very tight tree gap. The victim must have done the same.
Give trees a wide berth in pow country.

**::: :::** · 03-31-2023, 08:06 AM

Damn…2 secs further down slope and the skier would have never noticed the board

**AK47bp** · 03-31-2023, 09:26 AM

Dam. Just saw this on the local news.

Terrifying

**Bunion 2020** · 03-31-2023, 10:26 AM

So many little moving parts that avoided a tragedy.

**hawkgt** · 03-31-2023, 11:50 AM

Well fucking done

**Lvovsky** · 03-31-2023, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by whipski

excellent ad for the Kinko Coop gloves

The backpack and shovel look dialed in too. Anyone knows what they are?

**doubleeject** · 03-31-2023, 12:40 PM

Fuckin hell, that's nightmare fuel.

**SumJongGuy** · 03-31-2023, 12:50 PM

Also fortunate for us and the hero that he was filming so all can see how fucked up any of us can get too close to the trees in conditions like that. Millions more people now (or should) know why to stay away from the trees. I had never heard of tree well danger until venturing out west the first time. Someone on a chairlift warned me about it on my first powder day in CO. I was like GTFO!!!!

**summit** · 03-31-2023, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by Lvovsky

The backpack and shovel loom dialed in too. Anyone knows what they are?

TNF pack, newer I think
BCA shovel is over 10 years old

**Alpinord** · 03-31-2023, 01:58 PM

Originally Posted by SumJongGuy

Also fortunate for us and the hero that he was filming so all can see how fucked up any of us can get too close to the trees in conditions like that. Millions more people now (or should) know why to stay away from the trees. I had never heard of tree well danger until venturing out west the first time. Someone on a chairlift warned me about it on my first powder day in CO. I was like GTFO!!!!

This incident brought back one from last year.

After digging a buddy out of a tree well (not as severe as this one), I sent him down 'the game trail/outlet track' which went around a slight bend telling him to carry speed. After he was out of sight, I took off and was moving fast when I just happened to notice something 'odd' out of the corner of my eye and slammed on the brakes. He had somehow fallen down, off the side and was buried, upside down hanging from a small tree by the gap between his tele boot heel and binding. He was barely visible.

This was on a traverse and nothing really 'serious' in terms of terrain. It could have had a much worse outcome if I had kept ripping the 1/2 mile out the traverse thinking he was still in front of me.

I was also sold on getting radios and dialing it back on sweep after that.

**romeo tango** · 03-31-2023, 05:02 PM

.

^
that's why i don't wear camo when i ride around tree wells ....

.

**TBS** · 03-31-2023, 05:27 PM

Rescuer’s Insta
https://www.instagram.com/p/CqRYdNyg...3yhQcuhAOsUM2c

Boarder was with another group - all with Avy gear and walkie talkies.

We get some hella tree wells in the PNW - we’ve lost several at Mt Brokenchair the last five or so years.

I was taught to always keep partners in sight when in the trees, mostly by leap frogging at short intervals - like no farther than you can climb up and dig them out in 10 min.

Happy that everything turned out for the best

**MTT** · 03-31-2023, 06:04 PM

awesome luck And thanks for being in good shape. Obviously, that could have ended really badly.

**bodywhomper** · 04-01-2023, 01:39 PM

Originally Posted by TBS

I was taught to always keep partners in sight when in the trees, mostly by leap frogging at short intervals - like no farther than you can climb up and dig them out in 10 min.

I curious how far that would be between partners and leap frogging for the short intervals? At the ski hill, I find partner skiing in deep snow in denser conifers and complex terrain to be challenging in the sense of maintaining visuals on friends; somebody goes left, you go right, and then you’re in different small sub drains and meeting each other at the bottom of the drainages. The tail gunner of the group is at the biggest disadvantage. It’s a wallow fest if stopped and trying to climb uphill with skis on or bootpacking. In the backcountry, I find that it’s different.

There was a tree well rescue under the Disney chair at sugarbowl earlier to is winter. Awkward branches, vegetation, and body positioning. Several shovels in use. Was like 20 minutes to fully excavate the person.

I rescued my 10-ish year old son from a tree well many years ago. He was standing on the branches. It took a long time, was super awkward, and challenging to do (by myself w/o shovel). It happened right in front of me.