Stanley, ID SNRA - snowmobiler killed 3/12/23

"A snowmobiler was killed in an avalanche yesterday, Sunday, March 12th.The group of three was riding in the Stanley Lake Creek drainage of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.

The victim was caught and carried while ascending a slope. They were buried over three feet deep. A nearby group of three riders responded to the avalanche, located the victim with a transceiver, and extricated them within 15 minutes. They performed CPR but resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful."

No details posted yet at SAC.

Bummer and not surprising given the Sawtooth Avalanche Center's ratings for the weekend, but unfortunate for the snowmobiler and his crew. Probably failed on the weak facet/crust layer that's getting squashed, we got concerning results in the low CT and ECT scores when we were in the Sawtooths last weekend. That weak layer is lurking, and where we saw it was 40 cm below the surface at the time, but that was just as this storm cycle was ramping up.

Always sucks for avalanche professionals to have a death on their watch, but you can't keep people from doing what they are going to do anyways and get buried despite many warning signs and forecasts.

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Originally Posted by mtnjam

Always sucks for avalanche professionals to have a death on their watch, but you can't keep people from doing what they are going to do anyways and get buried despite many warning signs and forecasts.

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This has taken me years to come to terms with, honestly. I felt for a while like a sheepdog who lost a sheep to the wolves when someone (especially someone I had taught...) died in an avalanche. Tremper was the one who was the most honest and straightforward with it: "people are liabilities," he told me one day. "No matter how much education they have, they simply do what they want."

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Originally Posted by homemadesalsa

This has taken me years to come to terms with, honestly. I felt for a while like a sheepdog who lost a sheep to the wolves when someone (especially someone I had taught...) died in an avalanche. Tremper was the one who was the most honest and straightforward with it: "people are liabilities," he told me one day. "No matter how much education they have, they simply do what they want."

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Yeah, although I'm not an avalanche professional, I have to wonder what the psychological toll is on forecasters, avalanche professionals and guides when an accident happens like this. I'm pretty sure there has been some of the "Digging Deeper" series that Sawtooth avalanche has had discussing this, but unfortunately I haven't had a chance to attend these now that they don't do them on Zoom meetings anymore.

Once again, vibes being sent, let us remember these lessons in the coming winter... RIP