Why tree wells are a hazard

Why tree wells are a hazard

According to KING 5 meteorologist and skier, Jeff Renner, the hazard is called NARSID, or Non-Avalanche Related Snow Immersion Death. It happens when skiers or snowboarders fall (usually headfirst) into a deep snowbank or tree wells. So far this season, three skiers/snowboarders have died and an experienced ski patroller had a narrow escape.

Two of the deaths were at Mount Baker, the third was at Alpental. ( I guess this article isn't counting the Stevens death)
Tree wells are cup-shaped depressions in the snow surrounding trees - the result of tree limbs catching and deflecting some of the falling snow. A fall near a well can easily result in a plunge into the well; even if the skier ends up going in feet first it can be very hard to extricate oneself. Still, the nature of such a fall is that victims often end up going in head first.

Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol Director Paul Baugher says that a study of the accidents suggests some basic safety steps: Any skier or snowboarder who ventures off to the side of a groomed trail into softer snow or trees should ski or ride with a partner, and partners should keep each other in sight.

Those who ski near trees should stay well clear of tree wells

I remember reading a university study where they actually dunked people head first into tree wells to see who could get out. They used a broad cross section of ages/fitness levels etc and if I remember correctly, not one subject managed to extricate themselves.

I fell into a well once on a stoopid huge snow day/cycle at Winter Park in like 87'. I fell in upside down, and I think that it was my first honest to god experience with PANIC. Every move made more snow come down, I was fighting for breath, and nearly shaking. I actually had to exhaust myself to the point where I was too tired to move before I took a breather, chilled out, and tried to think up a strategy to extricate myself. I methodically moved and compacted snow around me until I could get my board off. Then I somehow used the board to climb my way out. It took about 15-20 minutes, I imagine now. I was alone, and when I got to the base the area was already closing, and patrol had already done sweep of the area. I learned a little something that day. Spooky.

One other one that is dangerous is where a tree falls and creates a depression underneath it. I've usually only experienced it out snowmobiling. Often times you'll hop off your sled close to the edge of trail and sink up to your knees in a tree well, one that you didn't even know was there. If you fell face first you'd be up shit creek w/out a paddle.

Couple years ago I was skiing alone and went head first into a tree well. I tried to take a breath and just got a mouth full of snow and kind of panicked at first. I realized I better not move too much or I'm just going to bury myself in further. Fortunately I was able to reach up and grab a tree limb and pull myself up enough to get out. If that tree limb was not in reach I probably would have been in big trouble. Very scary. I've stated this before... at the very minimum have a whistle around your neck.

I learnt the hazards of tree wells in the El Nino winter of 96 in Tahoe.

My bud and I were skiing neck-deep blower in Mott/Killebrew @ Heavenly. He needed to take a shit but didn't want to go back to the base lodge, so he took off his skis and walked towards the nearest tree. After standing at the edge of the tree well and plopping out an explosively diarrheal number 2, "Norbs" lost his footing as he tried to pull his pants back up. The edges of the tree well collapsed and he fell backwards into the tree well on which he just took a hot steaming liquid shit.

It was literally the funniest shit I had ever seen. Norbs was hauled out but his light-grey/cream jacket now had a brown shit stain smeared like a giant Rorschach inkblot. He rode solo for the rest of the day.

Baker has a good tree well safety guide going on now at http://www.mtbaker.us/safety/index.html

suggest everyone checks out the link cuz it has good pics to enhance thre info but here's a cut & paste: Play safe kids!!

TREE WELL & DEEP SNOW ACCIDENT PREVENTION

The most important prevention step is to remain on groomed runs (see Groomed and Ungroomed Trails section), resisting the urge to ski or snowboard through the trees during deep powder conditions, no matter how inviting the untracked powder looks. If you choose to ski or snowboard in the ungroomed, deep snow areas with trees, remember:

#1) A PARTNER:
It is critical to ski or ride with a partner who remains in visual contact at all times.
In many cases, some of the deaths which have occurred due to tree well incidents may have been avoided had:

a) the person been with a partner
b) the partner saw the person fall and
c) the partner was close enough to assist digging the victim out in a timely manner.

It does NO GOOD for your safety if you are under the snow and your partner is waiting for you at the bottom of the lift. If you have any question about what a “timely manner” is to assist someone in a tree well, hold your breath now as you are reading this and the amount of time until you need air is approximately how much time your partner has to help get you out of danger. Other factors such as creating an air pocket or the nature of how you fall into the well may extend this critical timeframe.

VISUAL CONTACT means stopping and watching your partner descend at all times, then proceeding downhill while he or she watches you at all times. IF YOU LOSE VISUAL SIGHT OF YOUR PARTNER, YOU COULD LOSE YOUR FRIEND.

#2) Carry the same personal rescue gear as backcountry skiers or snowboarders: a transceiver, shovel, probe, and whistle.

#3) If you are a skier, remove your pole straps before heading down a powder slope. Trapped skiers have difficulty removing the pole straps, which can hamper efforts to escape or clear an air space to breathe.

WHAT IF I GO DOWN?
1) If you are sliding toward a tree well or a deep snow bank, do everything you can to avoid going down: grab branches, hug the tree, or anything to stay above the surface.

2) If you go down, resist the urge to struggle violently. The more you struggle, the more snow will fall into the well from the branches and area around the well and compact around you.

3) Instead of panicking, try first to make a breathing space around your face. Then move your body carefully in a rocking manner to hollow out the snow and give you space and air.

Hopefully, your partner will have seen what happened and will come to your rescue within minutes. If not, experts advise staying calm while waiting for assistance. Survival chances are improved if you maintain your air space. Over time, heat generated by your body, combined with your rocking motions, will compact the snow, and you may be able to work your way out.

TREES & TREE WELLS

Trees are an important and integral part of the natural Cascade mountain environment and exist in Northwest ski areas, predominantly in the ungroomed areas. However the incidences of skiers and snowboarders falling into snow wells created by trees has increased in recent years. Prevention of falling into a tree well is all-important because the odds of surviving deep snow immersion are low. For your safety, you should assume all trees have a hazardous tree well.

In an experiment in which 10 volunteers were temporarily placed in a simulated tree well, none could rescue themselves.

Experts who chart skiing injuries have documented a significant risk: suffocation after falling, often headfirst, into deep snow depressions around trees (tree wells) or even on open ground. Most tree well incidents have occurred at ski resorts in the western United States and Canada, though the same risk would be present wherever deep powder conditions are found.

Fortunately, the risk of falling into a tree well is completely avoidable. Unlike avalanches, which are difficult to predict and the danger is often not visible, tree wells exist in deep snow areas and only around trees – in simple terms, a tree well is a hole in the deep snow, which is clearly marked by a tree.

You can avoid falling into a tree well by avoiding skiing or snowboarding near trees in deep snow areas.

WHAT IS A TREE WELL
• Hazardous tree wells are generally found in ungroomed areas.

• The low-hanging branches of trees may create a sheltered area around the base of the tree, where a well of loose snow with air pockets can form.

• It is best to assume that all trees in deep snow have some depth of tree well. Usually there is no easy way to identify if a particular tree has a dangerous tree well by sight, because the branches often block visibility of what hole may exist.


• Particularly hazardous trees appear to actually be the smaller trees or trees where the branches are touching the snow. The branches help form a canopy over the hole, inhibiting snow from filling in the hole around the trunk of the tree –thus the snowpack increases outside the branches, creating a deeper hole under the branches.

• The risks are greatest during and after major snowstorms. The amount of snow piled up on the outside of the branches can also add to the hazard, because this snow is knocked off of the branches and down into the hole when hit, this could possibly contribute to a burial.

• Tree wells tend to form on the downhill sides of trees, because snow on the uphill side tends to creep downward and become compacted against the tree. Once again, branches touching the snow might effect this.

• Tree wells are also more common in areas sheltered from the wind, because strong winds break up snow crystals, increase snow density and blow snow around to help fill in the hole/well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Superstar Punani

After standing at the edge of the tree well and plopping out an explosively diarrheal number 2, "Norbs" lost his footing as he tried to pull his pants back up. The edges of the tree well collapsed and he fell backwards into the tree well on which he just took a hot steaming liquid shit.

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Alas, poor Norbs, I knew him well.

More info here.
http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/..._99/cadman.htm

Got stuck in a tree well once at the old Homiewood. Couldnt reach my skiis to release, i was pinned in there. It was dumping and it was by luck that I was near a well traveled travese. My guess it was about 15 minutes, seemed lke an hour. Anyway after that I now where a good whistle and it is attached to the top of my coat zipper in case i do not have use of my hands. Its worth a couple of bucks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Superstar Punani

I learnt the hazards of tree wells in the El Nino winter of 96 in Tahoe.

My bud and I were skiing neck-deep blower in Mott/Killebrew @ Heavenly. He needed to take a shit but didn't want to go back to the base lodge, so he took off his skis and walked towards the nearest tree. After standing at the edge of the tree well and plopping out an explosively diarrheal number 2, "Norbs" lost his footing as he tried to pull his pants back up. The edges of the tree well collapsed and he fell backwards into the tree well on which he just took a hot steaming liquid shit.

It was literally the funniest shit I had ever seen. Norbs was hauled out but his light-grey/cream jacket now had a brown shit stain smeared like a giant Rorschach inkblot. He rode solo for the rest of the day.

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norbs....Norbs!!!

I fell into two treewells within about 15 minutes of each other at Retallack during the BC summit, each time backfirst because the weight of my pack swung me around as the well was caving in. gincognito saved my ass both times. We were laughing about that last night over dinner, but there's a twinge of helplessness when you're down the hole.

I am sure this is may be common knowledge to most mags but when in a well, cross your poles so that they are completely perpendicular to each other and grab them with one hand at the point they meet (the center of the X) and use them like a snow shoe for your hand in order to reduce sinking. This certainly helped me on one occassion. Also, sounds gay (sorry skigay, I know we have been through this before but no "intent") but, wear a whistle. Cheap, light and even if your lungs are compressed, you can let out a loud damn noise with minmal air.

I actually got stuck in a well at killington about 10 years ago. I remember the initial panic, the struggle and the exhaustion. Thought I would never get out. Thankly my buddy who was with me and ahead of me hiked back a considerable distance and hauled my ass out. I don't think I had any energy to get out. For those of you who are curious, it was in Anarchy.

One of my best pals, Kuba, suffocated in a tree well about 8 years ago at Whitwater. I still miss that guy. We figure from the looks of him when we found him that he hit his head on the way in and was out cold when he suffocated.

RIP Buddy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Superstar Punani

his light-grey/cream jacket now had a brown shit stain smeared like a giant Rorschach inkblot. He rode solo for the rest of the day.

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awesome reference

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JR

One of my best pals, Kuba, suffocated in a tree well about 8 years ago at Whitwater. I still miss that guy. We figure from the looks of him when we found him that he hit his head on the way in and was out cold when he suffocated.

RIP Buddy.

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damn...RIP

oh snap i just noticed that that was what tree wells were. i was trying to walk through a ton of those after I crashed inbounds on a run that no one went on but was under the chair. Had to do the army crawl after I pre-ejected on the crash, then the ski wouldn't stay on when I tried to ski through the glade to freedom.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by flabango

Couple years ago I was skiing alone and went head first into a tree well. I tried to take a breath and just got a mouth full of snow and kind of panicked at first. I realized I better not move too much or I'm just going to bury myself in further. Fortunately I was able to reach up and grab a tree limb and pull myself up enough to get out. If that tree limb was not in reach I probably would have been in big trouble. Very scary. I've stated this before... at the very minimum have a whistle around your neck.

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same thing happened to me last week at schweitzer. i panicked when i was upside-down with a mouth full of snow, but i think the limbs that i was able to grab onto saved my ass. scary shit

i got lucky recently at jackson hole. I aired off a lip of a catwalk with too much speed, crashed, and thrashed myself into a tree. I ejected, and was flipped around. Thankfully, a pack full of layers and a shovel broke my fall, and helped puncture a nice hole into the tree. Fortunately it was deep enough that I landed in the branches and not below them. threw my skis and poles up to my friend, and began to dig myself out with said shovel.

pic:
http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/4707/img07668vv.jpg

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My nephew is a soon to be little ripper. His Dad loves to ski the trees, meaning he will be taking the kid in there sooner than later.

It seems like tree wells are quite a bit more dangerous for kids than adults for several reasons; but I see ski lesson teachers taking 8 year olds through the trees all the time...???