Originally Posted by
telefreewasatch
Thought I'd stir the pot a 'lil this Sunday eve. These are my comments for UDOT on LCC:
Hello,
My name is Jimmy Collinson. I've been a ski patrolman and avalanche forecaster at Alta and Snowbird the last 42 years. My family and I have lived up the canyon the last 32. This has led to my participating in many highway avalanche rescues at all times of day or night, especially mid canyon, over the years.
I will attempt to paint the picture of a LCC canyon road night time avalanche rescue:
It has been snowing significantly since the evening before.
There have been a.m. and p.m. road shoots with small to moderate results.
After plowing, the highway opens at say 5 pm, at least to downhill traffic.
The red snake commences with many drivers, vehicles, and tires ill prepared for a LCC winter storm.
Precipitation intensity and west wind increase; hazard increases.
An avalanche hits the lower mid canyon road an hour later, closing the road.
Laypeople are now bumper to bumper underneath adjacent slide paths.
Most folks do not have the savvy, vehicle, or tire combo good enough to go back uphill when it's raging and the plows are unable to plow in the congestion.
When you have an avalanche and the weather continues to rage you may expect more; an avalanche cycle.
The bigger mid canyon slide paths are the late runners.
That 8 mile road has the highest avalanche hazard index # in North America by far on account of the above scenario.
This is where I really ask you to picture what happens up there in the dark.
Down we go in snowcats, hopefully.
Cannot hardly see; a whiteout from snowfall intensity and wind which also means a still increasing hazard.
Are folks safer in the relative protection of the vehicle or do they need to risk a move on foot to a safe zone. Tough call eh?
Usually you want them to move to a safe zone, depending on the slide path above.
One is making people who are in harm's way get out of their warm vehicle and go to a safer place, either up or down canyon, instructing them to run.
Most are not prepared for these eventualities.
Many have been drinking and are more argumentative than the sober folks.
Rescuers spend significant time exposed under avalanche paths in rising hazard, public to a lesser degree.
What would happen to someone like me if catastrophe occurs after I demand they leave their vehicle?
Would they have been better off in the vehicle?
Could someone hold me liable?
You would not even see it coming...
These nights have been the most terrifying and out of control times of my life. I'm 64.
Yes we need the road in LCC.
And yes we need snow sheds exactly as planned.
Snow sheds under the earliest runners will reduce but not eliminate the possibility of a catastrophic event.
Sheds give forecasters some wiggle room, another tool, without the road closing itself as it currently does.
The only way to be 100% sure that an avalanche will not strike the road unexpectedly is to close it after six inches of snow and some wind.
This is unacceptable, thus forecasters forecast hazard, and if one is in the game long enough one gets burned. Maybe more than once.
We need a fire escape in LCC for other reasons as well.
I wished to see a gondola to Summit County through the head of BCC because that's where the tourist amenities are and snow will not be in the future.
In lieu of that I am the LCC gondola's biggest fan.
The safety it affords is significant and isn't safety UDOT'S middle name?
The Wasatch has world class skiing with an international airport and third world delivery.
In Europe a gondola would have happened so long ago with a train connection to the airport.
I am curious why the EIS says the gondola will be moving only 1,050 people an hour when Doppelmayr says the 3S can move 5,500?
We need to move enough people in it to be able to limit the number of vehicles in the canyon.
The current travel times of three or four hours for folks to move 8 miles so many days is ridiculous.
We are retiring to a property we developed in Wasatch Resort. The gondola line will be 200 feet away. We welcome this new neighbor with open arms and will enjoy the traffic congestion relief in our 'hood.
Thanks for receiving input and feel free to contact me if I can assist a gondola happening in any way.
Jimmy Collinson
