Here we go again. No transceiver? Found with probes.
https://avalanche.state.co.us/caic/a...lN108_aMLZgVGI
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Here we go again. No transceiver? Found with probes.
https://avalanche.state.co.us/caic/a...lN108_aMLZgVGI
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No beacon, no apparent partner. Chimney Chute.
Vibes. Rough start to this season here.
God damn. What a tragic two weeks for avalanches in Colorado.
Based on the accidents pages on the CAIC I'm guessing they were a XC skier or something else? They've gone out of the way to classify it as "Other" rather than "backcountry skier/snowborder" or even "snowshoer/climber/hiker." And the lack of a transceiver makes me think this incident was unusual in some other way.
Vibes to those involved.
Sad, again. Condolences to friends and family.
If was an xc tourer or snowshoer, likely unaware and triggered from below? The chute is above the drainage straight back from the pull out right?
If was rider who dropped in from the top solo, unfortunate decision given conditions, angle and aspect.
This CO season is starting so badly. But it’s 2020 still I guess.
Condolences.
If it is "other" now I am kinda even more worried it is a powsurfer friend of mine. He frequents First Creek to ride.
I thought one of the benefits of powsurfing is that it makes meadow skipping more challenging and therefore fun, so no need to get into avy terrain? In any case, hope it isn't your buddy.Quote:
Originally Posted by simple
Thanks bud. He and his crew like to bootpack uphill into the chimney chute area. They don't go very high but with these trigger mechanisms this year it could be the case.
It does not sound like a powsurfer. This was the report from GCSAR
And then CAIC constantly refers to 'backcountry tourer' which to me says there has to be skis of some sort involved. There were also reports of it being a very busy Saturday with lots of people playing and learning to tour/make their first skin track all around the parking areas.Quote:
Tonight we are sad to report that GCSAR responded to a fatal avalanche accident in First Creek, near Berthoud Pass. The solo skier was caught, buried and killed.
Family members reported the man overdue, but had a good last seen point.
The first GCSAR team found a recent avalanche and were able the search the debris area, first finding a pair of goggles, and then the person, fully buried. He did not have a transceiver.
The deceased was transported to the trailhead and turned over to the Grand County Coroner.
Please, please, please be careful out there.
Hope your friend is ok.
Yeah confirmed it wasn't my powsurf friend. Thanks
Yeesh, Chimney Chute is very serious terrain to solo with no transceiver in normal snowpack conditions, let alone this year's completely fucked snowpack. 4 deaths in 9 days. Not a good start.
Just a thought, perhaps CAIC is referring to the individual as a backcountry tourer in an effort to reach people who are entering avy terrain w/o intentions of descending? Or in other words people who are not recognizing whether they are in or not in avalanche terrain.
Lots of new folks in the backcountry this winter, so maybe an attempt to change the language and attitude towards backcountry travel.
"Backcountry tourer" is how backcountry skiers and splitboarders are referred to in CAIC accident reports.Quote:
Originally Posted by been in it
This. Backcountry Tourer is a specific category used in tracking statistics of avalanche incidents; the term is used intentionally.Quote:
Originally Posted by bean
Looking back fall 2010 through 2020 (so far), of 63 CO deaths, 11 were no beacons burials.
2020 Berthoud
2020 Guided ice climbers in Uncompahgre Gorge (no beacons all around)
2019 Roofalanche death in CB
2018 Solo hiker smoked by the solo rope ducking snowboarder in Bear Creek
2018 Snowmobiler who forgot to turn it on in the Swan (I was on this one)
2017 Snowbiker in the flatops (one had a beacon the other didn't)
2014 Rope ducking resort skier at Vega Bowl (friend go the Recco find)
2012 Inbounds closed trees solo skier tragedy at Vail
2012 Inbounds closed trees solo skier tragedy at WP
2012 Snowmass side country death
2011 Flat tops snowmobiler (one ride had a beacon, the other didn't)
2011 Berthoud snowboard (left beacon in car, wife was on this recovery)
A little bit more info here https://www.skyhinews.com/news/skier...ass-avalanche/
Friends of Berthoud Pass and the Forest Service (and maybe Friends of CAIC) are working on getting some Avalanche Terrain Warning signage at the trailhead (possibly with beacon checkers at somepoint). I wonder if this victim has any awareness of either the avalanche hazard or avalanche terrain?
I always think about "What, as a community, could we have done to prevent the fatality". Often my answer is "not much", however a bit of signage may have been beneficial in this case.
https://avalanche.state.co.us/caic/o...p?obs_id=41292
Found an old report on Chimney with a video of a skier triggered slide.
Maybe signage would have saved this one but who knows.
So sad that his family was watching his run and he never made it to the bottom.
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Coroner IDs skier killed in Berthoud Pass avalanche
https://www.skyhinews.com/news/coron...gqPRTSaRUAMdoo
I just don't get this one. Why were his family watching him? Why no gear?
He's supposedly an experienced skier [edit: incorrect, he was not an experience BACKCOUNTRY skier], worked in my kid's school district.
RIP.
+1 on that, really difficult to read this one...Quote:
Originally Posted by Danno
Its hard to wrap your head around thisQuote:
Originally Posted by Danno
wow. I was not expecting him to be experienced at all. What an enormous bummer.
RIP.
To be fair, gear wouldn't have helped him. The question is why did he go? And maybe it was because his family was watching him.Quote:
Originally Posted by Danno
The stories keep mentioning him being lowered 'to the trailhead' with a 300' rope. Using Google's measure distance tool it is about 300' from the trailhead to the talus. That sucks.
I suppose I could have misunderstood about the experienced part, I'm not 100% sure of that. [EDIT: yes, that appears to be incorrect]
Why do people lose track of the fact that wearing a beacon is (at a minimum) an act of respect for those who may be recovering your body?Quote:
Originally Posted by powdork
... Thom
What was his level of experience and what source do you have for your answer? Honest question. I've heard he was an accomplished climber from Boulder.
https://www.facebook.com/darek.krol.568
He appears to have been an experienced skier, climber, ice climber, etc. Definitely someone who owns gear and should have known what he was getting into.
a momentary lapse of reason
Attachment 355482
picked up a hitcher heading from WP to LL on a storm chase. Nice local guy, a carpenter on a dawn patrol before work. If it's the chute I'm thinking of it's prominent low lying fruit easily accessed by car shuttle. Tagged along on his second run. It was a sweet run. A hasty pit looked good. Got a release of the over night snow which did not propagate with a ski cut at the top. There are so many sweet looking chutes and faces wherever your home zone is that call out. Be vigilant follow protocol don't let low lying fruit lure you into delusion.
Left to right, who?Quote:
Originally Posted by whipski
Wright/Gilmour/Mason. No Waters cause he is a bitter old fuck. You know, the PF version of Benny.
as I already noted, I retracted my first statement and said that I am not sure about him being an experienced skier, I may have misunderstood what I saw on FB. I saw him described by a very experienced skier in a post about skiing as "one of Boulder's finest", but realize that I could have misinterpreted that and it might not mean anything related to his skiing. Still, a 57 year old guy who has lived in Colorado for what appears to be a long time, and skis, would be hard pressed to know nothing about avalanches. But that doesn't mean he was a very experienced backcountry skier, which is why I backed off my first statement.Quote:
Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles
Final report is up. https://avalanche.state.co.us/caic/a...=766&accfm=inv
Super, super weak snow. Significant traumatic injuries. RIP.
https://www.denverpost.com/2020/12/3...adliest-month/
This says he is an experienced skier, but not an experienced backcountry skier. So just the kind of accident people have been worried about this year.
I edited my posts in this thread to note that my earlier description of him as supposedly experienced were incorrect.
Couldn't read because paywall but....Quote:
Originally Posted by Danno
Then what does it take to be experienced? On his FB page there are numerous pictures of him booting up couloirs and skinning/skiing in the backcountry. He's been doing it for years. Ice climbers also have to be aware of avalanche risk.
For instance, I know anyone off the street can buy an airbag, but it would be unusual.
Attachment 355590
Damn. Seems like a righteous fellow.Quote:
Originally Posted by ballackout
... Thom
I only know what the article said (you can get around the paywall if needed). Relevant snippets:Quote:
Originally Posted by powdork
But I agree, there is evidence to the contrary. Heck, the article has this picture of him and his daughter both with backcountry gear (but the article also said his daughter was on snowshoes the day of the accident, so maybe they just booted up in alpine gear on the day this pic was taken):Quote:
His death offers a cautionary tale: While an expert skier, Krol was far less experienced outside resort boundaries.
He recently bought a backcountry touring setup, said a close friend, Ed McKeown.
“He was not a savvy backcountry guy,” McKeown lamented of his friend, who was so attentive to detail in climbing and other endeavors.
Attachment 355591
Regardless of those details, the facts are that he went solo and he didn't have gear with him. And tragically died.
And chose to do so in an avalanche path with significant consequencesQuote:
Originally Posted by Danno
I haven't skied it but looks like a terrain trap, no?
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Here's an image of Chimney Chute (the prominent funnel in the center of the photo)Quote:
Originally Posted by I've seen black diamonds!
Attachment 355593