Summit West Avy

KQ · 01-12-2005, 04:47 PM

WTF? Didn't think we had enough snow - hope everyone is okay!

BREAKING NEWS:

There has been a small avalanche on Summit West at the Snoqualmie Ski Resort in Washington. A male skier, caught in the avalanche, has been rescued and is being airlifted to Harborview Hospital in Seattle. More details to come.

**optics** · 01-12-2005, 04:50 PM

Enough snow, but I didn't think Summit West had enough slope to slide!

**Schmear** · 01-12-2005, 04:58 PM

That report may be wrong. I was up at Alpental this morning, and I have numerous sources/personal observations telling me that the slide occurred there. I'll post more as I hear it.

**PNWbrit** · 01-12-2005, 04:59 PM

http://tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23152

Schmear - please let us know what you hear.

**optics** · 01-12-2005, 05:03 PM

From komo:
KOMO NEWS ALERT: One skier has been injured in a small avalanche at the Alpental ski resort at Snoqualmie Summit. He's been airlifted to Harborview. A second skier hit was not injured.

Edit - also:
EATTLE - A male skier was caught in an avalanche at Alpental at Snoqualmie Pass on Wednesday afternoon.

Two skiers were skiing in a closed area when the avalanche occurred at about 12:30 p.m. One man was buried, the other went for help.

KING

The man was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center.

Both men were wearing avalanche beacons, which helped rescuers on the scene.

The 28-year-old man was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. His condition was not immediately known.

One was buried, one went for help!?!

KQ · 01-12-2005, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by Schmear

That report may be wrong. I was up at Alpental this morning, and I have numerous sources/personal observations telling me that the slide occurred there. I'll post more as I hear it.

Cool - I just pulled it off of the KING 5 web site. Don't know any more that what it says. Keep us posted.

**Schmear** · 01-12-2005, 05:09 PM

I'm hearing very bad news.

I want to wait until the facts come out before I say more.

**Rusty Nails** · 01-12-2005, 05:10 PM

I totally thought this was a joke thread when I read the title... hope the guy is okay.

**Duder** · 01-12-2005, 05:11 PM

Schmear,

What were the conditions atop of Chair 2?

**Schmear** · 01-12-2005, 05:20 PM

Fortunately (in hindsight), I forgot my poles this morning (which I've never done before) and never got on my skis. Just hung around in the parking lot and visited people I know up there. But I heard there were high winds and lots of new grapelish snow on leeward slopes.

**Duder** · 01-12-2005, 05:23 PM

"graupelish" snow = freezing rain??

**PNWbrit** · 01-12-2005, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by Duder

"graupelish" snow = freezing rain??

Not quite more like fine hail or pellets - caused by turbulence in the atmosphere as snow flake forms and falls. very unstable and slow to bond

**Duder** · 01-12-2005, 06:02 PM

I see I see.

Does anyone know where the Dudes were at Alpe? BC or inbounds?

KQ · 01-12-2005, 06:16 PM

Man caught in avalanche at Snoqualmie Pass
03:18 PM PST on Wednesday, January 12, 2005

SEATTLE - A male skier was caught in an avalanche at Alpental at Snoqualmie Pass on Wednesday afternoon.

Two skiers were skiing when the avalanche occurred at about 12:30 p.m. One man was buried, the other went for help.

Though the ski area was closed, skiing was allowed with the understanding that it wasn't patrolled and no avalanche control work would likely have been done.

Both men were wearing avalanche beacons, which helped rescuers on the scene.

The 28-year-old man was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. His condition was not immediately known.

Alpental has a vertical drop of 2,280 feet and over 300 acres of skiable terrain.

A winter storm warning was in effect for the Cascades through Wednesday evening. Snow accumulations of around a foot of snow were expected this evening, with a few locations receiving up to 18 inches of snow. The heaviest snow amounts were expected to be between Stevens and Snoqualmie passes.

**grrrr** · 01-12-2005, 06:23 PM

KOMO is reporting it as a fatality:

SNOQUALMIE PASS - A skier died after getting caught in a small avalanche Wednesday

sad sad news

KQ · 01-12-2005, 06:28 PM

Originally Posted by grrrr

KOMO is reporting it as a fatality:

SNOQUALMIE PASS - A skier died after getting caught in a small avalanche Wednesday

sad sad news

LAN will know - she works at Harborview.

**PNWbrit** · 01-12-2005, 06:30 PM

RIP

4567890

**truth** · 01-12-2005, 06:39 PM

Originally Posted by KQ

Two skiers were skiing when the avalanche occurred at about 12:30 p.m. One man was buried, the other went for help.

Both men were wearing avalanche beacons, which helped rescuers on the scene.

Am I the only one that sees something horribly wrong here?

**Squirrel99** · 01-12-2005, 06:43 PM

Shit. This is not what I needed to hear. Especially after the super crappy start to the season in the PNW. I hope and pray that KOMO is incorrect with their reporting

**PNWbrit** · 01-12-2005, 06:45 PM

Originally Posted by truth

Am I the only one that sees something horribly wrong here?

Yep not good - hope that's just bad reporting!

**Jumper Bones** · 01-12-2005, 07:01 PM

Originally Posted by PNWbrit

Not quite more like fine hail or pellets - caused by turbulence in the atmosphere as snow flake forms and falls. very unstable and slow to bond

with all of the cold, clear evenings we've had of late...how much of the snow surface has re-crystallized into surface hoar?

**scoober** · 01-12-2005, 07:02 PM

LAN actually doesn't work at Harborview anymore, she's at Overlake ER.

Regardless... I just saw the KING report on TV and they are reporting a fatality too. As the Airlift NW hilo took off, they were still performing CPR.