Summit West Avy

[Jumper Bones]

...I didn't think Summit West had enough slope to slide!

if it's got snow on it, and any slope (even one degree), it can slide.

[optics]

I was waiting for that.

Ya know what I mean, dude.

RIP.

[Schmear]

I see I see.

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

[Second-hand info] In-bounds, at the top of Lower Internationale. [/second-hand info] A very scary piece of information if you're one of the many who've skinned up Alpental in the last week. That is a pretty popular (and easily reachable) preseason ski slope.

[AltaPowderDaze]

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

in my experience it only takes a few days for graupel to stabalize around here. the day after is bad but you can see the bonds start to develop in a pit when the temps are near freezing.

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

check for facets starting to develop in the snowpack. depth hoar in the thin pack and tg snow just under the surface. the tg will usually take over in the most porous layer of snow or around crusts. it should be interesting to see what you find.




i'm sorry to hear about the man passing but it seemed likely when it was mentioned that the partner went for help. it is a tough position to be in as a rescuer but you are the only person at that time that has a chance of saving your partner. i'd like to know how long he searched before he went for help. it's aweful that this keeps happening but it should remind us all to practice our rescue techniques until we think we can do it blindfolded. i hope the media doesn't critique this situation the way the durrand incident was. it is only important to learn from the mistakes and not criticise.


thoughts and prayers to friends and family to all involved

[joshbu]

NWAC Data for today:

OLYMPICS-WASHINGTON CASCADES NEAR AND WEST OF THE CREST-
Increasing considerable avalanche danger above 3-4000 feet
Wednesday, especially Stevens and Snoqualmie, and moderate below.
Avalanche danger decreasing on Thursday becoming considerable
above 5-6000 feet and moderate below.

SNOWPACK ANALYSIS
Strong west winds and several inches of new snow at generally
warmer temperatures have been seen Wednesday morning near and
west of the Cascade crest. Temperature increases for the past 24
hours range from 5 to 15 deg F at most sites with the strongest
rises in the Cascade passes. This weather will have build new
potential higher density wind slab layers of possibly a foot or
more on lee east aspects. These potential slab layers with have
built over previous weaker buried hoar frost and lower density
snow layers that have recently been reported in most areas. Slab
releases in the new snow may step into these layers. Hence human
triggered slab avalanches should already be probable on steeper
lee slopes at higher elevations by Wednesday morning. The mid
December crust should now be generally buried about 1-4 feet
below the surface. Faceting of layers adjacent to the mid
December crust has also been reported but there have been no
reports of releases to these layers. On some wind exposed slopes
the snow may remain scoured to the mid December crust. At lower
elevations especially along the lower Cascade east slopes a
continued shallow snow pack is probably limiting the avalanche
danger.

[joshbu]

Skier Killed By Small Avalanche At Alpental
January 12, 2005
By KOMO Staff & News Services

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

The 28-year-old man died after being airlifted from Alpental ski area to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg-Hanson said she could not confirm the report because of patient privacy law.

A spokesman for The Summit at Snoqualmie, which includes Alpental and three other ski areas, said the avalanche struck around 12:30 p.m., burying the skier below the International Cliffs, an area that was closed because there wasn't enough snow.

A friend who was skiing with the victim was partially buried, but was able to dig himself out, Summit spokesman Jon Pretty said.

Two other skiers were in the area at the time but weren't caught in the snow slide. One helped locate the buried skier, and the other notified ski patrol, Pretty said.

A ski patrol crew found the buried skier, who, like his friend, was wearing an avalanche beacon, about 40 minutes after the avalanche. He was unconscious and airlifted to Seattle, Pretty said.

The avalanche was triggered when snow at the base of International Cliffs broke loose, Pretty said.

There are signs posted in the area saying it's not open for skiing.

------------------

I added the bold. Sounds like the friend didn't know how to search?

[tibaher]

it was after 2pm when the lifeflight actually arrived. around 2:30 when it left. strange enough, they lifted him out of the parking lot at West. There must not be a good LZ for a chopper at Alpental I guess.

I have to say I'm not completely surprised about the slide activity though. The wind was really howling most of the day. I can't say for sure about the Alpental Valley, you know the weather is always different over there, but I can't imagine there wasn't pretty significant wind loading going on.

[AlpenDude]

This is horrible and sad news to come home to.

I just wanted to point out the Snow Pack Info Exchange that friends of NWAC has added to their site. Check it out and post info from your bc travels in the PNW.

http://www.avalanchenw.org/info_exchange.html


PS My thougts go out to the friends and family of the victim