Avalanche - Berthoud Pass 1.19.14 - VIDEO Skier hucks into slide with airbag...

[Micol]

reasonable discussion of this event in slide zone here:

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...e-gopro-on-CNN

[Hott Butt Mud]

reasonable discussion of this event in slide zone here:

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...e-gopro-on-CNN

Why do you feel it's necessary to have a 'reasonable discussion of the event' (as you put it)? Why are you being a turd?

[Micol]

^ well this is obviously the flame thread and I wanted a slow burner in slide zone tho I'm not poo pooing this one...

p.s. SZ thread has some good pics and vintage vid

[Crampedon]

Hey guys,
I am NOT a pro skier! I made a VERY poor judgment decision and I was lucky that it did not result in my demise. Thanks all and be safe out there!
-Lance Light

Glad your alive! We really don't need any more young humble skibumsickles ever.

Can you play slide or drive a VW?

__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ___________________________________

I travel in the BC with a '72 Beetle ready to deploy at all times

[Trace Hardslab]

The people of the TGR community are some of the top amateurs in the world.

Now that's priceless. Sig worthy, in fact.

[Soups]

Now that's priceless. Sig worthy, in fact.

Haha. Wish I would of read the whole thing. Touchè. Props.

[splat]

Amidst a drought out west and harsh economic conditions throughout ski country, the recent surge in airbag sales has created an unexpected job market for on slope airbag testers with editing skilz.

Saw a lot of people broadcasting gopro to iphone down at the olympic quals in Mammoth. I told Todd that one day he'd have multiple live feeds of maggots skiing all over the world. I would expect some portion of that to be live broadcasts of incidents with potentially devastating and disastrous consequences escaped in similar fashion. Skiing's dangerous.

[RegCT]

This.

There are a variety of rocks and bushes and trees in the start zone that create thinner spots. You likely hit one of these thin spots, or a thin spot at the right edge of the slab. Note all of the small trees in the upper part of the bed surface in your slide:

.

Also, I appreciate this dialog.

[Foggy_Goggles]

All you avalanche ninjas that this you can manage a deep persistent slab problem by micro managing your terrain by avoiding convexities and shallow points in the snow pack have no idea what you are talking about. This, along with thinking that ski cutting is a valid technique for managing deep slabs i.e. "it feels bomber bro!", is a dead give away that you don't know how to backcountry ski safely mid-winter in Colorado.

Listen, I'm no expert and have no axe to grind with anybody. One of the hardest things to come to terms with around here is the low probability, high consequence deep slab avalanche. Overly simplified, you choices are to go for it and accept the risks or be resigned to the fact that the safe backcountry options are pretty limited right now.

Everyone has there own acceptable levels of risk, that's fine. But if you think that all your gear, education, and experience enable you to out smart a hard slab at/above tree line under current conditions you are delusional. It's extremely frustrating to me as much as anyone, The Pass makes it worse. You work all week, sit in traffic, get geared up and want to ski pow. Trust me I get it. There are all kinds people out there skiing all kinds of terrain visible from the parking lot. Its hard not to have bad decisions of others effect your choice of what to ski.

To put in in other terms. Over the course of the last 18 years, I've seen Houdinis, Plunge, Lift Gully, Nitro, South Chute of the Roll, Hanging Meadow, Sentinal and North Chute slide under a "Moderate" forecast with tracks all over them.

Be safe and accept conditions for what they are.

[Danno]

Well said, foggy. FWIW, I'm no avalanche ninja, more like an avalanche monkey.

[AyasFreeski]

So did lightspeed82 make it with the reporter, or not?

[summit]

Well said FG!

[stupendous man]

you saw hanging meadow slide? are you sure? that's like 15 degrees. the roll, sure, ok.

saw the 80s slide to rock earlier this year - does that eliminate the deep slap issue there?

have never seen 90s or 110s/perfect slide. tea cup yes, bench chutes yes.

[adrenalated]

you saw hanging meadow slide? are you sure? that's like 15 degrees. the roll, sure, ok.

You're thinking of The Meadows. Hanging Meadow, over in Hells, slides all the time.

Not sure anyone was saying you can micromanage terrain to manage slopes harboring a deep persistent slab problem. I certainly wasn't, I was merely offering my opinion on how Mr. Light had triggered the slide, since he asked. If we had xray glasses that let us see thru snowpack and see the thin spots and trigger points maybe, but we don't. Otherwise I agree with Foggy.

Sent from my VS840 4G using TGR Forums

[newbreak]

have never seen 90s or 110s/perfect slide. tea cup yes, bench chutes yes.

90s slid December 2012, cut out across 4 or 5 chutes - and above the aqueduct as well.

LL made a parking lot decision "hey, looks like there's enough snow in the landing" and went for it. Avy gear added hubris, and go-pro added the promise of fame. What more is there to say? Like Pinner says, anyone who has ever skied Bert more than never knows that this section is a sucker line. Dood got lucky. and probably dropped a turd.