Slide at Keystone (?)

[COpow]

http://www.summitdaily.com/news/1015...ch-area-county

[simple]

A male skier in his 40s is still missing after an avalanche was reported at around noon Monday, Feb. 10 in the backcountry area south of Keystone Resort in Summit County.

The man was with another skier who was also caught in the slide but able to self-extract, according to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office. This skier then reported the avalanche, saying he was unable to locate his companion.

The avalanche debris field was approximately 2,000 feet in length with depths up to 9 feet. The cause is still under investigation.

On Monday, search teams with dogs were deployed from both the bottom and top of the slide area. Summit County Rescue Group responded with additional personnel, and conducted probe searchers. The search continued until approximately 6 p.m., when visibility and conditions became too dangerous to continue the search, according to the sheriff’s office.

As of Tuesday morning, search teams are set to be re-deployed as soon as avalanche mitigation is complete and the area is deemed safe. Roughly 40 representatives — including four dogs — from Keystone Ski Resort, Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, Breckenridge Ski Resort, Summit County Rescue Group, Vail Mountain Rescue, Alpine Rescue Team and the U.S. Forest Service will be out today to continue the search

I don't have any info but CAIC said the avalanche was south of the Keystone resort boundary.

[Name Redacted]

http://www.summitdaily.com/news/1015...ch-area-county

Yeah, WTF? Heard maybe N fork of the Swan? South of keystone? Did his partner not have gear? Sounds like a massive slide. 2k'

Super vague still.

[COpow]

Independence Mtn is kinda "south of Keystone", some big avy terrain back there, no idea if this is the same area. /end speculation.

[Grizzled]

Tough conditions to be out there if you don't know what you are doing and aren't prepared.

[Trace Hardslab]

"South of Keystone Resort" is most likely the N Fork of the Swan.
Some large paths there. The largest is the S bowl of Pt 12,354'. It is S/SE aspect, full track would be @ 1,600' vert. I vaguely remember ski patrol referring to it as "Vega".

I recall the bowl having exceptionally smooth ground cover. Like, literally one rock and one lonely krummholz bush in the entire 60 acre start zone. The rest of which is as smooth as a putting green.

It runs HUDGE. In 92 it left a debris pile that looked like a fucking glacier! Bummer.

[hawkgt]

will be interested to hear where this occurred. skiing trees at keystone yesterday and we heard a lot of bombing most of the morning. usual stuff from abay, breck, key, and cdot.... figured they were doing control work everywhere. About 10:45-11 am we were stopped in the outback trees and heard a big whomp!!!! no bomb or anything prior to it. buddy and I both heard it, he actually asked if I heard a bomb prior just to check himself.

could have been hearing things but this does not sound good

[grskier]

I've heard Vega as well... After all my time skiing there I have no idea what line that is... I remember a lot of slednecks brapping on a face just past the rope that delineated the end of the hike to terrain past North and South Bowl.

[Grizzled]

Body recovered a short time ago.

[adrenalated]

CAIC confirmed fatality, North Fork Swan River.
http://avalanche.state.co.us/caic/ac...=524&accfm=rep

[timmaio]

Prelim is up on CAIC now: http://avalanche.state.co.us/caic/ac...=524&accfm=rep

[Grizzled]

Plenty of folks will be playing Russian Roulette in the next day or 2...hope it works out for them.

[newbreak]

Looks like they went out the gate off of Outback/South Bowl and dropped into the Avy chute off of the east ridge. *Huge* Avy chute can be seen via Google Earth.

39.5391 N, -105.9091 E

+++Vibes+++ to family, friends and responders.

[Vandeezy]

Looks like they went out the gate off of Outback/South Bowl and dropped into the Avy chute off of the east ridge. *Huge* Avy chute can be seen via Google Earth.

39.5391 N, -105.9091 E

So somewhere along this ridge they dropped in: http://binged.it/1iZd2Ga

I have scoped this before and have seen it from a distance on sleds but if you are on skis what is the plan to get back to civilization? Cross-country to breckenridge?

[Fritz]

Rest in peace Kevin.

[timmaio]

So somewhere along this ridge they dropped in: http://binged.it/1iZd2Ga

I have scoped this before and have seen it from a distance on sleds but if you are on skis what is the plan to get back to civilization? Cross-country to breckenridge?

I think most people have no clue where they actually are, or what it will take to get back. I ski Wise mtn on occasion and have left Keystone the way that was done, but in the spring and with a car waiting for me...

Bummer they learned this one the hard way

[hawkgt]

name release.....

"The skier found dead Tuesday was identified by the Summit County Coroner as 46-year-old Kevin Kuybus, a resident of Highlands Ranch. He was wearing a helmet at the time of the avalanche, but the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the chest."

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news...one-ski-resort

sad to hear.... RIP

[miker27]

Vega is the place. The area is very clearly marked as out of bounds/closed but can be accessed pretty easily via the $5 cat. It is not as easy to get out of the place. These two likely had no idea what they were doing. Very sad

[Grizzled]

With all of the coverage they have given to the HIGH avi danger there is no way he could have missed it - it's been on every newscast and weather forecast for days.

Sad lesson to learn.

[simplypow]

Vega is the place. The area is very clearly marked as out of bounds/closed but can be accessed pretty easily via the $5 cat. It is not as easy to get out of the place. These two likely had no idea what they were doing. Very sad

whoever laid down those steezey tracks along the margin did, although I hope they had a sled to extract

[hatchgreenchile]

Such a shame. Likely left a family behind.
No beacon? Dropping an obvious avalanche chute during high alerts into no mans land? Did these guys have any clue what they were getting into ?

[miker27]

whoever laid down those steezey tracks along the margin did, although I hope they had a sled to extract

That would, presumably, be patrol. Careful romping about on any cornice up there, one could start a fatal avalanche...

[miker27]

Such a shame. Likely left a family behind.
No beacon? Dropping an obvious avalanche chute during high alerts into no mans land? Did these guys have any clue what they were getting into ?

No.

45678

[bendtheski]

Would suck to have to walk away from a debris pile that you're pretty sure your buddy's buried under.

[simplypow]

That would, presumably, be patrol. Careful romping about on any cornice up there, one could start a fatal avalanche...

WELL said miker27 -..-Although I wouldn't rule out the alopecic Yeti (hybrid clan). You know HOW they gits jiggy when the pow's asunder \ THEN eg. youtube I'm reposting from a parallel thread

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1WYcQf7yyM

I think I might have to change my sig since THEN is about as good