Buried Alive on WildSnow.com - Bill Madsen

[Core Shot]

Hayden Peak - a good story - just posted yesterday here:

http://www.wildsnow.com/articles/hay...nt-hayden.html

a small excerpt here:

After completing our tests we realized the snowpack was very weak and that, as we'd guessed, skiing the face was not an option. I took my skis off to climb back up to the ridge and John moved skier’s left where the snow was only about two feet deep. We were less than fifteen meters apart when suddenly the entire face settled, creating an eerie hollow sounding "whomph" that makes your heart leap to your throat. We'd hardly registered the sound when the snow fractured above us. John began to scrabble, jump and hop to avoid the sliding snow, but two huge blocks of snow rolled over him.

Unfortunately for me, I was standing in chest deep snow and the fracture propagated about 10 feet above me. Like a child being sucked out to sea with the tide I was helplessly pulled down the slope. I sank immediately as if I were in quick sand and dropped into the gut of the avalanche. The avalanche was a climax side so all the snow on the entire face moved at one time, trapping me in a huge 60mph cloud of snow and air. I was tumbling within the belly of the beast as thoughts of my young children and my wife began to fly through my mind. Snow filled my mouth and I distinctly remember thinking,....is this it…....is this how I'm going to die………..?

[Xover]

good read

[Shredhead]

Great story. Billy and Neil Beidlman saved a bunch of peoples asses on Everest some years ago.

[flatlander#2]

holy shit. that's fucking crazy. i have goose bumps all over reading it.

[Seldom Seen]

Damn! intense story. He's lucky he lived to tell it.
Be careful out there.... even in spring.
SS

[Stoysluttie1]

whooooahh! hell, i could hardly breathe reading it.

[Trackhead]

Read this over there, Lou' site has hours of good reads on it.

Scary story.

[powstash]

Read this over there, Lou' site has hours of good reads on it.

Scary story.

Great read. Really sunk home for me as I've got 3 little boys and the coolest wife on the planet. I too think about this whenever I go into the land without ropes. Choose your paths and partners wisely.

Mrs Stash and I both know that there is always the risk when I'm out there, but she knows the risk of me not fullfilling a passionate portion of my life exists if I were to not go. We talk about it a lot, and she knows the ins and outs of all of my BC partners. She drills me about them, where they ski, how long they've been in the BC, what they're like, etc. as she knows it's thier lives that I place my trust in. I try to call her from the top of peaks and once again at the car.

Anyway, that read made me reflect...

[shera]

I'm really glad the author took the time to write that story - thanks if you're reading here, dude.

And I'm glad you guys have all your your backcountry scene worked out. I'm still learning/struggling with the most retarded things... Actually looking forward to spending some time out there alone without all the egos and whatever. Thank Ullr for corn.