FWIW

**whipski** · 12-23-2020, 09:35 AM

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to push this out prior to any rumor mill. I have submitted a CAIC observation and have spoken with Bo Torrey (new Sawatch BC forecaster) in the field after the event, he was just out making obs. This is a super humbling lesson and I am thankful that we were very lucky today. We thought we had a solid plan only to find that it was WRONG and we passed up the correct plan. Lucky, stupid, humbled, thankful. TL

R we were not intending to ski this terrain but entered it to retrieve a lost ski, an avalanche caught my son Evan but thankfully only a partial burial, no injuries, and no equipment lost.

My youngest son Evan (21) and I were skiing out along the North Fooses drainage along the Monarch Crest. We were following along the ridgeline, right at the transition of scouring to loading; I commonly do this. We were traveling to some lower angle (27°) terrain that we commonly ski (a slope I call "T-Stakes") while having a look at the steeper stuff here that I rarely touch until spring. I hit a rock and lost a ski that promptly took off straight downslope. We were stuck with some not so great options (but clearly selected the WRONG one), 1. Walk out with one ski and return in the spring to find the lost one, not a quick/easy option, 2. send Evan the long way around using the N. Fooses road to make an out and back, definitely not a quick easy option, and 3. have Evan drop in conservatively retrieve the ski and ski-out the long way around.

We feel we did a good job at discussing our options as partners (we settled on option #3); we checked slope angle (30° with an inclinometer), slope shape (planar but with some obviously loaded convexities to either side of this planned descent), I dug a very simple pit and found very soft snow that did not feel much like a cohesive slab (wrong! slab enough to propagate!). I feel that I am very familiar with this terrain having been skiing here for many years (how did that work out?!). We both felt that this slope had a small chance of pulling and were ready with a plan for this but underestimated the size; I felt that if it went it would be D1. The depth of the newly loaded snow on this slope was much greater than I anticipated.

We discussed in some detail the route he would take and where his safe points would be with me spotting him (we carry radios). He stopped as planned on top of a large rock outcropping, shortly after the snow started moving. It was not a fast flow at first (never got that fast, all felt slow motion and I was yelling to Evan the whole time) and we remained in good verbal contact, I was initially coaching him that it seemed like a sluff and to keep his feet. A second wave then pushed him off of the rock and then he pulled his airbag which seems to have been helpful after speaking with him. He says that it felt like the airbag kept him on top of the flow.

He was partially buried with one arm and his head and airbag above the snow. He was uninjured, with one ski on and the other released but still in a near-normal position. I skied down the bed surface on one ski with super freaky dad power and got to him very quickly. I did not need to use my beacon, he was clearly visible. I was able to shout to him on my way down which he says was helpful. The debris pile was very soft, with my ski off I post holed deeply and it was difficult to move. I got him excavated quickly and we checked in about injuries, he had none and still had his sunglasses on and had his poles in hand. He looked up while we were getting him out of the snow and saw my first ski up in a tree, upslope from him about 20m. We took the long way back, traveling a round-a-bout route to avoid any other terrain to get back to the N. Fooses road up and out.

We ran into Bo and another friend of mine Mike who were each just out skiing around solo. We gave Bo the full story and I told him to give me a call for details if he needs them.

Well, we got lucky today. I feel terrible as a father although Evan keeps telling me he was a partner like anyone else and part of the decision-making process. In retrospect, the correct answer would have been to hike out with one ski and come back in the spring to retrieve it and I am very aware of the mistakes I made. The early season snowpack looks pretty good right now on the surface but stability on wind-loaded slopes is sketchy. It doesn't matter that you are very familiar with the terrain. We did take a calculated risk but it CLEARLY was wrong. We're home now as a family and enjoying the holiday time and all very thankful that things didn't come out worse.

Thanks all and have a great holiday time and don't take the easy answer with our snowpack. It doesn't work.

**goldenboy** · 12-23-2020, 09:58 AM

Damn dude, easy to see how all of that occurred. Glad it worked out!

**schindlerpiste** · 12-23-2020, 10:01 AM

Glad everything turned out ok. Vibes

**Bunion 2020** · 12-23-2020, 10:32 AM

Easy to see in hindsight. Glad you are both ok and your son sounds like a fine touring partner.

Thanks for sharing.

**toast2266** · 12-23-2020, 10:52 AM

Glad everything worked out in the end. Hindsight is 20/20, but the way you describe it, I'd bet most of us would have done the same thing you guys did.

**dewam** · 12-23-2020, 11:16 AM

Whipski, I brought my boy out backcountry when he was 7 figuring anyone can teach him to ski, I can teach him to stay alive. He was accepted by my ski partners who gave him a good education. (learning from dad is something he has to do, being able to learn from the kool kids is something he wanted to do). A lot of mistakes were made, but everything was debriefed, discussed, and turned into a learning lesson. Again, having folks other than dad discussing mistakes made and things learned, was a real help. Although this wasn't a lesson you planned, the cost ended up being cheap, and the lessons learned huge. Something like this has a much better chance of saving his life in his next 40 years of skiing than a lot of those other lessons. Thanks for posting this. Den

**homemadesalsa** · 12-23-2020, 11:35 AM

Whipski I heard this story from LLM, my intern, as he helped out with our Rec L1 this weekend. (he was a GREAT addition, by the way, I was meaning to write you). Both he and I could see doing the EXACT same thing ourselves, and we were so supportive of your prompt communication and ownership of the situation.

In the long run you got a FREE LESSON, and so commendable and necessary of you to share it.
Happy Holidays!

**Kinnikinnick** · 12-23-2020, 11:46 AM

The dreaded lost ski.

Glad it worked out Ok!

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**wstdeep** · 12-23-2020, 09:46 PM

We all learn by sharing our mistakes. Glad you had a happy ending (who doesn't want a happy ending ?) thanks for sharing.

**MakersTeleMark** · 12-23-2020, 10:03 PM

Glad that turned out really really well.

**Meadow Skipper** · 12-24-2020, 08:19 AM

Thanks for writing that up. Food for thought.

**whipski** · 12-24-2020, 08:56 AM

For the record this account wasn't me. It was an acquaintance I generally see once a year at a xmas party. It came to me from a friend and a member of ski patrol. He put his name on it which I left out because it wasn't necessary, but he is a standup guy to broadcast his error so other might learn.

**homemadesalsa** · 12-24-2020, 09:13 AM

Originally Posted by whipski

For the record this account wasn't me. It was an acquaintance I generally see once a year at a xmas party. It came to me from a friend and a member of ski patrol. He put his name on it which I left out because it wasn't necessary, but he is a standup guy to broadcast his error so other might learn.

Aha, thanks. I will write the original author separately.

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**Foggy_Goggles** · 12-24-2020, 09:28 AM

Thanks for sharing. You should edit your original post to add the info about it not being you. One of my close calls involved retrieving a dropped shovel blade.