First fatalities of the season

[sfotex]

Avalanche.org is reporting a death on Saturday of a 'biler at Stewart Peak in WY
and the Gallatin avy center is reporting a 'biler death in Cooke City Saturday as well. Gotta wonder what (or wasn't as the case may be) what in the hell the person that triggered it was thinking.

A 35 year old man from North Dakota died in an avalanche outside Cooke City on Saturday. He was working to free his stuck sled when an unknown rider from another party highmarked the slope above him, triggering the slide which buried him 6 feet deep. The incident occurred on the east end of Scotch Bonnet on a 38 degree, wind-loaded slope. The victim was recovered in 18 minutes by members of his party but attempts to resuscitate him where unsuccessful.

The avalanche fractured 2 feet deep at the interface with last week’s new snow which is sitting on an ice crust. Ron noted several natural avalanches and two human triggered slides that released on wind-loaded slopes with similar aspects. His snowpits did not reveal a significant weak layer above the crust but we expect it may still take several days for the snow to completely bond to this hard, icy surface.

Check out these photos from Cooke City (from http://www.mtavalanche.com/photos/photos.php):



Slide on an ice layer:



Plus an inbounds slide was reported Saturday at Big Sky that partially buried 2 snowboards..

Be carefull out there folks...

[HaoXianJhao]

What is the news on the inbound slide at big sky?

Rumor of a death from slide inbounds off the challenger lift?

Hopefully just rumor.

[sfotex]

What is the news on the inbound slide at big sky?

Rumor of a death from slide inbounds off the challenger lift?

Hopefully just rumor.

I don't think anyone died/was hurt badly at Big Sky, just shows that the conditions are 'touchy' to say the least.

[Sirshredalot]

Paging Lobstah Meatwad to comment on our buddy who got buried at Big Sky over the weekend.

I didn't hear any specifics except that they were not completely buried and they ran up a good-sized bar tab shortly after being dug out.

[skibuminwyo]

when we were up around cooke (a bit east though) maybe 3 weeks ago there was definitly a weak later about a foot down....new snow on top = i guess this shows it hasn't consolidated yet :-s and with all the wind we've been having down here, it can't be helpful

[hutash]

Senseless, stupid death, but sad none the less. High marking above a stuck buddy; real smart.

[Bunion 2020]

No one died in the slide at Big Sky.

The comments I got were that it was pretty heartening that the 2 guys who were partially buried were able to dig themselves out and started a beacon search before the patrol arrived on scene. The locals who ski Big Sky on a regular basis are getting pretty savy at the whys and whats of wearing your beacon, having a shovel & probes and knowing how to use the gear.

The Big Sky partol responded in a timely manner. I heard that there were at least 50-60 people on scene, probing and searching while being directed by the patrol. In all a good drill, glad no one was hurt.

[char]

Bunion,

Was the run (Highway) open or closed at the time of the slide?

[Bunion 2020]

Opened that day and had been controlled that morning.

[Woodsy]

dont sie
PALS!