Independence Pass 2.15.14

[Lindahl]

vibes. this makes 14 deaths so far this season. last season there were 10 deaths thru march 1st. not good. no reason to stay home in these conditions, just choose yer terrain very wisely.

you can go if you keep it low........

rog

10 in the last week, right? Crazy month for sure.

[grskier]

I'd rather just see people build snowmen in these conditions... vibes to friends and fam.

[icelanticskier]

10 in the last week, right? Crazy month for sure.

times are a changin. the new gear may be bringin death more near.

rog

[Jethro]

I'd rather just see people build snowmen in these conditions... vibes to friends and fam.

You should see the awesome igloo in my yard. I hope we get some cold weather before it collapses

[COpow]

If I'm reading tylaw333's post correctly regarding radios in exposed terrain, I don't think your sarcasm meter is turned on Conundrum...

[totaliboard]

Seven people were caught in a slide. Thats way too may people grouped way too close to each other. Perfect example of "the human factor."

[~mikey b]

What's the fucking point of starting this thread then?

Summit needs attention. Always has. Always will. Gotta be first on scene.





Maybe THIS will be the avalanche that makes everyone learn how to practice safe travel.


probably not



like a skipping record (anyone remember those?)




just got done reading TAR's write up of Sheep Creek, now this...


lessons are not being learned - we are not reaching the people

[sweetnesss]

Not sure how accurate, but heard the group was from wisconsin going out for a sunset ride

[Crampedon]

Jeez this is awful, Does anybody even read CAIC before they go out?

How can this message be spread any louder? Gates gonna start closing?

This keeps me waiting in a lift line to ski controlled terrain, this past weekend-

"Triggered avalanches are likely and will produce lots of debris, while destructive natural avalanches that run from peaks to creeks are possible. The usual bag of tricks is not sufficient risk management in these unusual conditions; there's little margin for error and the consequences for a mistake are deadly. It's wise to simply avoid avalanche terrain, including backcountry terrain accessed from ski areas. Find alternate entertainment. Clean the garage. Call your mom. At the very least, avoid being on or under slopes 35 degrees or steeper, and be absolutely sure to avoid the runouts and tracks of avalanches paths with leeward start zones near ridgelines, particularly those where large cornices overhang the slope."

[CookieMonster]

Who knows what they were doing. Can we at least wait to monday morning QB until we know what happened?

In my observations, it is extremely common(ei, the norm) for smart, calculating, experienced back country travelers to either not consider or consciously discount the chances of truly massive slides happened, especially remotely triggered. Pretty much the vast majority of people do that. If I had to guess they were all somewhere they thought was a safe zone, either in the runout area at the bottom, or were on a shoulder to the side, but who knows.

Still, maybe if you want to be an ass you can at least wait till you have a full enough picture of what happened so you can then at least do a better job of being a smug condescending prick?

Wow, those are some awfully bold claims. I suppose you can cite sources, or is this really just your opinion?

Sent from my Paranoid Android using TGR forums.

[EK3]

Not sure how accurate, but heard the group was from wisconsin going out for a sunset ride

Yes they were from WI, both very good friends of mine. I have not gotten the full details of why they were all grouped together at time. Want thank the LCOEM for all there hard work for being able get them off the mtn yesterday. Very difficult terrain they had deal with. I will say they were well versed in BC safety precautions & did do several pits/compression tests were made.

[Hott Butt Mud]

Summit needs attention. Always has. Always will. Gotta be first on scene.

Agreed. I was almost going to say something about Summit being TGR's version of the TMZ Reporter....

And, well since it's now Monday, I'm curious to hear the story on how this thing got triggered and where everyone was situated on the slope.

[pfluffenmeister]

Yes they were from WI, both very good friends of mine. I have not gotten the full details of why they were all grouped together at time. Want thank the LCOEM for all there hard work for being able get them off the mtn yesterday. Very difficult terrain they had deal with. I will say they were well versed in BC safety precautions & did do several pits/compression tests were made.

Very sad.

I'm sorry for your loss.

[icelanticskier]

15.

rog

[Edgnar]

Not sure how accurate, but heard the group was from wisconsin going out for a sunset ride

That was the incident on Kebler Pass near Crested Butte.

Edit- I should have kept reading.

[totaliboard]

rog where does the number 15 come from? last i knew it was 14.

You really want to break down the decision process it sounds like a bad day for any one person to be on that slope. The human factor starts at the car.

true, but the odds of one rider skiing that path solo are pretty low.

some quote like" Insanity amongst individuals is rare. Insanity in large groups is not." Most have not learned from Sheep Creek or any other incident since then. My theory- if it doesnt directly affect you, the lesson will not hit home.

[icelanticskier]

rog where does the number 15 come from? last i knew it was 14.

Idaho. Sled. This is not meant to cunt tr. Just waiting for details is all.

rog

[icelanticskier]

rog where does the number 15 come from? last i knew it was 14.



true, but the odds of one rider skiing that path solo are pretty low.

some quote like" Insanity amongst individuals is rare. Insanity in large groups is not." Most have not learned from Sheep Creek or any other incident since then. My theory- if it doesnt directly affect you, the lesson will not hit home.

Spot fuggin on.

rog

[skifishbum]

Yes they were from WI, both very good friends of mine. I have not gotten the full details of why they were all grouped together at time. Want thank the LCOEM for all there hard work for being able get them off the mtn yesterday. Very difficult terrain they had deal with. I will say they were well versed in BC safety precautions & did do several pits/compression tests were made.

i pass no judgement
offer only vibes on the passing of your friends
as good people have done for me in my times of mouring
back to the experts CUNT -inually provin themselves e experts

[totaliboard]

i forgot, the slide zone isnt for sharing insight, its for critiscizing people.

[Name Redacted]

Having been closely involved with more than a few incidents like this, I've found that it's best to be patient and give the victims the benefit of the doubt until you fully understand what happened. What is the hurry? Where does the instinct to form an opinion and convince others to agree with you come from? People died, the survivors and families are only beginning to mourn. Give it time, there will be plenty of time for insightful, productive discussion once all of the facts are out.

[Conundrum]

I just took down my posts. Maybe there's dissecting to be done, maybe not.

Sorry that this happened for all involved. I hope that these type of tragedies are used to prevent future incidents.

[COpow]

More info on the deceased, etc... http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_25...anche-colorado

RIP

PORTAGE, Wis.—Two skiers killed in a large avalanche in Colorado came from a small town in southern Wisconsin, relatives and colleagues said Monday.
Three other skiers were hospitalized following Saturday's avalanche near Leadville, Colo. Rescue crews found the two skiers' bodies Sunday afternoon near Independence Pass, about 80 miles southwest of Denver, the Lake County Sheriff's Office said.
Robert Lentz said his son, Justin Lentz of Portage, was one of those killed in the avalanche. The 32-year-old Lentz loved to ski and started when he was 5 or 6 years old, his father said. Lentz said his son "was a good kid" who worked as an electrician and was engaged to be married.
Another Portage man, Jarrard Law, 34, was also killed. Law was an information-technology expert at the Necedah Area School District, where Superintendent Larry Gierach remembered him as an "incredible man."
"Jarrard had great skills with people and was an integral part of our planning when it came to technology," Gierach said. Many staff members thought of him as a friend first and as a professional second, the superintendent said.
The school district planned to make grief counselors available to faculty and students.
Lentz and Law were close buddies who frequently went skiing, snowboarding and mountain biking together, said Joey Kindred, 28, who knew them both well.
Kindred recalled how Lentz enjoyed competing his friends with over-the-top snowboard tricks, even though he had a bad shoulder that would pop out of its socket every time he crashed.
"He'd fall down so often we'd call him Man Down," Kindred said. "He'd laugh, get up and do it again. And when his shoulder popped out he'd call over to his fiancee—she's a nurse—and she'd pop it back in."
Law was always the life of a party, but he was happiest when he was in the outdoors or spending time with friends, Kindred said.
Kindred has gone skiing and snowboarding with Lentz and Law in the past. He said the two had only skied at resorts in Colorado so they wouldn't have been familiar with the back country trails.

"I just wish I could have been with them to stop them from going down those lanes," said Kindred, who used to live in Colorado.
Saturday's avalanche was the third deadly slide in Colorado in less than a week, authorities said Sunday.
Susan Matthews, a spokeswoman for the Lake County Office of Emergency Management, said seven skiers on Star Mountain near Leadville triggered the latest slide at about 5 p.m. Saturday.
"They were found near the top of the avalanche and they had beacons on, which really helped a lot," Matthews said. "The terrain there is extremely steep."
Three skiers were hospitalized with injuries that included a broken leg, a broken ankle and a possible broken rib and collapsed lung. One has since been discharged from the hospital.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center had been warning of dangerous conditions across much of Colorado's mountains after two weeks of heavy snow that lured backcountry skiers and snowboarders to the high country.

[GeoMatt]

Kindred has gone skiing and snowboarding with Lentz and Law in the past. He said the two had only skied at resorts in Colorado so they wouldn't have been familiar with the back country trails.

I'd say that quote sticks out. Will be interesting to see the relative knowledge of the rest of the group once that info is out in the public.

[Bunion 2020]

I was pondering this trend while driving this morning.

A couple of general thoughts.

Unusual weather makes for unusual avalanche conditions, we all acknowledge that.

With the conditions we have in many places throughout the Rockies right now, most people lack the skills to mitigate the hazards that exist.

Safe skiing techniques will only mitigate the hazard to the point that one person may be caught/killed.

It is time for people to dial back their goals and aspirations for a little while until conditions improve and stick to less consequential terrain.

No, we are not getting the message out to people.

If you get the chance, read the latest TAR.

http://www.americanavalancheassociat...32_3_Cover.pdf