# And then it all went to shit.



## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Amie Engerbretson is evidently a sponsored, pro athlete of sorts. She was also involved in an avalanche incident earlier this week. She has put a great, first person account of the accident. It's very honest and shows how easy it is to make critical mistakes. 

Blind Spot | Amie Engerbretson

The UAC report

Worth your time to read both.


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## ShredLife (Feb 6, 2010)

was just about to post this. 

how the fuck is that a "safe" slope? its an obvious terrain trap.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Well, I think punching that line down the middle of that bowl was the terrain trap. Just a cursory glance and it looks like to me there were plenty of safe(r) options available to her. Poor decision no doubt. 

Just a footnote and someone else in a different discussion pointed this out, but that bowl is very similar in shape and size to Tea Cup bowl at Berthoud Pass. There is a reason I have only put tracks in that a couple of times. I also have never ridden down the gut of that one for obvious reasons.


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## ShredLife (Feb 6, 2010)

stupid, stupid, stupid.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Definitely a bad choice. 

It is worth noting the skin track to the right was rather unaffected by this slide. Definitely safe options available. 

You can also see the previous slide below the skin track in the picture and the video. It certainly helps to climb to your runs than to approach from above like her group did. 

I bet this is a mistake she won't soon make again.


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## baldylox (Dec 27, 2007)

killclimbz said:


> You can also see the previous slide below the skin track in the picture and the video. It certainly helps to climb to your runs than to approach from above like her group did.


Because it's a better vantage point from below to evaluate the risk?


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## baldylox (Dec 27, 2007)

It seems like the more I read up on backcountry riding the more I see people saying things like "dangerous days". That seems like a dangerous mentality.

Glad she wrote it up honestly and glad everyone was alright.


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## ACairngormFace (Oct 6, 2013)

On addition to the terrain trap, the slope has two points of convexity which would allow the tension to build in the snowpack at certain points.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

cifex said:


> Because it's a better vantage point from below to evaluate the risk?


Exactly. She would have seen that slide. It is pretty rare I enter something from above that I haven't gotten a good view of from below. That or I have a familiarity with the terrain I am riding and know where the likely trigger points are. Nothing is absolute out there. Things are always changing. That slope might have been safe to ride a day or two later, just not that day. 

The convexity is a good point. The steep roll over where she choose to enter is where the snow most likely has the most tension. Like putting a knife to a rubber band pulled taught. The face also having a concave shape doesn't help either. Evidently the terrain at the bottom also contributes to the snow pilling up deeply. Overall, just a lot of things that can go wrong with that one. In other words, consequence.


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## Ale_Capone (Aug 26, 2007)

Took me a half dozen times of watching that to realise there was a guy with no beacon( the photog)at the bottum of that ski line through the trees lookers left. Wonder how much just being out of the path had to do with safety, and how much was more positioning to get the shot.


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## mhaas (Nov 25, 2007)

That area is generally a shit show. You can literally walk up a cat track and drop into sketchy terrain. This area is sandwiched between Alta, Brighton and Solitude resorts so I think people assume its generally safe. 

Shame on the photographer for putting her in a position to get hurt. He was the "experienced" one and the 19 year old girl trusted him. Even if he couldn't see the obvious red flag of a slide right next to that slope, stuff was sliding naturally over the place that day as it had just snowed on top of a well documented shitty snow pack. The poor girl would have been dead if that party hadn't been there at the right time.

Last year there was an accident in the same general area but up high on the ridgeline that involved a pro, athlete, model, whatever making glory turns for the camera. Avalanche: Hellgate | utahavalanchecenter.org

Why not try to get a candid shot of someone having a blast riding powder. I just don't understand staging a picture, especially if your putting someone in danger. That powder up to your neck shot that skiers like is getting kinda stale anyway.


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