# another death



## Tarzanman (Dec 20, 2008)

This season is absolutely bonkers. I presume that "here" is Vail?


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## AcroPhile (Dec 3, 2010)

Is this at Vail? I was at Keystone today and a flight for life helicopter landed in the valley between Dercum Mountain and the North Peak. They were taking someone down on a sled attached to a snowmobile while a ski patroller was frantically giving CPR to the victim. A minute after getting the injured person to the base where the helicopter was at they shut the engine off and all of the sudden no one seemed to be in too much of a hurry. I was assuming the person didn't make it.


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## earl_je (Oct 20, 2009)

Damn.. another one. This years sucks ass bigtime. Condolences to the family.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

This was here in vail or beaver creek, not sure of more details. I also had not seen the silverton one either


1/19 -- Keri Metzler died on January 19 at Silverton Mountain, an expert-only ski area that requires skiers and riders to wear avalanche beacons and carry snow probes and shovels. Metzler allegedly dropped a ski while on Riff's Run and then slid some 1,500 feet, dying of blunt trauma from the fall.


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## HiddenPerson (Jan 29, 2012)

I'm going to vail in March....Is that going to be a good idea then?


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## STLnCHI (Dec 28, 2011)

HiddenPerson said:


> I'm going to vail in March....Is that going to be a good idea then?


This type of accident could happen at any mountain. It's a tragic accident. Ride within your ability and stay out of the way of trees. Condolences to the family and friends.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

STLnCHI said:


> This type of accident could happen at any mountain. It's a tragic accident. Ride within your ability and stay out of the way of trees. Condolences to the family and friends.


Pretty much.....


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

Missouri skier dies on advanced Vail Mountain trail today - The Denver Post

Here is the initial story on it....


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

I think the "record" is 15 or 16 collision deaths in a season. I think it was the 97-98 or 98-99 season. It was a bad snow year then too.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

killclimbz said:


> I think the "record" is 15 or 16 collision deaths in a season. I think it was the 97-98 or 98-99 season. It was a bad snow year then too.


"Although the number of skiers dying on the mountain this year seems staggeringly high, officials with Colorado Ski Country USA -- which represents 22 ski areas in the state -- say that it's nothing out of the ordinary. On average, 34 skiers die from injuries suffered on-mountain nationally. Colorado has somewhere around a dozen deaths each year, with the winter of 2007-2008 being the worst, with seventeen deaths recorded."

We are at 11-12 already I believe.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

I just found that article. I don't remember 07-08 being particularly high. Adding in this latest death it looks like 10 total. Of course it still hasn't been stated if this is truly a collision death or if this person had a medical condition that took him out before said impact. Definitely in the running to set a record...


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## AcroPhile (Dec 3, 2010)

AcroPhile said:


> Is this at Vail? I was at Keystone today and a flight for life helicopter landed in the valley between Dercum Mountain and the North Peak. They were taking someone down on a sled attached to a snowmobile while a ski patroller was frantically giving CPR to the victim. A minute after getting the injured person to the base where the helicopter was at they shut the engine off and all of the sudden no one seemed to be in too much of a hurry. I was assuming the person didn't make it.


This is what I must have seen when I was there on Tuesday: Third skier death at Keystone bumps state ski-area total to 11 - The Denver Post Sad news. Looking like it migh ne a record setting year.  Same day as the one at Vail.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Definitely on pace to beat 17 deaths. I think it is also possible nation wide we are on pace to set a record. Lot's of people have been taking the dirt nap on the ski hills from the West Coast to the East Coast this year. Really sucks.


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## Listheeb21 (Jan 20, 2011)

There were three collision-related deaths in New England last week alone...one each at Sugarbush (2/6), Jay Peak (2/11) at Mount Snow (2/6), and another at Windham in New York (2/4)


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

Avy death in Telluride sidecountry today


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

linvillegorge said:


> Avy death in Telluride sidecountry today


He was apparently quite experienced and well prepared.... Sad. RIP.


"Nate Soules, a longtime local was killed today in Telluride resulting from an avalanche in lower Bear Creek. He was wearing a beacon, an avalung, and an airbag pack which was deployed and punctured. Nate was 38 years old with a wife and young child."


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

I started a thread on it in the Backcountry subforum


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## AcroPhile (Dec 3, 2010)

Another one died today. 15 year old girl at Copper. That's number 13 for this season.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

people are dropping like flies. Wish everyone understood more deaths occur on blue groomers than in the terrain park.


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## Lunchball (Jan 2, 2012)

BurtonAvenger said:


> people are dropping like flies. Wish everyone understood more deaths occur on blue groomers than in the terrain park.


Why is this? people think they are better than they actually are and ride above their skill level?


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

I don't know I'm guessing collisions and stupidity


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

Lunchball said:


> Why is this? people think they are better than they actually are and ride above their skill level?



There's no trees and fewer inexperienced skiers\riders going 30-50mph out of control , I'm guessing


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Lunchball said:


> Why is this? people think they are better than they actually are and ride above their skill level?


Perhaps folks riding blues give you enough speed combined with lack of skills to handle blacks; along with congestion of gaper alley blues...but idk. Wonder if these deaths occur mostly on weekends and holidays? 

Two weekends ago about took out a teen age kid missing him by 12" who was with his family; he were sitting right in the middle of a narrow blind right curve, on a high speed blue. My two skier buds blew through first almost got him. I come through, dad is telling/waving him to move from the skier buds, kid has his back to me but dad can see the whole thing and shitting his pants and ...I'm railing toeside right for him...somehow manage to stand it up on toeedge barely missing him and immediately pop to heelside rail to avoid smashing into the inside wall...easily manage around the rest of the family and keep on going. We all noted at the chair...clueless tourist family was lucky we had some skills and they were in a really bad spot.


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## turbospartan (Oct 27, 2010)

15 year old girl dies at Copper today... bringing CO total up to 13. 

Vibes.


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## MarshallV82 (Apr 6, 2011)

Last weekend a Skier died at Terry Peak (SD) 

I grew up there, was my local mtn. 

She was on the Bunny Hill and hit chairlift pole going pretty fast... Why wouldn't you just fall? smh.. 
Same weekend, a guy collapsed in the lodge, (Medical Illness, not skiing related..) his father died at Terry Peak 17 years ago to the day, weird! 

I was at Keystone when one of those guys died too, it happened on a mellow run too.


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## Nefarious (Dec 26, 2010)

I was just at Terry Peak over the weekend. The helmet ratio was looking respectable. They were handing them out in the lodge if you didn't have the money to wear one. My wife didn't have $$ on her and they just gave her one for the day. 

Sad story, overall. I went by that pole a few times and I'm clueless as to how it happened. She must have come in at an angle and caught an edge while tying to stop?

I'm amazed no one went down on Saturday. I've never seen so many people at Terry.


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## MarshallV82 (Apr 6, 2011)

I went there a couple times this year, I hardly go over by that run though. 

Don't they have padding all the way around that pole? 
She must of been flying.. 

Nice to see another guy from SD here, you live near Rapid? 
I go back often, would be nice to have someone decent to ride with.

My season is f**ked for the year though, gotta go work down south.. damn jobs.


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## mushupork (Dec 27, 2010)

I was at Copper last Sunday 2/19 and ski/snow patrol were performing CPR on a male skier. This was near Solitude Station. I hope the guy was okay. Could've been a cardiac arrest and not related to collision injury.


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## Nefarious (Dec 26, 2010)

MarshallV82 said:


> I went there a couple times this year, I hardly go over by that run though.
> 
> Don't they have padding all the way around that pole?
> She must of been flying..
> ...


I paid attention to the padding after hearing about the accident. They're only wrapped on the front 40% or so. My best guess on the scenario is this: She was traversing towards the pole from the side and as she was trying to get her skiis turned, she caught an edge and went into it momentum and head first. That is probably off, as I have no factual evidence...but it seems plausible based on the run. 

I live in Pierre, actually. I make the drive out every few weeks. I just moved back to SD so I plan on getting a season pass for next year. I'll be out a minimum of 15-20 times next year, so it should pay for itself quickly. I'll be out there from March 15th-17th in case your plans change.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

That padding is only going to do so much. If you hit it fast enough, it won't matter.


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## Nefarious (Dec 26, 2010)

killclimbz said:


> That padding is only going to do so much. If you hit it fast enough, it won't matter.


I believe it. The strange thing is that the run it happened on is less steep than a colorado bunny hill, or I'd imagine so at least. It's the most gradual run at Terry peak and is over 100 yards wide. It's really hard for me to understand how she could have gotten enough speed to die while hitting the pad. Who knows. 

+vibes for all the victims this year. I heard about the PNW avalanche when I was on the mountain and I was shocked. 

Here's hoping that no one else falls victim before the winter is done.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

Nefarious said:


> Here's hoping that no one else falls victim before the winter is done.


I hope so, but it's highly unlikely that happens. There's still A LOT of season left here in the west, plus we have the shit show that is spring break coming up here in a few weeks.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

I forget what the "magic" number is, but it's only like 15-20mph is needed to be at a speed that will cause you death if you hit a fixed non moveable solid object. Padding reduces that risk but it just can't eliminate it. The human race is great at finding ways to take itself out, intentionally or unintentionally, no matter how high the level of safety at any given spot is.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

killclimbz said:


> I forget what the "magic" number is, but it's only like 15-20mph is needed to be at a speed that will cause you death if you hit a fixed non moveable solid object.


Yep, I know those speeds seem slow in terms of snowboarding, but if you think about it in terms of say, football then they start to make sense. Think about the huge hits we see in football. Even a fast NFL player is topping out at 25mph or so and hits rarely take place at top speed. Plus, you're hitting another man, not an immovable object like a tree, stump, or rock. And I don't know many people who ride in full football gear.

You hit a tree the wrong way at 20mph and it could be all she wrote. Probably not, but it could be. The human body can be amazingly durable at times and shockingly fragile at others. It's all about how you you hit, not necessarily the force of the impact.


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## Nefarious (Dec 26, 2010)

I'd never thought about Spring Break out there. I imagine that week is chaos on the slopes. Hide 'yo wife, hide 'yo kids.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

You stay far away from the Vail Resorts mountains during spring break. Far, far away.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

It's not just a week either, it spreads out over three weeks then you have Easter/holy week.... Starts in a couple weeks....


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## MarshallV82 (Apr 6, 2011)

killclimbz said:


> That padding is only going to do so much. If you hit it fast enough, it won't matter.


 Ya true, Still.. Like he said, It's such a mellow wide run - She had some bad luck for sure! 
They should almost make people take lessons.. like how Hunters have to take the gun safety course, but I guess I can't talk.. I was pretty stupid when I started also.. 



I don't have to worry about it, working in South Texas for the next 6 months or so. Anyone want to trade jobs ? =[ 
I wish more resorts had openings for linemen/electricians, haha. 

You guys get to be by Mountains atleast! 
But I'll be near South Padre Island for Spring break!  Can't bitch to much I guess...


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## Redmond513 (Jan 27, 2011)

damn....this has been a rough year so far.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

MarshallV82 said:


> Ya true, Still.. Like he said, It's such a mellow wide run - She had some bad luck for sure!
> They should almost make people take lessons.. like how Hunters have to take the gun safety course, but I guess I can't talk.. I was pretty stupid when I started also..
> 
> 
> ...



I lived in San antonio most of my life, Harlingen for three years, about 45 minutes from so. Padre.... It was fun when I was 19- 20-21 but it's a shit hole otherwise. Don't let them chicas get your sperm..... They get pregnant quick even if you just let them blow you.....


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## MarshallV82 (Apr 6, 2011)

Argo said:


> I lived in San antonio most of my life, Harlingen for three years, about 45 minutes from so. Padre.... It was fun when I was 19- 20-21 but it's a shit hole otherwise. Don't let them chicas get your sperm..... They get pregnant quick even if you just let them blow you.....


Harlingen is where I'm Staying actually... 
I'm past my partying days, I'll be working like 90 hours a week anyway..the girlfriend will let me look at least!


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