# In Utah today, a timely reminder that there’s no room for complacency in the backcountry.



## Crusty (Nov 8, 2018)

Lost a guy on Mt Washington last week. Found him 13 feet down.


----------



## Jkb818 (Sep 28, 2019)

Officials identify 4 killed in Millcreek Canyon avalanche


Louis Holian, 26, Stephanie Hopkins, 26, and Thomas Louis Steinbrecher, 23, were all Salt Lake City residents. Sarah Moughamian, age 29, was from Sandy.




www.ksl.com


----------



## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

wow, that's a big one. There were 4 recent deaths in Colorado due to 2 separate avalanches.


----------



## Jkb818 (Sep 28, 2019)

Think we are 6 deaths in Utah so far.


----------



## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

Oh wow, just checked: CO has 8 fatalities so far this season, 6 killed last year. There is some speculation that the massive influx of newcomers is driving the more experienced crowds into more serious terrain. All those killed this season were skiers, with 1 boarder and 1 snowmobiler caught, but not killed.

One of the guys who died was a 40-year veteran of ski patrol


----------



## smellysell (Oct 29, 2018)

deagol said:


> Oh wow, just checked: CO has 8 fatalities so far this season, 6 killed last year. There is some speculation that the massive influx of newcomers is driving the more experienced crowds into more serious terrain. All those killed this season were skiers, with 1 boarder and 1 snowmobiler caught, but not killed.
> 
> One of the guys who died was a 40-year veteran of ski patrol


For career patrollers it seems like a matter of time before they're in one. Snowpack has been bad here, combined with a bunch of new people that don't know what they're doing is a recipe for disaster.

There's only been 1 death here this year I think, but sooooooo many accidents, which I guess probably means they're somewhat experienced people triggering them if they're digging people out. 

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk


----------



## ridethecliche (Feb 27, 2019)

Crusty said:


> Lost a guy on Mt Washington last week. Found him 13 feet down.


Wait, what!?


----------



## Crusty (Nov 8, 2018)

ridethecliche said:


> Wait, what!?



Top of Ammonoosuc. Went up in the snow storm Tuesday solo, but had a beacon (???).


----------



## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

15 people killed in avalanchers since January 30. Most were considered experienced. None of the terrain was the type that the center said you should be trying to ride. Regardless, the victim or someone in the party caused the avalanche that took lives. We are almost always the architect of our demise when it comes to avalanches. Costly week and reportedly the worst since 1910 when the town of Wellington WA got buried by avalanches and 96 died. All I can say is pay attention to what you avy center is saying and stay away from the terrain they are warning about. You can't outsmart avalanches, the only thing you can control is your terrain choice. At times, that means you can do some pretty crazy stuff. This year, it probably means you'll have to dial it back compared to previous years. A bummer given the year we have had, but this how you play the game for a lifetime.


----------



## smellysell (Oct 29, 2018)

killclimbz said:


> 15 people killed in avalanchers since January 30. Most were considered experienced. None of the terrain was the type that the center said you should be trying to ride. Regardless, the victim or someone in the party caused the avalanche that took lives. We are almost always the architect of our demise when it comes to avalanches. Costly week and reportedly the worst since 1910 when the town of Wellington WA got buried by avalanches and 96 died. All I can say is pay attention to what you avy center is saying and stay away from the terrain they are warning about. You can't outsmart avalanches, the only thing you can control is your terrain choice. At times, that means you can do some pretty crazy stuff. This year, it probably means you'll have to dial it back compared to previous years. A bummer given the year we have had, but this how you play the game for a lifetime.


Yep, lots of fun to be had on under 35 degree slopes too. I don't really get why people risk it. 

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk


----------



## Crusty (Nov 8, 2018)

killclimbz said:


> Most were considered experienced. None of the terrain was the type that the center said you should be trying to ride.


We've had a rash of this in the last few years. You need to know what you're doing, and you need to follow what you know.

We lost a local guy two years ago. Well experienced, riding alone on a high risk day. What we figure is he saw a line he couldn't refuse. Friends of mine saw him that day, and saw that line and knew it was sketch. Really shitty situation- he was rescued, and responders actually were able to revive him, but as I understand it when he was revived the adrenaline rush was too much for his already compromised system and he immediately died of a heart attack. In their hands.

Be safe out there guys...


----------



## Jkb818 (Sep 28, 2019)

For the sake of my life and being there for my family, I am avoiding any backcountry stuff that is steeper than 30 degrees and no steeper angle terrain above it. Probably will just avoid the backcountry completely for a while regardless as it frankly just scares my wife.


----------



## kalev (Dec 17, 2013)

Crazy stuff … stay safe everyone!


----------



## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

It seems around my locale folks are getting a little complacent or the new folks to the area are just unawares because we have not had a monster in a few years. This has been evident with a few random chair conversations of folks not knowing of our history of dragons...and folks were still going out, even though there is a fresh 6' crown.


----------



## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

this thread is/was about Utah, but avalanches don't care about state lines, so I thought this was as good a place tp post this as anywhere. There were 3 avalanches in Colorado this weekend, 2 of which involved snowboarders. The first one on Feb 13th was a boarder who was fortunately rescued, but on Sunday the 14th, 2 people died in separate locations: a snowmobiler and a snowboarder. The boarder was touring solo and probably triggered the slide that burred him. He had and deployed an airbag, but it didn't save him. This one is spooky to me (well, they all are in their own way) because I have been in the spot where this happened fairly recently, albeit on a lower danger day. The fringes of the slide is an area that gave me a bad feeling when I was there. I feel for the guy who was caught, but we don't know who is is yet....

10 avy deaths in Colorado so far this year. the video below was made prior to the 2 recent deaths. Compounding this is a huge spike in new backcountry users, some of which is due to the COVID situation.


----------



## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

another snowboarder dead, this time in-bounds, in Wyoming (edit: not due to avalanche, but tree well)


https://www.jhnewsandguide.com/this_just_in/snowboarder-found-dead-in-tree-well-at-jackson-hole-mountain-resort/article_0f14ccdc-e17b-5aab-a43e-d4a16b35c15a.html


----------



## Jkb818 (Sep 28, 2019)

the warnings could not be more clear today...most alarming report I've read to date. be safe people to shred another day!






Forecast - Utah Avalanche Center







utahavalanchecenter.org


----------



## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

The black rose of death does not appear very often but when it does, it's real. Not a good time to be anywhere near avalanche terrain. I saw the town of Alta instituted a maximum security interlodge. They made people go to fortified areas for a few hours. I knew about interlodge, but not maximum security interlodge. Unreal...


----------



## Crusty (Nov 8, 2018)

killclimbz said:


> I knew about interlodge, but not maximum security interlodge. Unreal...


Dang, you're not kidding. I just googled the term. I think of avalanches I think of back country. I can't image being in a lodge when that announcement comes...


----------



## Jkb818 (Sep 28, 2019)

Crusty said:


> Dang, you're not kidding. I just googled the term. I think of avalanches I think of back country. I can't image being in a lodge when that announcement comes...


Last year at Alta...


----------

