# 9 killed in avalanches since Feb 8



## killclimbz

Just read that someone was killed in an avalanche in Idaho yesterday. Unusual snow produces unusual avalanches and we are living that paradigm right now. 

9 people in just over a week is a lot. A shit ton. Avalanche.org has them all under accidents. 

Definitely time to use your go to safe spots. If you are questioning it, maybe time to do something else. I can't think of a stretch where it has been so deadly and widespread. Only the Craig Kelly year comes up as more tragic. 

Watch yourselves. Things will calm down. I know I am getting sick of doing the same 'ol same 'ol but it is what is being offered. Take the offer don't try to steal a line, the penalty if you get caught is death. Literally. 

Be safe out there peeps. I got a lot of people on this forum I still need to tour with.


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## snowklinger

makes me think the last line I took with L-gorge at loveland the other day was not a good idea.....so epic...seemed like it couldn't be in-bounds...so steep and deep...and wide open...behind the tunnel building....we didnt' duck any ropes but....


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## linvillegorge

Yeah, that was a big line. I've never rode slough like that in bounds. That was heavy enough that it would've definitely took me for a ride if I'd gone down. I didn't expect that face to be completely untouched like it was.


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## DrnknZag

Gary, check out the NWAC observations from around Stevens....It's downright SCARY in my neck of the woods right now.

NWAC Professional 
Observation - Stevens Pass 2/11/14 - YouTube


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## mhaas

10 
Man dies in Waterton avalanche | Pincher Creek Echo


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## killclimbz

DrnknZag said:


> Gary, check out the NWAC observations from around Stevens....It's downright SCARY in my neck of the woods right now.
> 
> NWAC Professional
> Observation - Stevens Pass 2/11/14 - YouTube


I've been reading the NWAC report almost everyday for the last three weeks in preparation for my trip. I have to say I have not seen thos set up in quote awhile in your neck of the woods. Scary indeed. The whole west coast range has issues right now. 

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## killclimbz

mhaas said:


> 10
> Man dies in Waterton avalanche | Pincher Creek Echo


Now 10 in 9 days. :'( 

Did you know him? You and snowvols went to the Canuck splitfest a few times no?

Too many people. 

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## mhaas

I did not know him or go to Canuck SF. The sad face was for the death per day average we got going in the hills right now.


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## killclimbz

Yeah, it is so sad. I am hearing that there may have been yet another avalanche death yesterday. Hopefully this one does not bear fruit and turns out to be untrue. This is a dangerous cycle right now.

Wade was Treepilot on Splitboard.com. He was an awesome contributor there. Going to miss his posts...


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## neni

Awful news  Condolences to all the people who lost family members or friends.

Glad the conditions are calming down here. However, too many fatalities in Switzerland as well. Of 11 fatal avys, 10 were set in level 3 "considerable", a level many ppl still tend to underestimate (one in level 4 "high"). These 11 avys cought 20 people, of which 14 ppl died. Scary numbers...


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## MarshallV82

mhaas said:


> 10
> Man dies in Waterton avalanche | Pincher Creek Echo


Four of the guys I work with in Lethbridge knew this guy. You guys are braver than me, I'll keep my ass inbounds =)


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## HurtonBair

Good idea. The risk has been considerable in the trees, considerable/high at tree line and high in the alpine for the past week. 

That's all areas in the Rockies and Columbias.


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## lab49232

Northwest Avalanche Center — Avalanche Region Forecast How's that for a forecast:dizzy: Absolutely insane right now. Going from no snow all season to just massive dumps every day = near certain avalanches. The Cascades should be considered an absolute no go in almost any terrain for the next day or two.


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## slyder

I just heard 2 kids from WI in a town I've been to many times not far from me were killed last week in an avalanche near/at Independence Pass CO


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## killclimbz

Those were two of the nine mentioned. Horrible accident. Why they chose a line with such high exposure and consequence in sketchy conditions I have no idea.


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## mojo maestro

'Cause they be midwestern "kids" that don't know how dangerous it be? The lure of the untracked powder is strong.


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## DrnknZag

mojo maestro said:


> 'Cause they be midwestern "kids" that don't know how dangerous it be? The lure of the untracked powder is strong.




They were very experienced BC skiers. But Kill is right, they chose a line with very high consequences. The pics from the CAIC prelim report are scary. Categorized R4/D4.....


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## killclimbz

Even if the two from Wisconsin weren't that experienced they were out touring in a group of seven. Some of which were definitely familiar with the snow pack. They should have known better.

R4 D4 for the uninitiated is the size and destructiveness of the slide. R4 is the size of the avalanche. D4 is the destructive force of the avalanche. Based on a 5 point scale. It is super rare that any path reaches a D5 and R5 is pretty rare too. Needless to say these are monsters, and your chance of surviving one is very miniscule even with the best avalanche gear. You won't survive the ride. 

Here is the breakdown of the definitions.

Size of Avalanche:

1. Sluff: any slide running less than 50 meter slope distance regardless of other dimensions
2. Small: relative to the path
3. Medium: relative to the path
4. Large: relative to the path
5. Major or Maximum: relative to the path

Destructive force:

Size	Description	Typical Mass	Typical Length	Typical Impact Pressure
1	Relatively Harmless	Less than 10 tons	10 meters	1 kPa
2	Could bury, injure, or kill a person	100 tons	100 meters	10 kPa
3	Could bury a car, destroy a small building, or break trees	
1000 tons 1000 meters	100 kPa
4	Could destroy a rail car	10,000 tons	2000 meters	500 kPa
5	Largest known	100,000 tons	3000 meters	1000 kPa

Source: Avalanche Size - Avalanche Center Glossary


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## ShredLife

another large group.... just sayin.


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## KansasNoob

Reading Staying Alive has definitely given me a different perspective on the power of these things... Growing up on a farm it was always danger of flowing grain in bins... These big avys will suffocate you just as fast and bury you faster.


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## ShredLife

killclimbz said:


> Even if the two from Wisconsin weren't that experienced they were out touring in a *group of seven*. Some of which were definitely *familiar with the snow pack. They should have known better.*


:thumbsdown::thumbsdown:


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## killclimbz

Shred you are right. Large groups are inherently dangerous. Especially when traveling in high consequence terrain. Large groups in terrain is not so bad and can be fun. I have definitely had good times with groups of six-eight people. We also set what our no go terrain was at the beginning of the day and that was it. It takes a lot of discipline and you automatically have to dial it back once your group is over five people. Some would say five is too many, but I find that to be an okay size. Four is probably optimal.


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## ShredLife

fair enough, but in practice a 6-8 person group in the bc should be operating in route-finding, dropping into lines, and potentially rescuing as two independent but cooperative 3-4 person groups. pretty much regardless of the terrain but yes, especially in routes of consequence.

in my experience 5 can be really pushing it - more so when the stoke is high and everyone is gettin some. lots of chatter and quickly made decisions with 5. i do like 3-4 best.


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## killclimbz

The size of group 6-8 definitely means that on most lines around here, you are working two separate teams in a lot of terrain here. Generally those spots end up in the same area. There are some lines in spring times where everyone can run it. Then it is a larger unit doing that line. Pretty rare that we do that as usually those lines are off the table at the beginning of the day. 

It is not often that I am in groups of this size either.


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## mhaas

IMO, the problem with large groups is the lack of leadership. No one really wants to take charge, at the risk of coming off like a type A dick. Your just out there to have fun. On the other side of the spectrum, a lot of people don't want to chirp up when they feel a little uncomfortable and come off sounding over cautious. 

I prefer to tour with one or two other people at most. Its a lot easier to accommodate everyones concerns that way. One person saying no go only affects one or two people, not a who group. NBD, lets find a slope that we all agree with. A 4 person group isn't terrible but group dynamics really begin to show up.

My only experience with a large group was this weekend at the Wasatch splitfest. I toured with 6 to 8 people a couple of the days and had a really good time. But the lack of leadership that comes with a bigger group kind of clouded up the decision making process at times. (it probably didn't help that most of us didn't know more than 1 other person). That being said, we decided to not get on a few slopes because a group member or two didn't feel comfortable with the conditions and no one had an issue. It was great to have see the group respect the opinion of one concerned member.

Also, just speculating here,(whats the internet good for if you cant do that?) but I think what might have contributed to the Ind. pass accident, regardless of experience was that some of the guys were on vacation and maybe wanted to tag a more trophy worthy line. I know Ive maybe pushed the envelope a bit more than I should have when I have been on trips. You don't really want to travel all that way to meadow skip. When you have a goal in mind, It can be very easy to manipulate the facts to convince yourself that is good to go when its not.


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## killclimbz

mhaas said:


> *Also, just speculating here,(whats the internet good for if you cant do that?) but I think what might have contributed to the Ind. pass accident, regardless of experience was that some of the guys were on vacation and maybe wanted to tag a more trophy worthy line. I know Ive maybe pushed the envelope a bit more than I should have when I have been on trips. You don't really want to travel all that way to meadow skip. When you have a goal in mind, It can be very easy to manipulate the facts to convince yourself that is good to go when its not.*


Really, really good point. Every time I go out to Washington I am asked, what do you want to do. My answer is I want to make quality, safe turns. I have no goals. If a big line is available when I am out there, then sure. If I have to go hide in the trees and ride powder, that is awesome too. Being goal oriented certainly lead to tragedy, especially if you are not willing to change your plans. Even on days where I plan on doing a peak, or big line, I will change my plans in a heartbeat if I am presented with evidence that says maybe this is not a good idea. It doesn't take much.


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## killclimbz

2 more killed in the past week. Both snowmobilers. One in Wyoming on the 18th and one in Montana on the 22nd.  Really, really bad stretch going on here.


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## kalev

1 killed and 1 seriously injured near Kootnenay Pass in BC 

sad stuff - only 27 years old

Search crews recover body of man from deadly B.C. avalanche in Kootenay Pass | Canada | News | Calgary Sun


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## linvillegorge

CAIC reporting that a member of Wolf Creek patrol was killed in an avalanche outside the resort boundaries yesterday and that yet another search and rescue mission is underway currently for another avalanche incident in southern CO.


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## killclimbz

Unfortunately we are going to be up to 8 killed in state. CAIC is already calling the snowmobile accident a recovery. Moderate conditions is not a green light. I will do more complicated terrain and already have. I will not go into huge terrain with lots of consequence. Always keep in mind "whay will happen if I get slid?" If it is almost certain death you need to be damn sure it is not going to move. 

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## DrnknZag

Another killed in Montana yesterday. RIP.



Also hearing that TGR's Greg Epstein was seriously hurt in an avalanche outside of Jackson Hole yesterday too. Ugh.


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## killclimbz

It has been ugly the past few days. Five people killed since March 1st.  This just shaping up to be one of the worst seasons ever accident wise. I just don't know. I'll keep doing what I have been doing for years, but some years it feels like I am swimming upstream. This year especially.


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## DrnknZag

Any close calls at Berthoud this year? There have been plenty around here, but I feel like we've been pretty fortunate in the PNW there haven't been more accidents with the funk snowpack we've had this year.


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## killclimbz

Plenty of close calls at Bert. There was the video of the guy jumping over the cliff into an avalanche flow and then deploying his airbag. There are others that were not reported. State wide, tons of problems and deaths of course.


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## hpin

Two killed near Lake Louise while snowshoeing

Lake Louise avalanche victims didn't have proper gear - Canada - CBC News


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## kalev

Canadian Rockies are a scary place to be right now! 4 died in the last week

Sad, sad news :sad:


Calgary's Greg Di Valentin dies after Banff avalanche - Calgary - CBC News

Lake Louise avalanche victims not heard from in 7 days: RCMP - Calgary - CBC News

RCMP confirm avalanche in B.C. kills 36-year-old Saskatchewan man - The Globe and Mail


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## ridinbend

Terrible Weekend for Avalanche Deaths and Injuries | SnowBrains.com


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## RightCoastShred

Nature giveth and taketh


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## Bparmz

Snowboarder died at Whiteface here in NY today. Wasn't wearing a helmet and rode into the glades apparently:thumbsdown:

Not due to an avalanche, but still.


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## Argo

Bparmz said:


> Snowboarder died at Whiteface here in NY today. Wasn't wearing a helmet and rode into the glades apparently:thumbsdown:
> 
> Not due to an avalanche, but still.


Unfortunately this happens way more than anyone thinks or knows.


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## tonicusa

The deciduous trees are real tight here in the Northeast. You can hurt yourself real quick. 

Brockport student dies snowboarding at Whiteface


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## ridinbend

killclimbz said:


> Plenty of close calls at Bert. There was the video of the guy jumping over the cliff into an avalanche flow and then deploying his airbag. There are others that were not reported. State wide, tons of problems and deaths of course.


You got a link to that video? Sounds crazy.


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## linvillegorge

ridinbend said:


> You got a link to that video? Sounds crazy.


I've seen it, but don't have a link. Pretty much the pinnacle of dumb. Really not that cool of a video, just a serious head shaker.


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## killclimbz

It is on YouTube. Just search Berthoud Pass avalanche and I am sure it will pop up. 

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## DrnknZag

One walks out, one still missing in Granite Mountain avalanche | www.kirotv.com

One missing after a destructive avalanche on Granite Mountain right off I-90. NWAC says it started as a 6" storm slab that stepped down 2'-3' and ran an extremely long path (down past the snow line it seems).

I drove out to Spokane yesterday on I-90 and specifically pointed out the zone to my girlfriend. It looked really good, but the warm temps really concerned me. The fact that this small storm slab stepped down to a fairly destructive slide is a huge red flag....


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## killclimbz

Ugh. Sorry to hear this. Top layers were super reactive around Stevens the past few days. My buddy who came out with me took a line too direct and got got in a pretty big sluff. Torqued his knee and probably did his ACL. He went for a ride through trees and missed every one of them. Doesn't take a full sized slide to kill. I am back in Denver a few days early as a result. It was a mini epic getting him out that day. Happened just after 4pm and we didn't get back to the car until just before 10.


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## DrnknZag

^^Yeah I saw your post on Facebook. Sounds like your buddy got pretty lucky, all things considered. Where were you guys?


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## killclimbz

Far lookers left on the Highway face on Skyline ridge. We rode it 3 days prior and swept out most of it. There was of course another load, but we figured that was it. The reality is just a slight change in line and he would not have been caught. End of the day wanting to get out probably helped contribute to the accident. A big hard ski turn left or right up high for him would have probably of taken him clear of the sluff.


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## Tatanka Head

A buddy of mine just posted pics of his snowshoeing trip on Granite Mountain. He said two skiers headed up the same time they did, but in another direction. When he got back to the parking lot their car was still there and search and rescue was out. I guess he went up the ridge through the trees, he wasn't sure which route the skiers took. Nonetheless, shitty situation.


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## DrnknZag

Heard of another avy death near Revelstoke yesterday now too.....



EDIT: I guess it was a client of CMH Heli that passed. From the report I saw, the whole group was in a "protected" area waiting for a heli pick up when the avy came down and ripped a huge path through some old growth. Sounds absolutely massive and terrifying avalanche.


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## PNWsnow

DrnknZag said:


> Heard of another avy death near Revelstoke yesterday now too.....
> 
> 
> 
> EDIT: I guess it was a client of CMH Heli that passed. From the report I saw, the whole group was in a "protected" area waiting for a heli pick up when the avy came down and ripped a huge path through some old growth. Sounds absolutely massive and terrifying avalanche.


Sad to hear. What report did you read?


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## linvillegorge

This season has been amazing inbounds, but fuck BC. I kept waiting for conditions to get less sketchy but my splitboard still sits collecting dust.


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## DrnknZag

PNWsnow said:


> Sad to hear. What report did you read?


CMH posted a quote report on the event on their website...

Heli-Skiing in BC Canada | CMH Heli-Skiing



linvillegorge said:


> This season has been amazing inbounds, but fuck BC. I kept waiting for conditions to get less sketchy but my splitboard still sits collecting dust.


Yeah, I've only taken mine out a handful of times this year. We're having a pretty sketchy season here in the PNW as well, at least more sketchy than usual.


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## killclimbz

I read about the skier yesterday.  Really sad. Linville, the snow pack around here has really stabilized. I am not ready to get on huge lines quite yet. Like Torrey's or the Silver (that is a death trap) on Buffalo but the chutes off of the divide around Bert are mostly a go. Fairly short and not a lot of stuff to get slammed into. Low consequence drops. 

Strangely enough I saw more activity in Washington over my 3/4 of a week there than I saw all season here. Slides were of a different nature but the old axiom applies. "The most dangerous avalanche is the one you are caught in." Steve got a pop quiz on that one. 

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## deagol

Hey Killclimbz,

I've looked at some of your trip reports and they are amazing. A thought occurred to me just now, does anyone put avy beacons on their dogs if they take them with? 

Anyway, these reports are very inspiring... makes me feel like I've been a slacker all these years.


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## Argo

East vail was super stable last week. Nothing budged even with my 280 lb ass cutting turns......


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## killclimbz

deagol said:


> Hey Killclimbz,
> 
> I've looked at some of your trip reports and they are amazing. A thought occurred to me just now, does anyone put avy beacons on their dogs if they take them with?
> 
> Anyway, these reports are very inspiring... makes me feel like I've been a slacker all these years.


I have a separate frequency beacon I use for Cody. It runs on 456 mhz instead of 457 mhz. That way I can search for Cody after all other potential victims are recovered or clear. It is considered bad form to dig your dog up before your buddy.


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## deagol

killclimbz said:


> I have a separate frequency beacon I use for Cody. It runs on 456 mhz instead of 457 mhz. That way I can search for Cody after all other potential victims are recovered or clear. It is considered bad form to dig your dog up before your buddy.


great idea... hopefully you won't ever need it.


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## killclimbz

Damn straight...


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## ShredLife

killclimbz said:


> I have a separate frequency beacon I use for Cody. It runs on 456 mhz instead of 457 mhz. That way I can search for Cody after all other potential victims are recovered or clear. It is considered bad form to dig your dog up before your buddy.


you haven't met my dog....



.... or my buddies


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## killclimbz

Well I do have the option to search for my dog first...


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## ShredLife

killclimbz said:


> Well I do have the option to search for my dog first...


oh nice.. i didn't think of it that way :thumbsup:

let that dickhole who triggered his icy tomb chill out and think about it for a minute while you go collect the little homie. :blink:


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