Inbounds Avalanche at Palisades Tahoe

[Amie H]

This is horrible; praying everone is ok.

1 dead in avalanche at Palisades Tahoe resort in California

The avalanche occurred at the Palisades Tahoe Resort on the California side of Lake Tahoe, the Placer County Sheriff's Office said.

abcnews.go.com

 

[MissySki]

Yikes, scary!!

Do Divas who ski Palisades regularly wear a beacon in general? Obviously no one ever really expects an inbounds avalanche, but some years I have brought my beacon West with me and others not. Things like this make me think it’s better to have it just in case.

 

[horsepowered]

I saw claims on social media (completely unsubstantiated, clearly) that they had found and rescued 3 people.

I've never carried a beacon, because I've only ever skied at resorts. Is this something I should have on me for safety at all times?

 

[WaterGirl]

I really hope everyone is ok, from the media posts it seems like this terrain was just opened today. Add to the fact that its storming right now so visibility not good and rescue conditions would be tougher in the steeper terrain."A Palisades Tahoe spokesperson said the slide happened on the Palisades side of the mountain above the GS gully area above KT-22 at around 9:30 a.m. The KT-22 lift had just opened today for the first time this winter..." This sounds like a serious situation, assuming there were many skiers taking their first laps on terrain that hadn't been opened until today.

I was skiing Mammoth when they had the inbounds avalanche in 2018. Very surreal how the mountain shuts down and turns into a major volunteer search and rescue effort. Patrol at Mammoth used a Beacon search first, then RECCO. Dogs and probes were used after that.

@MissySki we do, I think if you own it why not wear it? - especially on 'riders of the storm' days where you might have other issues like low visibility or tree wells - so we do wear our beacons in bounds on those days, as well as making sure something on us has a RECCO reflector. You can purchase individual RECCO reflectors that stick on or have a loop and even a belt if you do not have other clothing that has a reflector. I will say its another really unstable early snowpack year, and even in my limited time at Mammoth this season the Paranoids have slid naturally after smaller storms. I hope things go as well as they can for everyone at Palisades....

 

[Susan L]

One confirmed death.

1 killed, 3 injured in avalanche at Palisades Tahoe ski resort, California officials say

An avalanche at Palisades Tahoe ski resort on Wednesday morning killed one skier and injured three others in northern California.

www.usatoday.com

 

[Rainbow Jenny]

Alpine is my home mountain and go to Pali sometimes. The news is totally tragic and heart breaking. I contacted several local friends to make sure they’re ok.

I carry my safety gear inbound on stormy days (or the day after) when faced shoe 8-10+ inches of new snowfall. I moved up from SoCal 6 years ago and did the same at Mammoth.

I was freeskiing with my safety gear that fateful day in Jan 2020 when we had our inbound avy off Scott’s chair. Also got recruited to help at the final probe line after 2 were found and evacuated.

It happens enough that I want to be prepare to help.

 

[Rainbow Jenny]

From Placer County Sheriff’s Office.

OLYMPIC VALLEY, Calif. -- At approximately 9:30 a.m. today at Palisades Tahoe, an avalanche occurred on the Palisades side of the ski resort, specifically above the GS bowl area of KT-22.

Olympic Valley Fire Department responded to Palisades Tahoe for word of an avalanche in the ski area. OVFD contacted ski patrol, who confirmed an avalanche in the GS Bowl of KT 22. OVFD began recruiting allied agencies and pooling resources in support of Palisades Ski Patrol efforts: OVFD, PCSO, and Palisades Tahoe.

Placer County Sheriff’s Office assisted Olympic Valley Fire and Palisades Tahoe with the search and rescue operation. Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue was activated along with allied agency partners and assets from the west side. PCSO is investigating the coroner’s case.

The avalanche caused one fatality and one injury. Our thoughts and prayers are with their family members at this difficult time.

No further missing persons have been reported. More than 100 Palisades personnel participated in a beacon search, and two probe lines have been completed. The mountain is closed for the remainder of the day.

The avalanche debris field is approximately 150 feet wide, 450 feet long and 10 feet deep.

We will update with more information as it becomes available. A press conference will be scheduled at 2:30 p.m. at Basecamp at Palisades Tahoe.
WHAT: Palisades Tahoe avalanche incident press conference

WHO: Olympic Valley Fire Department Chief Brad Chisholm, Placer County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Dave Smith, Placer County Sheriff's Office Lt. Don Nevins, Placer County District 5 Supervisor Cindy Gustafson
WHERE: Palisades Tahoe, Basecamp Conference Room, 1960 Olympic Vly Rd, Olympic Valley, CA 96146
WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2:30 p.m.

 

[marzNC]

From the Palisades Tahoe website:

January 10, 2024

Incident Update - Palisades Tahoe at Lake Tahoe

Please check here for updates regarding today's incident. We will update as we have more information.

blog.palisadestahoe.com

"

UPDATE: JANUARY 10TH, 1:44PM​

At approximately 9:30 a.m. today, an avalanche occurred on the Palisades side of the Palisades Tahoe resort, specifically in the GS gully area, to the skier’s right of the KT-22 chairlift. Palisades Tahoe Ski Patrol responded immediately to the scene and completed a thorough search of the area with the help of over 100 resort personnel, as well as members of the public, using avalanche transceivers, probes, RECCO Rescue System technology, and avalanche rescue dog teams.

A male skier sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased by Tahoe Forest Hospital. Three other skiers sustained non-life threatening injuries, and were released after initial treatment.
. . ."

 

[snoWYmonkey]

I think of the incredible avalanche mitigation work that ski patrols across the world do as just that, mitigation. There is no such thing as complete risk elimination, as we sadly were reminded of today.

When the risk is high, I often do wear my transceiver in bounds. More importantly I try to make wise terrain choices. These are not decisions that require years of formal training.

I was in Japan on a day when the run I had just skied after it opened mid morning was closed minutes later with patrol probing after a fairly big slide.

I was in France and had just gotten off a lift when a guide and their guests triggered a substantial slide right above the lift and I was in the run out zone.

In the US I triggered a small slide with about a foot deep crown in bounds.

All three ended without casualties, but are reminders that any time spent in the mountains when snow is present carries some level of risk. Even major warming on sunny spring days can lead to wet slides.

My heart aches for the Tahoe community.

 

[Pequenita]

Yikes, scary!!

Do Divas who ski Palisades regularly wear a beacon in general? Obviously no one ever really expects an inbounds avalanche, but some years I have brought my beacon West with me and others not. Things like this make me think it’s better to have it just in case.

I do, every storm day and the day after a storm. I know I'm not the only one at PT that does this - I've heard beacons turning on in the parking lot and lodge. Last March, I was skiing Alta when the midday interlodge was called, and I was wearing a beacon that day and the day after as well. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that the snow was sketchy that day.

My view is that if you have one, wear it, and know how to use it (e.g., know to turn it to search mode if you do witness a slide and a search has begun). I personally wouldn't go out and buy one for the purpose of skiing inbounds, but I know people who have.

Resorts are under a lot of pressure to open terrain and lifts. It's almost mid-January, and at many of the Tahoe resorts, only a fraction of the terrain is open. This was the first day that KT was open this season.

 

[marzNC]

My view is that if you have one, wear it, and know how to use it (e.g., know to turn it to search mode if you do witness a slide and a search has begun). I personally wouldn't go out and buy one for the purpose of skiing inbounds, but I know people who have.

The instructors I've worked with more than once in the last decade all wear a beacon in-bounds. Now that I ski 75%+ off-piste on steeper terrain, they all have mentioned getting a beacon. Found a small, light, and recommended one over the summer. It will get used this winter at big mountains.

My primary ski buddy (Bill) has had a beacon for several years, and he wears it. The other got one a year or two ago but hasn't really made use of it much yet. I expect he will this season after his trip to Japan.

 

[AJM]

Yikes, scary!!

Do Divas who ski Palisades regularly wear a beacon in general? Obviously no one ever really expects an inbounds avalanche, but some years I have brought my beacon West with me and others not. Things like this make me think it’s better to have it just in case.

Obviously I'm not a Palisades skier but after a particularly "Twitchy" season here a couple of years ago which resulted in several inbounds slides I now always wear a beacon. My theory is if you've got one you might as well wear it.

 

[AJM]

I think of the incredible avalanche mitigation work that ski patrols across the world do as just that, mitigation. There is no such thing as complete risk elimination, as we sadly were reminded of today.

As the Mother of a ski patroller/snow safety my heart is in my mouth everytime he goes out on a control route .... why couldn't he have taken a nice safe WELL PAYING job !!!

The season I referred to in my response to @MissySki was a particularly challenging one and I really felt for him and his co workers as the last thing they want is an inbounds slide regardless of how small or large it is but as you mentioned there is no such thing as complete risk elimination.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

@AJM Patrollers are for certain the ones at highest risk out there. In the dark of night, handling explosives, in high avalanche risk terrain, sometimes for weeks on end. It seems to be a calling. Always felt that patrollers and lifties are the two mandatory crews needed for resort operations. Thank you for supporting his Choi e!

Just spoke with our annual exchange patroller from France and he was very impressed by the level of trained mental health support within the patrol team and others also me tinned how not drinking heavily every night is a newly embraced approach to decompressing with the team over some non alcoholic beers.

 

[AJM]

Always felt that patrollers and lifties are the two mandatory crews needed for resort operations.

Absolutely , our local hill had to defer its opening a couple of seasons ago when 90% of the patrollers got covid !! The offshore owners couldn't understand why they couldn't just open without them but were soon silenced. All they saw was a weeks revenue down the gurgler

 

[TrixieRuby]

Forgive my question under these circumstances, I am curious and not well informed about these things. Did ski patrol "dynamite" the new area that had just opened before it opened to the public? I am hearing that the snow was unstable, that there had been storms, etc., and that an avalanche was not out of the question. What do y'all think?

 

[beane]

Forgive my question under these circumstances, I am curious and not well informed about these things. Did ski patrol "dynamite" the new area that had just opened before it opened to the public? I am hearing that the snow was unstable, that there had been storms, etc., and that an avalanche was not out of the question. What do y'all think?

People who were there yesterday reported they were bombing it all day.

There was 6 inches of new snow overnight and it broke several feet down—a “deep persistent layer” (per people on the internet—so may not be fact).

 

[Pequenita]

@TrixieRuby , the regional / local avalanche forecast center forecasted avalanche conditions as "considerable" today. Without going into the weeds, an avalanche forecast is based on what is known about the snowpack (based on observations, digging snow pits, etc) and past and current weather, and the forecast is also based on aspect and elevation. Backcountry travelers use this information to determine what risk they are willing to take. As in life, some people are more risk taking/averse than others.

Resorts tend to know what areas and slopes are prone to sliding, and use a variety of methods to mitigate avalanches - handheld ammunitions, remote triggers, ski cut - at various locations. This is a regular practice on storm days.

There was 6 inches of new snow overnight and it broke several feet down—a “deep persistent layer” (per people on the internet—so may not be fact).

I didn't read today's avalanche forecast, but I'll add an anecdote that on 1/1, I observed surface hoar thanks to a friend's kid noticing how "pretty" the snow was. Since then there has been an additional ~30" of snowfall and really high winds. The overall snowpack is not deep. I am not sure if it's what got buried and turned into an unstable layer, but if someone told me it was the surface hoar I saw, I wouldn't be surprised.

I actually pulled up today's forecast: https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/forecasts/#/central-sierra-nevada (you might have to click to 1/10 if it's no longer "today")

It does seem like what I observed on 1/1 was the weak layer.

ETA: I am not in the ski industry or a forecaster. I'm merely more observant and into this stuff than the average duck.

 

[AJM]

It does seem like what I observed on 1/1 was the weak layer.

We down here in NZ suffered from a PWL all season last year which meant everyone was on their toes esp if they were heading into the backcountry. One very popular backcountry destination had a lot of folk cancelling their bookings due to it, my hubby included thank goodness.
We had a very low snow year with a super lean start a bit like yours and that was apparently a major contributing factor.

 

[santacruz skier]

@TrixieRuby , the regional / local avalanche forecast center forecasted avalanche conditions as "considerable" today. Without going into the weeds, an avalanche forecast is based on what is known about the snowpack (based on observations, digging snow pits, etc) and past and current weather, and the forecast is also based on aspect and elevation. Backcountry travelers use this information to determine what risk they are willing to take. As in life, some people are more risk taking/averse than others.

Resorts tend to know what areas and slopes are prone to sliding, and use a variety of methods to mitigate avalanches - handheld ammunitions, remote triggers, ski cut - at various locations. This is a regular practice on storm days.


I didn't read today's avalanche forecast, but I'll add an anecdote that on 1/1, I observed surface hoar thanks to a friend's kid noticing how "pretty" the snow was. Since then there has been an additional ~30" of snowfall and really high winds. The overall snowpack is not deep. I am not sure if it's what got buried and turned into an unstable layer, but if someone told me it was the surface hoar I saw, I wouldn't be surprised.

I actually pulled up today's forecast: https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/forecasts/#/central-sierra-nevada (you might have to click to 1/10 if it's no longer "today")

It does seem like what I observed on 1/1 was the weak layer.

ETA: I am not in the ski industry or a forecaster. I'm merely more observant and into this stuff than the average duck.

It was all over the news that the avalanche danger was "considerable." I'm not sure if that area in the KT bowl was actually dynamited or not.