elemmac
Angel Diva
From another source, there's still a skier missing who was skiing at Silver at the time of the avalanches. Hoping it's a mistake....
https://www.shoshonenewspress.com/local_news/20200108/avalanche_search_continues
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Sad avalanche news.
- Thread starter dloveski
- Start date
From another source, there's still a skier missing who was skiing at Silver at the time of the avalanches. Hoping it's a mistake....
https://www.shoshonenewspress.com/local_news/20200108/avalanche_search_continues
elemmac
Angel Diva
Makes sense to me, as long as there are clear signs.
marzNC
Angel Diva
For those who have access to NY Times articles, here's a link to a recent one by Heidi Julavits entitled "What I Learned in Avalanche School" about her experience in January 2019 taking a 3-day Avy 1 course. She rarely skis terrain prone to avalanches and she is a beginner when it comes to uphill travel on skis. Julavits is a novelist and a writer of essays. She took the course in the "Eastern Sierra." The subtitle is "I wanted to be prepared for the worst nature could throw at me. But the real threat turned out to be human."
It's a pretty long article but well worth reading. The case study on the first day was the Microdot incident in Alaska in 2003, which was a mixed gender group of experienced BC skiers and there were no fatalities. It snowed several feet during the course. The viewpoint of a novelist provides insights about the human factor that I haven't read in other related articles.
Dec. 31, 2019, NY Times Magazine
What I Learned in Avalanche School
" . . .
When Ryan [one of two instructors] shifted the conversation to “avalanche problems,” we perked up, maybe because the term would seem provocatively redundant, the avalanche itself being the primary problem. But no. Ninety percent of human-avalanche encounters, Ryan said, are triggered by humans, making humans the primary avalanche problem. Nature doesn’t kill people with avalanches. People kill people with avalanches.
Then Ryan revealed a second twist: By entering the storefront two hours earlier, by taking an avalanche-safety course, we had statistically increased our chances of being killed in an avalanche. We were more likely to die now than we were at 8 a.m.
The room absorbed this information. It felt like being in a movie in which you thought you were at a normal dinner party, but just by showing up, you’d implicitly agreed to fight the other guests to the death.
. . .
We broke for lunch. When we returned and sat in our seats and waited for Ryan to emerge from the back office, I looked around and did some math. Seventy percent of our student body fell into the demographic that, according to Ryan, was most likely to die in an avalanche: male, late 20s, intermediate-to-expert experience level, some formal avalanche training.
A man at the end of the table asked the class if anyone had seen the 2014 movie “Force Majeure.” I was the only person who had. Another man asked what the movie was about. I didn’t say it was about the ongoing shame and denial experienced by a husband who abandoned his wife and children during an avalanche scare. I didn’t say, “Much like this course so far, it’s a referendum on masculinity.” All-female groups, Ryan told us before lunch, make better decisions in risky situations than all-male groups or mixed-gender groups. When asked why women became less smart in the company of men, Ryan speculated that “women, around men, feel uncomfortable speaking up.” I did not say, and not because I was uncomfortable speaking up, that in my experience as a midlevel skier who had more than once been taken up slopes I could not descend — for example, a deep-powdered backcountry slope under which lurked many cliffs, that two male friends, insanely enough (in retrospect), insisted I could ski — I do and did speak up, often repeatedly. I was just never heard.
The problem — the primary human problem — is that people are susceptible, prideful, bullheaded, egotistic, dumbstruck and lazy. Add to this doomed slurry a little avalanche training (or what used to qualify as avalanche training, and its focus on analyzing snowpack), and people make terrible decisions with greater frequency and confidence.
. . .
It's a pretty long article but well worth reading. The case study on the first day was the Microdot incident in Alaska in 2003, which was a mixed gender group of experienced BC skiers and there were no fatalities. It snowed several feet during the course. The viewpoint of a novelist provides insights about the human factor that I haven't read in other related articles.
Dec. 31, 2019, NY Times Magazine
What I Learned in Avalanche School
" . . .
When Ryan [one of two instructors] shifted the conversation to “avalanche problems,” we perked up, maybe because the term would seem provocatively redundant, the avalanche itself being the primary problem. But no. Ninety percent of human-avalanche encounters, Ryan said, are triggered by humans, making humans the primary avalanche problem. Nature doesn’t kill people with avalanches. People kill people with avalanches.
Then Ryan revealed a second twist: By entering the storefront two hours earlier, by taking an avalanche-safety course, we had statistically increased our chances of being killed in an avalanche. We were more likely to die now than we were at 8 a.m.
The room absorbed this information. It felt like being in a movie in which you thought you were at a normal dinner party, but just by showing up, you’d implicitly agreed to fight the other guests to the death.
. . .
We broke for lunch. When we returned and sat in our seats and waited for Ryan to emerge from the back office, I looked around and did some math. Seventy percent of our student body fell into the demographic that, according to Ryan, was most likely to die in an avalanche: male, late 20s, intermediate-to-expert experience level, some formal avalanche training.
A man at the end of the table asked the class if anyone had seen the 2014 movie “Force Majeure.” I was the only person who had. Another man asked what the movie was about. I didn’t say it was about the ongoing shame and denial experienced by a husband who abandoned his wife and children during an avalanche scare. I didn’t say, “Much like this course so far, it’s a referendum on masculinity.” All-female groups, Ryan told us before lunch, make better decisions in risky situations than all-male groups or mixed-gender groups. When asked why women became less smart in the company of men, Ryan speculated that “women, around men, feel uncomfortable speaking up.” I did not say, and not because I was uncomfortable speaking up, that in my experience as a midlevel skier who had more than once been taken up slopes I could not descend — for example, a deep-powdered backcountry slope under which lurked many cliffs, that two male friends, insanely enough (in retrospect), insisted I could ski — I do and did speak up, often repeatedly. I was just never heard.
The problem — the primary human problem — is that people are susceptible, prideful, bullheaded, egotistic, dumbstruck and lazy. Add to this doomed slurry a little avalanche training (or what used to qualify as avalanche training, and its focus on analyzing snowpack), and people make terrible decisions with greater frequency and confidence.
. . .
marzNC
Angel Diva
For those interested in more reading, the NY Times article linked in Post #43 mentioned The Human Factor 2.0. It's part of the Human Factor project sponsored by Powder and Black Diamond. These are written stories with a few videos as well.
https://storied.storied.co/human-factor-2.0/chapter-1
Human Factor 1.0 was written by the same author, David Page. The 2-min video introduction lists the six heuristic "traps" covered in the Avy 1 course.
https://www.powder.com/the-human-factor-1.0/
F.A.C.E.T.S. is the acronym used for the six heuristic traps:
https://storied.storied.co/human-factor-2.0/chapter-1
Human Factor 1.0 was written by the same author, David Page. The 2-min video introduction lists the six heuristic "traps" covered in the Avy 1 course.
https://www.powder.com/the-human-factor-1.0/
F.A.C.E.T.S. is the acronym used for the six heuristic traps:
- Familiarity (having skied an area before multiple times in similar conditions);
- Acceptance (going with friends and wanting everyone to have a good day);
- Consistency (commitment already made);
- Tracks/Scarcity (time constraints, limited opportunities); and
- Social Facilitation (other tracks in the area).
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marzNC
Angel Diva
The question of the history of inbounds avalanche incidents was addressed in an article last season. It was published soon after the fatal incident on Kachina at Taos. TSV installed gas-based exploders on Kachina in preparation for the 2019-20 season.
Jan 2019, Outside Online
Resort Skiing Is Dangerous. And It Always Will Be.
". . .
As to whether inbounds avalanche deaths are on the rise, it’s probably too soon to say. We know anecdotally that—equipped with better gear—skiers and snowboarders are spending more time in deep powder on bigger terrain. And we also know that across North America, resorts have moved to open more of that terrain. But it would be conjecture to draw too much of a correlation yet. In fact, over the decades resorts have become markedly safer in terms of inbounds avalanches. In total, 45 skiers and snowboarders died from inbounds avalanches from 1950 to 2017. But while between 1951 and 1979, roughly 10 percent of all U.S. avalanche deaths occurred inbounds, by 1994 that inbounds number had dropped to 1.3 percent—which, even though it reflects the growth of backcountry skiing and snowmobiling (deaths moved to the backcountry), is still a sizable drop and hints at the adoption of avalanche mitigation across the resort industry.
Assuming 27 Americans die per year in avalanches, that means, over the past ten years, 3.5 percent of those fatalities have been inbounds. Which, if borne out, hints at a slight uptick. Or perhaps it’s a statistical anomaly and inbounds avalanche deaths will quickly taper off again. Moving forward, though, with avalanche control getting more sophisticated due to new mitigation devices like Daisy Bells and GazEx Exploders, the control work might just stay ahead of it. Let’s hope so.
. . ."
MissySki
Angel Diva
Copying this off of a post on a search and rescue page in the area on Facebook. Powerful first hand account from the most recent incident. Gives me a whole lot of anxiety just reading it and imagining myself in this situation, how terrifying!
The following is a first-hand account from a survivor of the recent Silver Mountain Ski Area avalanche. Full burial, with time to rescue estimated to be 50 minutes. Thank you, Mr Fuzak, for sharing your story.
"I am posting the following with much thanks and gratitude to Silver Mountain Ski Patrol, Search and Rescue and the numerous other volunteers that saved me and my fellow riders Tuesday. Very Grateful to still be here. Ride safe.
01/07/2020
Personal Summery by Bill Fuzak
Avalanche burial at Silver Mountain Ski Area / Wardner Traverse / 16 to 1 run
On Tuesday Jan 7, 2020 around 11 AM I was involved in and consequently fully buried for approximately 50 minutes in an inbounds avalanche at Silver Mountain Ski and Snowboard Park. The avalanche occurred in a recently opened part of the ski area where over 20 inches of new snow had fallen in two days.
I was part of a group of 10+ skiers and boarders that had entered the Wardner Traverse area and started setting a ski packed path on the Traverse. We had been waiting for the rope to drop for the area and entered the traverse only after the closed sign had been removed and with a Silver Mountain Ski Patrol member giving the verbal ok to “start cutting the traverse ourselves or wait for a Ski Patroller to break trail on the traverse”. I personally heard the conversation with the 3 lead skiers and the patroller as I was the 4th person going out onto the newly cut traverse. Our understanding was avalanche mitigation with explosive charges had been completed off the top of Wardner Peak before skiers and boarders entered the then uncut traverse.
The going was slow and all but 6 or 7 riders of the original group dropped into glades prior to reaching the run named 16 to 1. The three lead skiers dropped in to ski the fresh snow about a third of the way across 16 to1. The rest of us, appx 4 or 5 people, dropped in closer to the tree edge. After only one or two turns the snow started to fracture above us as well as below us and the slide started to propagate and accelerate. I heard a female voice over my right shoulder, I think it was Rebecca, say calmly that “it’s giving way, try to stay on top”. I lost my left ski almost immediately and fell backwards while trying to release my right ski to no avail. A few seconds later while swimming to try and stay on top of the slide it slowed and pulled me down completely under the snow. As the moving snow ground to a halt and compressed around me I started punching upwards with my right fist to create an air hole above me. I was able to successfully reach the surface with my right fist and then started creating space around my mouth and face to get air. When I had air flowing unobstructed into the hole I had created I started waving my gloved hand out the air hole hoping someone would see me. I also shouted for help for several seconds before calming down. I was glad to have air and thought I had a good chance to be rescued.
Within seconds, another, more powerful slide hit and buried my breathing hole under what felt like feet of snow. I heard and felt the snow compress around me and I was unable to move anything but my right hand to clear my face and mouth. At this point I tried to calm my breathing and conserve air. I don’t know how long I stayed conscious after that. I had already relegated myself to the inevitable as I knew the air would not last long. I was in no pain and knew I wasn’t injured. I’m really surprised how calm I felt but knew there was nothing I could do but wait and pray.
The first thing I remember when coming back to consciousness was a group of rescuers cheering that a survivor had been located, me. I cannot express the surprise and relief I felt to hear and see other people digging me out. Ski patroller Bill held my hand and helped keep me calm as he and the others helped dig me out as I was buried upright in the deep snow. Apparently, my lips were blue when they unburied me and I was initially unconscious. My hands and feet were extremely cold but I was uninjured, breathing and moving well. I was elated to still be “here”. I was more than ready to get out of my encasement, afraid that a 3rd slide would bury me again. Bill asked me about other members of the party I was aware of. I thought there were at least 3 others buried in my general vicinity. I believe Ski Patroller Maya Pardue found me with her probe then other volunteers came over to help dig me out. Maya, thanks for sticking to it, finding me and consequently saving my life. I am eternally grateful to you and your group of patrollers.
During and after extrication Patroller Bill checked me over and concluded I was not severely injured. I was able to walk and with help load into a toboggan attached to a snowmobile. A snowmobile driver and Ski Patroller Bill transported me down to the snow cat maintenance facility to be checked out by local medical professionals and warmed up. I sat with and spoke with another rescued local skier named Ken who had also been buried for 50 minutes. He also survived by creating an air space and through the incredible efforts of Ski Patrol and other volunteers on scene. I was interviewed extensively by the Sheriff as well as the head of Silver Mountain Ski Patrol in the Ski patrol office.
I cannot give enough thanks and compliments for the effort shown by the Silver Mountain Ski Patrol, Search and Rescue volunteers as well as other skiers and riders that played a role in saving my life and the other riders lives. My family especially wants to thank them all for saving us. My heart goes out to the families of the two riders that did not survive.
Sincerely,
Bill Fuzak "
The following is a first-hand account from a survivor of the recent Silver Mountain Ski Area avalanche. Full burial, with time to rescue estimated to be 50 minutes. Thank you, Mr Fuzak, for sharing your story.
"I am posting the following with much thanks and gratitude to Silver Mountain Ski Patrol, Search and Rescue and the numerous other volunteers that saved me and my fellow riders Tuesday. Very Grateful to still be here. Ride safe.
01/07/2020
Personal Summery by Bill Fuzak
Avalanche burial at Silver Mountain Ski Area / Wardner Traverse / 16 to 1 run
On Tuesday Jan 7, 2020 around 11 AM I was involved in and consequently fully buried for approximately 50 minutes in an inbounds avalanche at Silver Mountain Ski and Snowboard Park. The avalanche occurred in a recently opened part of the ski area where over 20 inches of new snow had fallen in two days.
I was part of a group of 10+ skiers and boarders that had entered the Wardner Traverse area and started setting a ski packed path on the Traverse. We had been waiting for the rope to drop for the area and entered the traverse only after the closed sign had been removed and with a Silver Mountain Ski Patrol member giving the verbal ok to “start cutting the traverse ourselves or wait for a Ski Patroller to break trail on the traverse”. I personally heard the conversation with the 3 lead skiers and the patroller as I was the 4th person going out onto the newly cut traverse. Our understanding was avalanche mitigation with explosive charges had been completed off the top of Wardner Peak before skiers and boarders entered the then uncut traverse.
The going was slow and all but 6 or 7 riders of the original group dropped into glades prior to reaching the run named 16 to 1. The three lead skiers dropped in to ski the fresh snow about a third of the way across 16 to1. The rest of us, appx 4 or 5 people, dropped in closer to the tree edge. After only one or two turns the snow started to fracture above us as well as below us and the slide started to propagate and accelerate. I heard a female voice over my right shoulder, I think it was Rebecca, say calmly that “it’s giving way, try to stay on top”. I lost my left ski almost immediately and fell backwards while trying to release my right ski to no avail. A few seconds later while swimming to try and stay on top of the slide it slowed and pulled me down completely under the snow. As the moving snow ground to a halt and compressed around me I started punching upwards with my right fist to create an air hole above me. I was able to successfully reach the surface with my right fist and then started creating space around my mouth and face to get air. When I had air flowing unobstructed into the hole I had created I started waving my gloved hand out the air hole hoping someone would see me. I also shouted for help for several seconds before calming down. I was glad to have air and thought I had a good chance to be rescued.
Within seconds, another, more powerful slide hit and buried my breathing hole under what felt like feet of snow. I heard and felt the snow compress around me and I was unable to move anything but my right hand to clear my face and mouth. At this point I tried to calm my breathing and conserve air. I don’t know how long I stayed conscious after that. I had already relegated myself to the inevitable as I knew the air would not last long. I was in no pain and knew I wasn’t injured. I’m really surprised how calm I felt but knew there was nothing I could do but wait and pray.
The first thing I remember when coming back to consciousness was a group of rescuers cheering that a survivor had been located, me. I cannot express the surprise and relief I felt to hear and see other people digging me out. Ski patroller Bill held my hand and helped keep me calm as he and the others helped dig me out as I was buried upright in the deep snow. Apparently, my lips were blue when they unburied me and I was initially unconscious. My hands and feet were extremely cold but I was uninjured, breathing and moving well. I was elated to still be “here”. I was more than ready to get out of my encasement, afraid that a 3rd slide would bury me again. Bill asked me about other members of the party I was aware of. I thought there were at least 3 others buried in my general vicinity. I believe Ski Patroller Maya Pardue found me with her probe then other volunteers came over to help dig me out. Maya, thanks for sticking to it, finding me and consequently saving my life. I am eternally grateful to you and your group of patrollers.
During and after extrication Patroller Bill checked me over and concluded I was not severely injured. I was able to walk and with help load into a toboggan attached to a snowmobile. A snowmobile driver and Ski Patroller Bill transported me down to the snow cat maintenance facility to be checked out by local medical professionals and warmed up. I sat with and spoke with another rescued local skier named Ken who had also been buried for 50 minutes. He also survived by creating an air space and through the incredible efforts of Ski Patrol and other volunteers on scene. I was interviewed extensively by the Sheriff as well as the head of Silver Mountain Ski Patrol in the Ski patrol office.
I cannot give enough thanks and compliments for the effort shown by the Silver Mountain Ski Patrol, Search and Rescue volunteers as well as other skiers and riders that played a role in saving my life and the other riders lives. My family especially wants to thank them all for saving us. My heart goes out to the families of the two riders that did not survive.
Sincerely,
Bill Fuzak "
newboots
Angel Diva
Oh, that is chilling! Thank goodness for well-trained ski patrol!
I understand that the victims were skiing and riding inbounds, but this does emphasize the need for avy equipment in risky territory. I ski in Vermont, where this is much less of an issue, as far as I know. Avalanches are rare here. But it makes one think about paying attention to the conditions we are in, and staying aware and educated.
I understand that the victims were skiing and riding inbounds, but this does emphasize the need for avy equipment in risky territory. I ski in Vermont, where this is much less of an issue, as far as I know. Avalanches are rare here. But it makes one think about paying attention to the conditions we are in, and staying aware and educated.
MissySki
Angel Diva
geargrrl
Angel Diva
Silver is one of my local hills. The guy who survived is friends of friends, and another friend lost someone. Patrollers from our hill assisted in the second and third day search. Another friend who is SAR was up there with her cadaver-trained dog yesterday. I've hike and skied that very run every time I go there. The third victim had been deposited way out of the predicted zone which is why it took so long for them to find her.
My hub was at Fernie and skiing bowl that had been bombed and cut, cleared for safety, then opened. It released under him and he barely skied out. There is a lot of stupid s**t being said online about it but thankfully divas are pretty well informed.
My hub was at Fernie and skiing bowl that had been bombed and cut, cleared for safety, then opened. It released under him and he barely skied out. There is a lot of stupid s**t being said online about it but thankfully divas are pretty well informed.
MissySki
Angel Diva
newboots
Angel Diva
I’m sorry, too, about how close you are to this one.
Tvan
Angel Diva
Wow, @marzNC. That article is sobering.
“People make terrible decisions with greater frequency and confidence.”
That is a particularly chilling statement.
“People make terrible decisions with greater frequency and confidence.”
That is a particularly chilling statement.
sibhusky
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Posted on Facebook by Two Bear
This video was taken at the Silver Mountain Ski area Avalanche. We received a request for assistance Wednesday night after the searchers were not able to locate the eighth person buried. The team flew out first thing Thursday morning and were able to locate the missing person using the Recco detector. This is the first time we have had to use this device on a mission. Once the team deployed the device they were able to receive a reflective signal within minutes of starting to scan the debris field. They dropped locator streamers to identify the location for the Searchers. This is sadly a testament of the capabilities of the Recco detector. The person was buried approximately 20 feet but was wearing Recco equipped clothing and made the search much easier. Thank you to all the Searchers and Volunteers in working hard to help locate this person and all the others. Our hearts go out to the families.
marzNC
Angel Diva
Here's the complete story of the Silver in-bounds avalanche (same source as above). The last skier to be located had a connection to a Diva's family. Go here for info about a fundraiser for SheJumps in honor of her love of life full of adventures.From another source, there's still a skier missing who was skiing at Silver at the time of the avalanches. Hoping it's a mistake....
https://www.shoshonenewspress.com/local_news/20200108/avalanche_search_continues
Jan. 10, 2020, Shoshone News Press
THREE SKIERS KILLED IN SILVER MOUNTAIN AVALANCHE
