Ski deaths

[joeatomictoad]

Eldora Mountain had a couple fatalities these past 2 weeks. The news is always distasteful, and I always cringe.

Of course skiing is inherently risky, and there are going to be accidents / injuries / deaths / etc throughout the course of a ski season. This year is rather dry for much of the Colorado Rockies, and the resorts rely more heavily on man-made snow (East Coast powder), so icy conditions are more prevalent on the slopes.

I just wonder, is this a common trend? Less natural snow = more injuries???

Makes sense to me, but I don't know if the data or the anecdotes support it.

[Montana St Alum]

It's possible. I don't know of any hard data, but most of the bad injuries in the Rockies seem to be avalanche related (natural snow, of course) and head injuries in ski areas - usually into mid-season. There was a recent death in Utah caused by a guy skiing through a snow gun, losing visual and hitting a snowbank, I think. (https://kslnewsradio.com/1960104/skier- ... -brighton/). That's the first I've seen of that out here. We used to ski through snow making out east all the time years ago. I assume that hasn't changed.

[Woodserson]

Man made snow out west = congestion on the slopes due to limited terrain?

Once the guns start out east they go all day. Best skiing can be under the guns.

[Montana St Alum]

I'm heading out for day 9 and it hasn't been crowded. But that could end since the storm we're getting is shutting down the golf courses and mountain bike trails! Also there's not much to get stoked about on man made out here; mostly people getting outside for some exercise. Once the snow starts piling up, tourists arrive and people's testosterone levels rise up off the charts! Most skier deaths out here are outside area boundaries. There's an occasional avy inbounds, but it's rare. I think Colorado gets 5 or 6 deaths per year from avalanches and here in Utah, 4 out of a group of 8 were killed last year in one. Every once in a while we have a fatality inbounds, but it seems really rare, early season. The other day I skied through a snowgun blast for the first time I can recall since my days at Hunter mountain 50+ years ago!

[Stephen]

Moved my comment to new Topic here:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4477&sid=c9e36e0730 ... 198f831caa

[Montana St Alum]

I have been having a growing sense of dread about avalanches.

Back in my 20s (before the telegraph) I remember hearing WOMPs all the time while skiing in the Rockies, and mostly just finding that “Interesting.”
I know I could have been killed multiple times, but was lucky.

Just started reading “Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain.”
The author starts out by making a few points:
- Avalanche terrain is “safe” a high percentage of the time;
- We pass through dangerous areas often, without incident;
- Therefore, we start to think we must know something about staying safe.
He shares his early-in-life, come to Jesus moment where he found out first-hand how little he knew and how lucky he was to survive his ignorance.

He also points out that the majority of those who die in an avalanche are well educated males.

I know a lot of people here are sticking to low angle terrain, but even there it’s possible to be in or near avalanche terrain without realizing the risks. If one is in a terrain trap, and if 10’ or 15’ of slope above you breaks away, one can be buried.

For me, this is the moment I admit how little I know and do something about it:
- Reading the book;
- Signed up for AIARE Level 1 avalanche class (yes, it’s kind of expensive, but so is dying);
- Bought a Beacon (now need to learn how to use it like someone’s life depends on me using it skillfully).

If you ski where it can slide, encourage you to educate yourself.
No one who has died in an avalanche was planning on that…

The 4 people, in the group of 8 who died last year were in low angle terrain. The avalanche had been set off by people above them. Like the WWII vet said, "I don't mind the bullet with my name on it. It's the one addressed "to whom it may concern" that really worries me!"

I no longer bother. My sons both have Jetforce bags:
"Our revolutionary JetForce Technology is still rechargeable and travel-friendly, and features multiple deployments, with automatic deflation to create an air pocket, and has an automated self-diagnosis, but now the updated, lower-profile system is positioned lower, which improves the way the pack carries."

Nothing is a guarantee, but when you're in terrain like this (Alaska, Tordrillo range), stacking the deck helps!

I rode a slab at Bridger Bowl in the early 1970's for about 100 feet. It was inconsequential, but it got my attention. Back then I shrugged it off, but now I'm just not pushing it.

[Krummholz]

Most resort deaths are Speed + Tree. Helmets seem to be inconsequential in the deaths. At the closest backcountry to me “Berthoud Pass”, most people who get in trouble are the newbies and a few experts who think their experience can overcome dangerous conditions. I don’t know that I don’t know and I know that I know, but I’ve been doing this for 30 years so I’m good. He who skis away lives to ski another day.

https://www.skyhinews.com/news/coroner- ... avalanche/

Your Womps might have been explosive avalanche control. There are CDOT warning signs for skiers in the backcountry that explosives used for avalanche control at any time.

https://www.skyhinews.com/news/berthoud ... g-highway/

[Stephen]

@Krummholz, those womps were the ones where you feel like you just dropped a few inches…

[エイダン.シダル]

Different sport, same idea: 'there are old climbers and there are bold climbers, but there are no old, bold climbers.'

[zonca]

25+ years ago I was doing guided hut trips and had very high confidence in those guides who know the local terrain and are highly qualified by their association. I was out with an outfit that had several huts and the one in the next valley was hosting a group of 12 gear testers from a well established US brand. Most of the top guides from the hut operator were there too. Combined I guess there were 100s of years of experience in that group. One morning they were just heading out from the hut and got slammed. One person was injured enough to get flown out. Moral of that story is that random events can always happen and no amount of experience or prep makes for certainty in the mountains.

Slightly off topic- While not often deadly by far the greatest risk of injury in bounds is skier collisions.