2011/12 Snowy Range snow conditions
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HappyJack
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Alabny Snowmobiler Killed by Falling Tree
Snowmobiler killed by falling tree
BY AARON LeCLAIR / lbedit7@laramieboomerang.com • Thursday, January 05, 2012 Print E-mail 1 comment(s) Share A Colorado man who owns a cabin near Albany was killed on Dec. 29 when he was struck by a falling tree while snowmobiling in the Snowy Range Mountains.
William A. Rice, 70, of Lakewood, Colo., was pronounced dead at 2:56 p.m. on Dec. 29 after he was struck by a falling tree that had been broken and blown over by the high winds that swept over southeastern Wyoming last week.
Albany County Coroner Kathleen Vernon-Kubichek said on Wednesday that Rice died from blood loss due to a tear in a subclavian artery.
“The subclavian artery runs beneath your clavicle bone (in your upper chest area). His had been torn from the blunt force trauma of the tree hitting him,” she said. “Basically, he bled to death internally.”
Rice lost consciousness shortly after the accident. He regained consciousness and then became unconscious for the final time about 45-60 minutes after the accident, Vernon-Kubichek said.
The coroner’s office is awaiting a toxicology report, which will show if Rice had any chemicals or substances in his body at the time of death.
However, Vernon-Kubichek said there is no evidence that Rice was under the influence at the time of the accident.
“We’re not suspecting that that’s going to show anything,” she said.
The accident happened shortly before 12:20 p.m. on Dec. 29. Three deputies were on a routine forest patrol on the snowmobile trails about 11 miles northwest of Albany when they were approached by an unidentified man.
Sheriff Dave O’Malley said the man told the deputies his friend had been struck by a falling tree while riding a snowmobile.
“They were really close. They were within a few minutes of where he was located … several miles in on the T trail,” O’Malley said the of the deputies’ proximity to the accident. “So, at least our guys were on scene very quickly.”
The man told deputies that Rice had been traveling at a “really slow speed” when he was hit by part of a 60-foot tree that had been broken and blown down by the high winds.
“It was a big tree,” O’Malley said. “(Deputy) Josh (DeBree) said it was 12-15 inches in diameter.”
The tree was healthy and had not been infected by the mountain pine beetle, O’Malley said.
“The tree knocked him off of his (snow) machine,” he said. “It must have damaged the throttle on the snow machine because it went on by itself, full throttle, across a meadow and crashed into another tree.”
Deputies arrived at the scene within a few minutes of the accident and found Rice conscious but in a lot of pain, O’Malley said.
“He was wearing a helmet and his facemask had been shattered,” O’Malley said. “He was initially talking.”
A man who was not with Rice’s group arrived in a pickup truck to take him to the hospital.
However, because Rice had suffered trauma to his head and neck, the deputies put him on a backboard and waited for emergency responders to arrive, O’Malley said.
“Our training is … you don’t want to move them until … EMS arrives,” he said. “Josh (DeBree) said he felt that there was head, neck and upper-body trauma.”
While waiting, Rice lost consciousness and quit breathing.
“At that point, (deputies) loaded him into the truck and started CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) immediately,” O’Malley said. “They did CPR all the way to Albany. It took about 25 minutes to get there.”
Rice’s wife was in the Albany Lodge parking lot when they arrived, O’Malley said.
Emergency responders failed to resuscitate Rice at Albany.
Deputies do not believe alcohol or drugs were involved, O’Malley said.
“I know some people go snow machining and they’re drinking and everything,” he said. “It didn’t appear there was any signs of that whatsoever. It was just a huge, horrible accident.”
While he couldn’t say how strong the winds were blowing that day, O’Malley said they were powerful enough to have blown over several pickup truck trailers in the Green Rock parking lot.
According to Rice’s obituary in The Denver Post, he was a snowmobile and all-terrain vehicle enthusiast who was inducted into the Colorado Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2009.
Snowmobiler killed by falling tree
BY AARON LeCLAIR / lbedit7@laramieboomerang.com • Thursday, January 05, 2012 Print E-mail 1 comment(s) Share A Colorado man who owns a cabin near Albany was killed on Dec. 29 when he was struck by a falling tree while snowmobiling in the Snowy Range Mountains.
William A. Rice, 70, of Lakewood, Colo., was pronounced dead at 2:56 p.m. on Dec. 29 after he was struck by a falling tree that had been broken and blown over by the high winds that swept over southeastern Wyoming last week.
Albany County Coroner Kathleen Vernon-Kubichek said on Wednesday that Rice died from blood loss due to a tear in a subclavian artery.
“The subclavian artery runs beneath your clavicle bone (in your upper chest area). His had been torn from the blunt force trauma of the tree hitting him,” she said. “Basically, he bled to death internally.”
Rice lost consciousness shortly after the accident. He regained consciousness and then became unconscious for the final time about 45-60 minutes after the accident, Vernon-Kubichek said.
The coroner’s office is awaiting a toxicology report, which will show if Rice had any chemicals or substances in his body at the time of death.
However, Vernon-Kubichek said there is no evidence that Rice was under the influence at the time of the accident.
“We’re not suspecting that that’s going to show anything,” she said.
The accident happened shortly before 12:20 p.m. on Dec. 29. Three deputies were on a routine forest patrol on the snowmobile trails about 11 miles northwest of Albany when they were approached by an unidentified man.
Sheriff Dave O’Malley said the man told the deputies his friend had been struck by a falling tree while riding a snowmobile.
“They were really close. They were within a few minutes of where he was located … several miles in on the T trail,” O’Malley said the of the deputies’ proximity to the accident. “So, at least our guys were on scene very quickly.”
The man told deputies that Rice had been traveling at a “really slow speed” when he was hit by part of a 60-foot tree that had been broken and blown down by the high winds.
“It was a big tree,” O’Malley said. “(Deputy) Josh (DeBree) said it was 12-15 inches in diameter.”
The tree was healthy and had not been infected by the mountain pine beetle, O’Malley said.
“The tree knocked him off of his (snow) machine,” he said. “It must have damaged the throttle on the snow machine because it went on by itself, full throttle, across a meadow and crashed into another tree.”
Deputies arrived at the scene within a few minutes of the accident and found Rice conscious but in a lot of pain, O’Malley said.
“He was wearing a helmet and his facemask had been shattered,” O’Malley said. “He was initially talking.”
A man who was not with Rice’s group arrived in a pickup truck to take him to the hospital.
However, because Rice had suffered trauma to his head and neck, the deputies put him on a backboard and waited for emergency responders to arrive, O’Malley said.
“Our training is … you don’t want to move them until … EMS arrives,” he said. “Josh (DeBree) said he felt that there was head, neck and upper-body trauma.”
While waiting, Rice lost consciousness and quit breathing.
“At that point, (deputies) loaded him into the truck and started CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) immediately,” O’Malley said. “They did CPR all the way to Albany. It took about 25 minutes to get there.”
Rice’s wife was in the Albany Lodge parking lot when they arrived, O’Malley said.
Emergency responders failed to resuscitate Rice at Albany.
Deputies do not believe alcohol or drugs were involved, O’Malley said.
“I know some people go snow machining and they’re drinking and everything,” he said. “It didn’t appear there was any signs of that whatsoever. It was just a huge, horrible accident.”
While he couldn’t say how strong the winds were blowing that day, O’Malley said they were powerful enough to have blown over several pickup truck trailers in the Green Rock parking lot.
According to Rice’s obituary in The Denver Post, he was a snowmobile and all-terrain vehicle enthusiast who was inducted into the Colorado Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2009.
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Hillclimbpro
Well-known member
Thinking about heading up to the Snowies tomorrow........how is the snow up there? Would it be worth the drive? I dnt expect the snow to be great but i have a new sled i would like to break in before the good stuff comes. Thanks
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Ritfire73
Well-known member
The snow is good for breaking in sleds. Trails are good. I would suggest riding the Albany side.
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HappyJack
Well-known member
Avy Forcast 1.06.X2
Backcountry Avalanche Forecast for Front Range
Issued: 01/06/2012 5:02 AM by Scott Toepfer
Highlights
Look for some interesting lenticular clouds over the Continental Divide today as the jet stream works its way southward. A weak weather system moves into Colorado on Saturday. There was a late day report of a climber caught in a hard slab avalanche near St Mary's Glacier Thursday afternoon. Initial reports mention a hard slab about 2 feet deep, on an easterly aspect near treeline. We will have a forecaster in the area today to get more details.
Avalanche Danger
The avalanche danger for the Front Range zone is MODERATE (Level 2) on N-NE-E-SE aspects near treeline. You will find pockets of MODERATE danger on the same aspects above treeline where you will find isolated areas of reactive wind slab tucked into sheltered terrain features. Elsewhere, the avalanche danger is LOW (Level 1).
Snow & Avalanche Discussion
A call came into our office Thursday afternoon reporting a climber caught in a hard slab avalanche near St Mary's Glacier, which is west of Idaho Springs and north of I-70. The initial report has the hard slab on an easterly aspect starting near treeline. The climber that was caught suffered minor injuries in the estimated 2 foot deep slab. They were able to hike out of the basin under their own power. Persistent hard slabs are sitting on top of weak layers comprised of large faceted grains. Triggering one of these slabs remains the primary avalanche concern today. You are most likely to trigger this type of slide on slopes steeper than 35 degrees facing north through east to south near and above treeline.
The periodic rounds of strong to intense winds that have plagued our mountains so far this winter have loaded slopes in some interesting ways. Areas above treeline have been largely scoured, resulting in a patchwork of hard wind slab interspersed with large areas of bare ground. The slabs exist in pockets down-slope from ridge crests, in cross-loaded gullies, and in sheltered terrain depressions. Slab thickness varies greatly over short distances, ranging anywhere from one to 6+ feet thick in the deepest areas.
The slabs are more continuous near treeline, as the strong winds have pushed much of the recent loading down-slope towards the vegetation.The slabs are a bit softer as you move from the alpine into the near treeline zone. The combination of more continuous and slightly softer slabs, makes it easier to find and trigger slabs in the near treeline elevation band.
You're most likely to trigger one of these slabs from thinner areas along the margins. An example from Berthoud Pass on Sunday illustrates this point (see video below). A skier on east-facing 35 degree slope near treeline in Second Creek triggered a hard slab. He was approximately 100+ feet down slope from the ridge crest, when he triggered the R3/D2.5 slide. He was unable to escape off the slab and took a nasty 400 plus vertical foot ride. There were two similar slab avalanches reported from the Vail Pass and Montezuma areas in the last two days as well. These events demonstrate that it is possible to trigger one of these lurking hard slabs today.
A second avalanche problem is loose dry avalanches. Near and below treeline, dry loose avalanches comprised of facets are possible in wind-sheltered areas on north through northeast through east aspects. If you trigger a loose snow avalanche in the completely faceted snowpack, it may run fast and far.
Backcountry Avalanche Forecast for Front Range
Issued: 01/06/2012 5:02 AM by Scott Toepfer
Highlights
Look for some interesting lenticular clouds over the Continental Divide today as the jet stream works its way southward. A weak weather system moves into Colorado on Saturday. There was a late day report of a climber caught in a hard slab avalanche near St Mary's Glacier Thursday afternoon. Initial reports mention a hard slab about 2 feet deep, on an easterly aspect near treeline. We will have a forecaster in the area today to get more details.
Avalanche Danger
The avalanche danger for the Front Range zone is MODERATE (Level 2) on N-NE-E-SE aspects near treeline. You will find pockets of MODERATE danger on the same aspects above treeline where you will find isolated areas of reactive wind slab tucked into sheltered terrain features. Elsewhere, the avalanche danger is LOW (Level 1).
Snow & Avalanche Discussion
A call came into our office Thursday afternoon reporting a climber caught in a hard slab avalanche near St Mary's Glacier, which is west of Idaho Springs and north of I-70. The initial report has the hard slab on an easterly aspect starting near treeline. The climber that was caught suffered minor injuries in the estimated 2 foot deep slab. They were able to hike out of the basin under their own power. Persistent hard slabs are sitting on top of weak layers comprised of large faceted grains. Triggering one of these slabs remains the primary avalanche concern today. You are most likely to trigger this type of slide on slopes steeper than 35 degrees facing north through east to south near and above treeline.
The periodic rounds of strong to intense winds that have plagued our mountains so far this winter have loaded slopes in some interesting ways. Areas above treeline have been largely scoured, resulting in a patchwork of hard wind slab interspersed with large areas of bare ground. The slabs exist in pockets down-slope from ridge crests, in cross-loaded gullies, and in sheltered terrain depressions. Slab thickness varies greatly over short distances, ranging anywhere from one to 6+ feet thick in the deepest areas.
The slabs are more continuous near treeline, as the strong winds have pushed much of the recent loading down-slope towards the vegetation.The slabs are a bit softer as you move from the alpine into the near treeline zone. The combination of more continuous and slightly softer slabs, makes it easier to find and trigger slabs in the near treeline elevation band.
You're most likely to trigger one of these slabs from thinner areas along the margins. An example from Berthoud Pass on Sunday illustrates this point (see video below). A skier on east-facing 35 degree slope near treeline in Second Creek triggered a hard slab. He was approximately 100+ feet down slope from the ridge crest, when he triggered the R3/D2.5 slide. He was unable to escape off the slab and took a nasty 400 plus vertical foot ride. There were two similar slab avalanches reported from the Vail Pass and Montezuma areas in the last two days as well. These events demonstrate that it is possible to trigger one of these lurking hard slabs today.
A second avalanche problem is loose dry avalanches. Near and below treeline, dry loose avalanches comprised of facets are possible in wind-sheltered areas on north through northeast through east aspects. If you trigger a loose snow avalanche in the completely faceted snowpack, it may run fast and far.
R
Ritfire73
Well-known member
Green rock Parking area isn't worth the wear and tear on your sleds... I wont go there again untill we get FEET of snow. HWY 130 is almost pure asphalt from the time leave the parking area till you hit Sh*t House Hill.
It did snow a little bit but not enought to get your hopes up.
It did snow a little bit but not enought to get your hopes up.
Just got home from Encampement side last night. Riding was better than expected, but a few feet would really help. With warm temps all last week snow packed up quick.
My group would like to say thanks to OwenB for the tour of the Madre's on Wednesday. It's guys like you willing to ride with out of towners that make the mountains fun for everyone, not just the locals. We all have to start in a new area somewhere and your help makes it a heck of lot safer exploring.
Thanks man
Jeff
My group would like to say thanks to OwenB for the tour of the Madre's on Wednesday. It's guys like you willing to ride with out of towners that make the mountains fun for everyone, not just the locals. We all have to start in a new area somewhere and your help makes it a heck of lot safer exploring.
Thanks man
Jeff
It's UGLY and doesn't look good for the foreseeable future. Greenrock is down to dirt, if there wasn't a drift at the gate above the S-turns you could trailer all the way to Marie. It's a smidge better going north across the glacier, but not much. The trail out of Albany is down to dirt in places. The best is to come in from the west out of Chains End and ride in the Brush Creek drains, snow's not bad back there but you still have to tippy-toe around.
The one on the Pro had problems, ended up riding the Doo, it ran really well! Good thing I didn't run into ya out there; Jason would've had a field day!LOL
Well, here is my contribution to the "stuck record".........Rode out of GreenRock on Saturday and Sunday. Whew.....rough conditions and paranoid riding anywhere you go.
Still found some waist deep snow in the trees and had fun. Bumped a few things but everyone brought the sleds home un-broken. Good time regardless sledding and hangin' out with some great guys!
BUT......won't be riding until Mother Nature SNOWS AND SNOWS DEEEEEEP! Needs a month of steady storms to build up a safe riding base.
Still found some waist deep snow in the trees and had fun. Bumped a few things but everyone brought the sleds home un-broken. Good time regardless sledding and hangin' out with some great guys!
BUT......won't be riding until Mother Nature SNOWS AND SNOWS DEEEEEEP! Needs a month of steady storms to build up a safe riding base.
My pleasure!
You guys were great, hopefully when you come back there will be enough snow to access the 75% we were only able to look at.
-- my wife and I took a full moon ride on the range last night, there is decent snow coverage on the road (heard pavement on my skis a few times)
We rode to lake Marie and rockmobiled up to the look out on Libby flats it was beautiful and depressing there is way too many dark spots for this time of year.
D
dp2826
Well-known member
Well put.. We bumped a few things also, but were able to still find waist deep snow. I do not regret going at all.
I didn't know Snowy Range Tours had a web cam. WOW, how can you even ride right now?
http://www.snowyrangetours.com/webcam.php
http://www.snowyrangetours.com/webcam.php
M
maddog21
Well-known member
wow it need more snow!
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