3 DEAD in Star Valley Wyoming

[Dam Dave]

Star Valley is in North West Wyoming, Afton, Alpine area.


This is getting stupid...................

Men found dead in Star Valley avalanche

By the Star-Tribune staff Saturday, January 12, 2008


Three men were found dead Saturday afternoon in the Cottonwood Lake area in Star Valley, the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office reported.

The names of the men were not released by the sheriff's office, which noted the men were caught in an avalanche while snowmobiling.

The men were found by the Star Valley Search and Rescue team Saturday, the sheriff's office noted in the release.

It's not known how long the men had been in the area, a sheriff's dispatcher said.

http://www.jacksonholestartrib.com/articles/2008/01/12/news/breaking/doc478982fd14145630118239.txt

 

[RMKcowboy]

Boy, these stories are piling up this year We ALL need to be extra careful out there, it seems that conditions are ripe all across the western US and Canada for slides. Be careful out there everyone!

 

[Nikolai]

This is stupid and there is no excuse for it. If it looks sketchy and you second guess it, stay off of it. The sport is fun but it aint worth losing your life over.

 

[Hoody]

As much as I love these new sleds I think they are part of the problem. Use to be you would have to drop 20 grand to get the kind of sleds were are getting stock these days. Getting us high up the hills and we arent aware of the conditions. Makes for some bad conditions. I fell for the familys.

 

[skibreeze]

Yep ^^^^^^^^

I will admit that I was pretty uneducated about avy danger when I first started riding, and lucky that I wasn't killed. It would be interesting to know what the victim's experience levels are.

 

[Sunridge Sledhead]

Very sad! But, I don't think it can be blamed on the sleds.....

 

[RMKRAZY]

Cottonwood Lakes area is steep stuff and I know locals up that way that shy away from it. Sad deal indeed....

 

[SNOW JW]

If you stay down in the trees and get into some smaller steep climbs with lots of powder it will still take all the power you have and no fear of an Avy if it does slide it would be very small. I love to climb the larger stuff but this year is not a good year for it.

 

[Hoody]

I wasn't saying that it's the sleds fault. I was saying being that we have these high horse sleds with low weight. People hopping on and not being aware, it's just easier to get caught in a avy these days.

 

[Sunridge Sledhead]

I wasn't saying that it's the sleds fault. I was saying being that we have these high horse sleds with low weight. People hopping on and not being aware, it's just easier to get caught in a avy these days.

I understand....not bashing at all. No matter what, this is getting serious and we need to all me more safe and aware!

Ride safe! Be Smart! Pay attention!

God bless the family, friends and loved ones of those lost!...

 

[WFO]

Sad deal for sure

The reports I have heard are the victims were not on the hill, in fact they were a ways away in an open meadow. The debris field is upwards of 60' deep. It was a very steep slope that went naturally and HUGE.

I have friends that know all of the victims well, and they all have familes. My heartfelt condolences go out to the rest of the riders that were there, and to the Families.

jw

 

[CatWoman]

This is really getting hard! Thoughts and prayers to family and friends.

 

[Viper5]

Thoughts and prayers to family and friends.

I may not a make trip to mountains this year, this is getting scarry

 

[PJ-Hunter]

Yep, we had a skier in Vail get killed yesterday in the SECOND avy in 8 days at the East Vail Chutes. That was stupid, why ski there when there was an avy there last week. Very sad!

 

[mmaxcarver]

This is stupid and there is no excuse for it. If it looks sketchy and you second guess it, stay off of it. The sport is fun but it aint worth losing your life over.

I would agree, just think of the family/wife/children left behind, just because someone had to out highmark someone else if that's what they were doing? Seems pretty selfish to me...

 

[skibreeze]

Sad deal for sure

The reports I have heard are the victims were not on the hill, in fact they were a ways away in an open meadow. The debris field is upwards of 60' deep. It was a very steep slope that went naturally and HUGE.

I have friends that know all of the victims well, and they all have familes. My heartfelt condolences go out to the rest of the riders that were there, and to the Families.

jw

60 feet? Holy Crap!! I gotta see pics if it was that big.

Unfortunatley I don't see avy deaths decreasing, just look at traffic fatalities, they've averaged 40k a year for years. People see that year after year, yet it doesn't change.

 

[XXL]

The slopes that can slide are not as steep as you think, 30-50 degrees is not very steep. It really woke me up.

 

[Turtlehead]

Ttt

 

[Kevco]

Im glad you posted Jared!! Did you get the fire breather? Sorry for the loss of life.

 

[Gone Sleddin]

just returned from that area. they have been getting dumped on the last couple weeks and the riding was outstanding but the locals told us to stay away from the big hills. even in the flats i could feel a sugary crusty layer under a couple feet of powder. stay safe out there, it is going to be unstable for awhile yet. there are plenty of meadows and small rollies to have fun on until stuff sets up