pics from earlier in the day.
Avalanche at Bear Paw!
- Thread starter Happy Bunny
- Start date
Hi everyone
I witnessed this slide from the ridge/cornice that takes you back toward church mountain. If you look at the left side of the first photo i believe the highest sidehill mark coming into the picture is his.(he was going from the left to right) he crossed over the main route that heads back toward widow maker and into the saddle/slide area on a sidehill line just above the lowest band of rocks that where uncovered.(looked like he was going to go above the large cliffs on the right of photo).
I want to say he was a third of the way across slide path when it came down and somehow rode out the same way he came across.(i was yelling to the sleds on the lake at the bottom and watching to make sure they got out. i didnt see his exact escape)
Slide broke in multiple places and on the face with the cornice fractures coming behind it. The debris came to a stop just as it started to go up hill at a bench below the ridge i was on.
My riding buddy took lots of pic and i will have im post them here. This was the craziest thing i have ever witnessed in my life and a huge eye opener for me! Feel free to ask more questions as i will be following the thread closely to see what everyone is saying as this riding area is newer to me
This piece will probably go tomarrow so caution this place.
Im pretty sure some of that did come down on sunday. my buddy is going to post our pics that we took sunday so we can compare. I didnt see any other like this big from this storm. I have been up at bearpaw after each cycle in the past month and this spot has filled in alot. The lower rock band in the first pic was exposed quite a bit in early march and was completely smooth before this slide. I did notice in the next bowl back a similar aspect had a crown on it from a slide that happened during or before the most recent cycle but am not positive.
GOOD INFO dooghost! Can't believe you were watching from the top of the ridge. Crazy man, crazy. Let's see those pics.
H
Happy Bunny
Active member
I'm back! Wow, a lot of questions... and thanks to those that restated what I had already stated and to filling in the blanks 
It happened between 2pm and 4pm, but who really knows, I wasn't looking at my watch... wait... I don't wear one while I'm riding.
The sledder, my husband, was not technically doing a sidehill, more of a climb on an angle. A sidehill to us is straight across it I'm glad that Dooghost had some of the answers, I was making my way out on the left when this all happened.... my husband was 2 sleds ahead of me when he turned off to make the climb.
Thanks to everyone for their well wishes.
And please, post any avalanche info you have with the Avalanche websites... it could save a life.
It happened between 2pm and 4pm, but who really knows, I wasn't looking at my watch... wait... I don't wear one while I'm riding.
The sledder, my husband, was not technically doing a sidehill, more of a climb on an angle. A sidehill to us is straight across it
I'm glad that Dooghost had some of the answers, I was making my way out on the left when this all happened.... my husband was 2 sleds ahead of me when he turned off to make the climb.Thanks to everyone for their well wishes.
And please, post any avalanche info you have with the Avalanche websites... it could save a life.
any idea on how deep it was at the crown line?
Scary!!!
Scary!!!
The sick part is ALL sledders never think this is reality until they see it first hand or have experienced it. Then we still don't respect it enough! I have been sleddin for over thirty years now and have been buried twice. It took my Dad being killed in one to make me stop taking chances. Every time I ride and he is not right there by my side pushing me or the group or teasing me about my sled not running like it should it is very sobering!! It has affect our group. I hope anyone who has never seen one first hand or lost someone in one thinks about it!
Everyone asks what time did it break, was the sun on it,was it a rider that cut it loose? The fact is with such drastic changes in our weather patter latley none of its stable! Would you point a gun in your face and say I wonder if this is loaded? I love to ride as much as anyone and I love the powder and hill climbing. But when its raining and then snowing back and forth its not the time to go play.
Everyone asks what time did it break, was the sun on it,was it a rider that cut it loose? The fact is with such drastic changes in our weather patter latley none of its stable! Would you point a gun in your face and say I wonder if this is loaded? I love to ride as much as anyone and I love the powder and hill climbing. But when its raining and then snowing back and forth its not the time to go play.
H
Happy Bunny
Active member
I have no idea how thick it was at the crown line... I speculated about 4-5', but some are thinking it was up to 15' deep. There was approx. 10'+ at the bottom when it was all over.
Not an experience I want to repeat. I was there on Jan.1, 2008 helping after the other big one in Excelsior that took Danny and Sheila.....
It can happen any time, anywhere, to anyone! Be safe everyone!
Bob was telling me the story yesterday, it came very close to both of them at the bottom. . He said he stopped to grab a backpack that was on the ground, looked back and it was right there. Needless to say he didn't get the pack.
I have no idea how thick it was at the crown line... I speculated about 4-5', but some are thinking it was up to 15' deep. There was approx. 10'+ at the bottom when it was all over.
Not an experience I want to repeat. I was there on Jan.1, 2008 helping after the other big one in Excelsior that took Danny and Sheila.....
It can happen any time, anywhere, to anyone! Be safe everyone!
if it cracked at the old snow line wich it lookes to be at least 15+ ....
hope its the last of this size and bigger
H
Happy Bunny
Active member
I told Verdie I would keep my eyes open for the pack as the season goes on. Anyone else who rides in this area, could you please keep your eyes open for it and let me know if it gets found.... in like 2 months.... afte the snow melts some more
I told Verdie I would keep my eyes open for the pack as the season goes on. Anyone else who rides in this area, could you please keep your eyes open for it and let me know if it gets found.... in like 2 months.... afte the snow melts some more
Yea i will keep an eye out for it. I was on of the skiers there on the ski doo's.
Why?
I am so glad to hear everyone is safe!!
So we can all learn something from this, would you be willing to post the answers to the following? Please understand, I am not trying to bash anyone here. We all make mistakes and it is our mistakes that sometimes lead to avalanches. If we ask tough questions and learn from the answers we might be able to stay away from more losses.
1. Did you guys know the avvy danger was high? Did you check the report before you went? If not, how come? Do you know about the NWAC?
2. If so, this was obviously avvy terrain, why did you choose to go to this place? Was it familiar to you? Was it because the snow was awesome, the day was beautiful and you just had to go?
3. Did you guys talk at all about your riding plan before you left the parking lot? After you left?
Thanks ahead of time if you decide to answer for everyone. If not, I can understand that too.
T
I am so glad to hear everyone is safe!!
So we can all learn something from this, would you be willing to post the answers to the following? Please understand, I am not trying to bash anyone here. We all make mistakes and it is our mistakes that sometimes lead to avalanches. If we ask tough questions and learn from the answers we might be able to stay away from more losses.
1. Did you guys know the avvy danger was high? Did you check the report before you went? If not, how come? Do you know about the NWAC?
2. If so, this was obviously avvy terrain, why did you choose to go to this place? Was it familiar to you? Was it because the snow was awesome, the day was beautiful and you just had to go?
3. Did you guys talk at all about your riding plan before you left the parking lot? After you left?
Thanks ahead of time if you decide to answer for everyone. If not, I can understand that too.
T
Just a couple questions to add to BroT's if you will---
1. Have you had an avalanche awareness course? One was offered at Mt. Baker motor Sports a few weeks ago and no one signed up. It was cancelled for lack of participation.
2. Was there more than one person on the slope at the time of the slide?
3. Did everyone have the appropriate gear and know how to use it?
Please answer these questions for us. Again, we are not trying to point fingers but am curious.
I was at the Baker Shootout Saturday. The avy danger was HIGH. I saw people ride on slopes that they should not have been on (myself included). Everyone enjoyed the awesome weather and snow and most threw caution aside and rode in the steep and deep.
BroT, myself, and others can hook you up with an avy awareness course if you are interested. Please PM me if you are at all interested.
BigT
1. Have you had an avalanche awareness course? One was offered at Mt. Baker motor Sports a few weeks ago and no one signed up. It was cancelled for lack of participation.
2. Was there more than one person on the slope at the time of the slide?
3. Did everyone have the appropriate gear and know how to use it?
Please answer these questions for us. Again, we are not trying to point fingers but am curious.
I was at the Baker Shootout Saturday. The avy danger was HIGH. I saw people ride on slopes that they should not have been on (myself included). Everyone enjoyed the awesome weather and snow and most threw caution aside and rode in the steep and deep.
BroT, myself, and others can hook you up with an avy awareness course if you are interested. Please PM me if you are at all interested.
BigT
C
Comp 670
Well-known member
You offer up how to go to a avy course but you yourself don't even use what you learned from one.???
Not tryin to be a jerk here.Just wondering why you did not heed the warning signs after knowing it was a high avy risk
from taking a avy class....
For how high the avy danger was last weekend it's amazing more avys wern't triggered.
Looks like the" force" was with you all!! Nice to hear everyone was safe!
M
MAC29
Well-known member
I agree with Happy Bunny, it can happen anytime to anyone anywhere.To me they did nothing wrong other than they were in the back country.Everyone should accept that if you ride the back country you are in danger.I know I can not stay away but I accept that. Most deaths occure in moderate conditions,why is that? Be prepared, keep an eye on the people in your group and if something should happen do not panic. There are some places I can not take my wife because we both know she would panic or hesitate and probably could not save me and that would be quite a burden to live with.Accept the risk or stay out of the back country.jmho
I think that is a very good question. You have to understand that BigT is EXTREMELY conservative when it comes to avvy's and that will keep him alive (and me!). The avvy slopes he was referring to that we were on that Saturday were the small slopes on peanut nob heading up to the Salad Bowl at Baker. Compared to most of the slopes we saw people on that day, the ones in the pics above incuded, we stayed on the golf course. We evaluated the risk and decided to ride in very conservative areas. Could they have still slid and should we have even been up at all that day...good question.
We were there to help with the club's event (which was great, by the way) and we were prepared to act quickly in case something bad did happen. I was very happy to see us all come off the hill that day without any incidents.
T
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