avalanche between south willow and strawberry

[WFOWA]

this happened last saturday. hope the very vague location is correct. hope I'm even posting on the right site. here is a video of the aftermath. I'm from washington and this is the first time I have ever seen someone buried. happy to be ok.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8wzZ-AhVho&list=UUVX0TCS3bupT0wiB3Elfd7A&index=7&feature=plcp

scroll to the middle of the video for avalanche footage.

please tell me if you see anything unsafe I or one of my group members have done. I'm signing up for an avalance training session as soon as I tell all my amazing stories from wyoming. sadly it took one of my friends to almost die to actually decide to buy an ave pack and a training session.

 

[airmanf]

Asside from riding on unstable snow you were all climbing on the same hill at the same time. Glad it turned out good for you. Now go educate yourself!!!

 

[EagleRiverDee]

Definitely glad it worked out.

Only one rider should ever be on a hill at a time, regardless of how spaced out you are. The reason for this is multiple: Keeps the stress on the snowpack to just one sled, keeps one rider from sweeping up other riders in an avy he causes, and has the other riders in the group parked in a safe(!) spot observing so that if he does cause an avy they can watch his last known location so they know where to start looking. Parked in a safe spot is key- the group should not park in a potential avy runout zone. Entire groups of people get killed doing that.

Good for you for taking a class and getting the gear. Recommend reading "Snow Sense" by Jill Fredston and Doug Fesler and "Staying Alive In Avalanche Terrain" by Bruce Tremper if you're going to continue recreating in the mountains IN ADDITION to taking a class. And don't forget to practice with your beacon and make sure your friends do also.