Colorado: Snowmobilers Lead Avalanche Death Totals

[MtnDoo]

Unfortunately, I guess all of that "Education" isn't having much impact on the snowmobile community.
The article is slanted, but the stats tell the real story.

Better luck next year?

MD.

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Avalanche deaths below average in Colorado
Early season marked by cycle of inbounds accidents

Bob Berwyn
Summit County correspondent
Aspen, CO Colorado


The Colorado Avalanche Information Center ended its forecasts for the season Sunday, but experts warn that some slide dangers persist in the high country throughout the summer.

There have been avalanche fatalities and accidents in Colorado every month of the year. Spring and summer slides are infrequent, but when the heavy, wet snow does slide, it can take skiers or climbers for a dangerous ride over rocks and cliffs.

This past winter, four people died in avalanches in Colorado. The long-term average annual number of fatalities has hovered around six. All the Colorado deaths occurred within a 10-day span in mid- to late-December, when substantial snows began piling atop a weak early season base.

Across the country, 27 people died in snow slides, 16 of them snowmobilers. Avalanche deaths involving snowmobilers have spiked in recent years, as more powerful machines have enabled people to easily reach slid-prone powder stashes.

Search and rescue pros say the snowmobile community is still catching up on the educational side of the equation. Some local experts also say that snowmobilers are not as likely to be carrying beacons, probes and shovels, the gear needed for speedy partner rescue.

The Colorado deaths included two snowmobilers caught in a single slide near Granby, a former well-known Summit County resident who perished in an out-of-bounds slide on the back side of Aspen Mountain, and a backcountry snowboarder in the mountains near Crested Butte.

The season began on an alarming note, with several deaths inside ski area boundaries across the West, at Squaw Valley, Calif., Jackson Hole, Wyo., and Snowbird, Utah. There was also a close call at Vail, where a skier was trapped in a slide in Blue Sky Basin on terrain that had been cleared by the ski patrol.

In a span of less then a month, between Dec. 14 and Jan. 8, 23 people died in avalanches across North America, 13 of them in the U.S., according to Dale Atkins, vice president for the avalanche rescue commission at the International Commission for Alpine Rescue.

December saw the most recorded avalanche deaths for any December since the mining days, Atkins said in a New York Times interview, commenting for a story about the inbounds deaths.

After several out-of-bounds deaths at Whistler, the resort posted guards at backcountry access points to prevent entry into hazardous terrain.

The culprit in the early season slide cycle was a layer of ice near the bottom of the snowpack that was widespread across the West. But as the snowpack above the ice layer deepened, the hazard diminished and the rate of accidents decreased.

In the end, it was a below-average year for slide deaths. There hasn’t been an avalanche death in Summit County for several years, although two people died in nearby Eagle County, in the East Vail backcountry, in the 2007-08 season.

Spring safety
In a season-ending message on the avy center web site, the forecasters explained that most spring and summer avalanches occur when the snowpack loses strength as water percolates between the layers and individual crystals. Recent rains could boost the danger of wet snow slides, especially when warmer weather returns.

Overnight temperatures are key to assessing the avalanche hazard this time of year. Sub-freezing temperatures solidify the snow pack, enabling safe travel early in the morning and good skiing as the surface of the snow softens.

Being able to squeeze water out of a handful of snow is a warning sign, as is sinking into the snow more than ankle-deep.

High daytime temps can also up the danger, melting cornices and snow around rock outcrops — likely spots for a slide to start.

Check the avalanche center website for more information at http://avalanche.state.co.us.

bberwyn@summitdaily.com
Avalanche deaths — 2008-09 season
Skier 4
Snowboarder 1
Snowmobiler 16
Snowshoer/Climber/Hiker 1
In-bounds skier/boarder 3
Other 2
Total 27

 

[snowww1]

Colorado does lead the nation in avalanche fatalities since 1950, but the trend in Colorado is that the avalanche fatalities are stabilizing and actually decreasing (on a yearly basis compared to average). The backcountry use in Colorado has increased tremendously in the last ten years, but the avalanche fatalities have not kept pace with that growth. Shows that the education in Colorado has made a big difference. We are also very fortunate to have an excellent avalanche information center.
The states that are going up significantly are Montana and Alaska, this growth is being attributed to snowmobile fatalities. A few other western states have seen increased fatalities due to the recent record and very unstable snowpacks.
With all user groups, only about 50% carry avalanche gear. Snowmobilers are no worse than any other group. Snowmobilers are purchasing avalanche airbag packs faster than any user group.
In the East Vail Chutes only about 25% of the users have avalanche gear. One trend in avalanche fatalities has been the growth of lift accessed backcountry users who are killed. In 2007-2008 they accounted for 25% of the fatalities in the US.
Overall, I would guesstimate that only 20% of all backcountry users have taken an avalanche class. Think of how many people have beacons, but are not proficient with them or have practiced rescue skills. In Utah, 90% of the people killed in avalanches did not check the avalanche report. Many backcountry users cannot recognize avalanche terrain, terrain traps, islands of safety, or signs of instability.
Education and behavior patterns make a significant difference. We'll never be able to eliminate all the accidents. Proper training, behavioral change, and the right gear can eliminate many of the accidents. One of the common statements from people after taking a class is that they now realize they were making a lot of mistakes. Mike Duffy

 

[MtnDoo]

Mike - Thanks for the great information as always. I guess the opening to the post was a bit mis-stated. It just seems that if 16 of 27 fatalities are on the side of a single segment of the user base, the education efforts while valiant and much appreciated are being lost in some way on that one group of users - US!

Do you have any thoughts on why snowmobilers make up 50% of the dead? Skiers account for only 1/4 of our number. Do we make up 50% of all backcountry recreationlaists?

The stats would seem to illustrate some disconnect amongst our ranks.

MD.

 

[snowww1]

Why snowmobilers are number one for avalanche fatalities.

Yes, I do believe we are 50% of the use in the backcountry. Here are some observations as to why we are number one for fatalities. Two big reasons, education and our sport.

1. Education:
-Most avalanche classes are taught by skiers and taught from a skiers or snowboarder’s perspective. If you are a snowmobiler, you are usually just told not to high point. Much of your time in class is spent learning techniques that work for skiers or snowboarders. Your instructor may not have any backcountry snowmobiling experience. I would guess that 90%+ of all avalanche instructors in the US do not own a snowmobile. Many of these instructors belong to organizations that oppose motorized use in the backcountry. Most do not like snowmobilers. These instructors who do not own a snowmobile, do not understand the snowmobile perspective and the unique problems/situations of our sport. Would a skier take a class from someone who didn't know how to ski? We can learn many things from what works for skiers, but as you know, snowmobiling is very different and different techniques are needed (i.e. most rescue techniques are taught as if you were coming in from the top, in snowmobiling we approach rescue mostly from the bottom. This is just one of many differences.)
-Snowmobilers are under represented in avalanche classes. If 50% of the users are snowmobilers, then why are only 10-15% of the students in the classes I have taught at Colorado Mountain College snowmobilers? Many riders think there time is being wasted learning the skiing techniques. This is why I started snowmobile specific classes.
-Snowmobilers are also not welcome in many of the classes. Remarks are made against snowmobilers who attend (I hear this all the time). I recently took a professional level class and snowmobilers were referred to as "bubbleheads". Hardly any mention of snowmobiling in the class. In all upper level avalanche classes you must be able to skin up mountains and ski or snowboard down. We skinned to 13000' in the class I did. Spent 4+ hours skinning something I could have climbed with a sled in 10-15 minutes. Most schools will not let you attend on a snowmobile. Once again, the classes are designed for skiers and boarders.

2. The sport- the odds are against us? Some observations:

Many of you have seen the dvd "A Dozen More Turns". How many vertical feet do you think they cover in a day? Skiers skinning up slopes can get in 3000 vertical feet on a good day, 6000' is a very good day. On a good day they can tour 10 miles in avalanche terrain. On a snowmobile we can cover 3000' in a matter of minutes (or less). Backcountry skiers hit two or three slopes a day. We hit 20, 30, 40? and can cover more miles in a day than most skiers will hit in a season. More slopes, more vertical and more miles in avalanche terrain = more chances to trigger and be caught in avalanches.
-Many times we cannot feel the snow collapsing unless we are stopped. Skiers are more likely to feel and hear this. it's one of the signs of instability.
-We can't communicate effectively to each other to warn of avalanches. Skiers can shout and be heard. Many snowmobilers have been hit blind sided by avalanches, becuase they could not hear their friends yelling.
-We tend to have tunnel vision and focus on the terrain ahead of us instead of looking around for clues to instability. It's natural to stay focused when you are going at the speed we are.
-We enter most slopes from the bottom which is inherently more dangerous.
-We sidehill which puts more stress on the snowpack.
-We are now accessing terrain which we could never access before. Our riding skills and machines are better than ever. Our riding is taking us in much more dangerous terrain and our avalanche skills have not kept up with the increased exposure. Think of the training a heli-ski guide must go through. Snowmobilers are now accessing the same type of terrain and most have very little training. The consequences of mistakes and not checking the stabiltiy in this terrain are severe.
A few other things:

-bad group dynamics.
-many who travel long distances to ride, do not know what the terrain looks like in the summer and the potential trigger points.
-multiple people on the hill at once.
-believe they can outrun an avalanche.
-don't carry or don't practice with avalanche gear(true with all user groups)
-don't take avalanche classes, taking classes is more reactive than proactive, which is true with everyone.
-How many snowmobilers have you seen do a stability test?
-Avalanche reports are not checked, some popular areas do not have avalanche reports.
-With all user groups, people's percieved knowledge is much greater than their actual knowledge. With snowmobiling, we have recently taken our sport to an entirely new level, our level of training has to match the increased risk and exposure.

The reason people get involved in avalanche accidents is much more involved than just what is listed here. People's decision making, experiences, group dynamics and rules of thumb come into play even for those who have taken classes. Snowmobilers cannot eliminate all the danger of riding in the west, but we can definitely increase our skills and the odds against us.
Avalanche education will increase your odds tremendously if you put the education into practice. Mike Duffy

 

[Rprecision]

Mike - Thanks for the great information as always. I guess the opening to the post was a bit mis-stated. It just seems that if 16 of 27 fatalities are on the side of a single segment of the user base, the education efforts while valiant and much appreciated are being lost in some way on that one group of users - US!

Do you have any thoughts on why snowmobilers make up 50% of the dead? Skiers account for only 1/4 of our number. Do we make up 50% of all backcountry recreationlaists?

The stats would seem to illustrate some disconnect amongst our ranks.

MD.

I would guess its becuse snomobiler's as a whole have far more type A personalities then those compared. The extreme end of our sport wants to go higher and faster at any and all cost!

Some of the worst stats are how many trained folks are involved in some of these slides.

Mike I enjoyed your class thank you