Golden conditions

[YamaDoo PolCat]

From BCLocal News website

Golden RCMP have confirmed the death of a 50-year-old male buried in an avalanche earlier today, in the Vermont Creek (Silver Mines) area near Golden, B.C.

The Alberta resident was snowmobiling as part of a group of nine and apparently triggered an avalanche while high marking in the Vermont Creek area. The area is near Bobbie Burns Lodge, owned by Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH).

Rob Rohn, director of mountain operations for CMH spoke with The Golden Star regarding the incident.

"Our guides at the Bobbie Burns Lodge were notified of the incident. It is unsure how the communication got through to the guides at this time. Our guides then responded and provided medical assistance. Shortly after our guides arrived on the scene, Golden and District Search and Rescue (GADSAR) arrived and the victim was transported down the mountain by GADSAR."

Rohn explained that the group was not staying at the lodge and that they were in the area on their own to his knowledge.

The area where the avalanche occurred is commonly referred to as Silver Mines area by recreational users.

"It is a fairly popular area with backcountry snowmobilers. The incident occurred on one side of the pass at the head of Vermont Creek."

Rohn explained that the area of Vermont Creek is located south of Parson and the only access is by logging road and then snowmobile.

"From Parson, the area they were in is about 50 or 60 kilometres away."

Rohn stressed that CMH is not aware of the incidents leading up to the avalanche and subsequent death.

"It appears that the group was high-marking in the area when the avalanche occurred. That is what my guides surmised after seeing the area."

Rohn explained that high-marking is a practice of riding up and down a steep slope and is quite common.

Rohn admitted that there are instabilities in the snow-pack right now and that the Canadian Avalanche Association issues regular bulletins regarding avalanche conditions in the area.

Ian Foss, of GADSAR, gave a statement regarding the incident and GADSAR's response.

"GADSAR received three separate calls about this incident. The local RCMP tasking agent, that was one of those calls, informed us that the RCMP had been notified of the incident by a distress beacon of some kind."

Sgt. Marko Shehovac of the Golden RCMP confirmed this detail.

Foss said that because of the mutual aid agreement between GADSAR and CMH, upon receiving the call GADSAR directed CMH to the scene as they were closer and may have been able to provide help sooner.

Unfortunately, when CMH guides arrived with GADSAR following close behind, they were unable to revive the victim.

"One subject had been dug out by his companions. That subject was then recovered and transported to the Golden hospital by GADSAR."

The identity of the deceased is not being released at this time, pending notifying the victim's next of kin.

The Golden Star will release further details as they are available.

According to the Ministry of Forests website, Vermont Creek and the Valley of the Lakes area is said to provide many high elevation riding opportunities, but is meant for very advanced snowmobilers.

 

[blewbuyou]

Silver Mines avalanche

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the snowmobiler that was killed yesterday at Silver Mines. Our family's were friends for many years.
He was a great guy and will be greatly missed by the community where he lived.

 

[OfstieR]

From the Calgary Sun Today:




"Family and friends worried about Daryl Hay when he went into the backcountry.

Now, their worst fear is a reality as the 50-year-old was killed in a B.C. avalanche Friday.

His sister, Joyce Hay-Breit, said they're finding solace knowing he was drawn to that realm by his love of snowmobiling, knew the dangers and accepted them.

"He told me 'If something ever happens while I'm snowmobiling, just be comforted in knowing I was doing something I loved,'" she said yesterday from the town of Carbon, about 80 km northeast of Calgary.

"He was the one who kept us all going, we'll really miss him."


Carbon Mayor Shirley Buyer said the close-knit community, home to about 500 and where Hay was born, has lost one of its most avid volunteers.

He volunteered with the local fire department, the Lions Club and at any venue where help was needed, often showing up with his wife, Donna.

"If you needed help, Daryl would be there," Buyer said.

She said his death comes not long after Carbon lost two other residents in a road crash and is another blow to the heart of the town.

"Losing anyone in a small community is dreadful, but when you have someone so involved, who was born and raised here ... it's a bad dream for us," Buyer said.

"It's like cutting a piece of Carbon's arm off again."

Hay's daughter, Brandy, said her dad was a man who loved life, adventures, time with loved ones and working on the family farm.

She said he was absolutely passionate about snowmobiling.

"He died doing what he loved," she said.

"He wouldn't want it any other way, he wouldn't have wanted to be in a hospital bed dying."

Lifelong friend Ken Furst said pretty much every day began with the two friends chatting on the phone or Hay sending a silly email.

Yesterday, Furst went through snapshots taken during a recent trip to Mexico where Hay and his wife joined him to celebrate his 50th birthday.

"Last week I was sitting on the beach having a beer with him in Mazatlan," he said.

"That's how quick life goes. He was a special guy, I'm going to miss him, big time."

Officials said Hay and a group of friends were snowmobiling near Golden when his machine stalled as he was high-marking, triggering the deadly slide.

His friends managed to pull him free from beneath about seven feet of snow, but Hay was pronounced dead after being airlifted to hospital a short time later.

Hay leaves to mourn his daughters Brandy and Stephanie, wife Donna, and stepchildren Tanya and Peter."






Rest in peace Daryl, and may God be with the Hay family during this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with you as well as everybody that was there.

To the guys that risked their own lives, put themselves in great danger and selflessly tried to save another - your actions were heroic. You did the absolute best that anybody could have expected out of another human being.

Daryl - you will always be remembered.

 

[GSR]

Doesn't look like stability is going to get much better for awhile here either. CAA released an information booklet to some dealers and shops in our area to shed some light on some of the recent incidents in British Columbia. It's been a touchy season through and through, play safe!

 

[JMCX]

I'd like to hear some of the details of the Silver Mines incident from someone who was there. Not to point fingers but to get a little wiser. I have been going there for almost 15 years and know the area quite well. We wrote the spot off for this year because of poor conditions. Too far to go just to smoke a rock.

I have been guilty of almost every risky behavior while mountain riding in the past but try to use my head a little more these days. We do love to pound the hills though.

Just curious if it was high-marking, first guy on the hill, two guys on the hill or just innocently riding by. Back by the lakes or in avy alley? The news outlets give little info and usually get it wrong anyway.

Earlier this season someone posted pictures of a slide in Holt on a hill that we usually hit EVERY time we go there. Never seen it slide before. Just a real bad snow pack this year.

 

[Taminator]

Avy Danger Ratings

It might be a bit confusing to people that the avy danger scale is 2-3; moderate to considerable with the talk of the high danger this year. I realize they have certain criteria to determine the rating and it may be a special rating is req'd for unique conditions like this. Stats show that most avy deaths occur when the rating is '3-considerable' as people tend to think things are safer than they are. You read the avy report and it screams high to extreme in what they are saying, but the rating is technically 'considerable' in the alpine. Perhaps the rating should be boosted to communicate the danger of these touchy conditions.

Avy postings/warnings/ratings at the trail heads may be beneficial. Gorman has had info posted on it's shack and perhaps they should do that at Quartz and Silent as well. Wouldn't take alot of effort, time or money and it's a good way to make sure people are aware. Not everyone takes the time they should before heading out to check the conditions and danger, perhaps if it's in thier faces it'll get the message across. Then again, those who don't bother to check ahead probably don't need to as they are the blessed, invincible ones!

 

[LID]

I have found that people need to read the whole avvy report and not just look at the blanket "considerable" rating. For most of the season, even when it said moderate, there was a note in the avvy bulletin stating that the hills may be generally stable, but even if it goes small, conditions are there making it prime for the slide to step down to the November crust and have the whole hillside go huge. Maybe considerable needs a color more alarming than "orange" or a scale of "3" on the danger scale. People don't seem to notice that considerable also says "Natural avalanches possible. Human triggered avalanches probable. Be increasingly cautious in steeper terrain."




Low - Natural avalanches very unlikely. Human triggered avalanches unlikely.
Travel is generally safe. Normal caution advised.

Moderate - Natural avalanches unlikely. Human triggered avalanches possible.
Use caution in steeper terrain on certain aspects.

Considerable
Natural avalanches possible. Human triggered avalanches probable.
Be increasingly cautious in steeper terrain.

High Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended.

Extreme Widespread natural or human triggered avalanches certain.
Travel in avalanche terrain should be avoided and confined to low angle terrain, well away from avalanche path runouts.

 

[NoSecondChances]

It might be a bit confusing to people that the avy danger scale is 2-3; moderate to considerable with the talk of the high danger this year. I realize they have certain criteria to determine the rating and it may be a special rating is req'd for unique conditions like this. Stats show that most avy deaths occur when the rating is '3-considerable' as people tend to think things are safer than they are. You read the avy report and it screams high to extreme in what they are saying, but the rating is technically 'considerable' in the alpine. Perhaps the rating should be boosted to communicate the danger of these touchy conditions.

Avy postings/warnings/ratings at the trail heads may be beneficial. Gorman has had info posted on it's shack and perhaps they should do that at Quartz and Silent as well. Wouldn't take alot of effort, time or money and it's a good way to make sure people are aware. Not everyone takes the time they should before heading out to check the conditions and danger, perhaps if it's in thier faces it'll get the message across. Then again, those who don't bother to check ahead probably don't need to as they are the blessed, invincible ones!

I agree and disagree. Posting the avy conditions only matters to those who take the time to use that knowledge, so its good to know and see the club putting them up but...... Avy conditions were posted on the shack two weekends ago and yet......still so many people doing so many stupid things............

The knowledge of the conditions is only beneficial if you apply it. I have heard the excuse too many times "sledders cover too much terrain to dig pits, I know what I'm doing, I'm so experienced..."

This is just an excuse for being lazy and not wanting to take the proper steps. No avalanche technician I have ever met, stood at the bottom of a hill, licked their thumb, held it into the wind and said "I can tell that hill isn't going to slide, I'm experienced."

Just like all this talk about making AST 1 or 2 mandatory for backcountry users. The knowledge will be absorbed during the course but will only save your life if you apply it on the mountain.

Its the same as wearing a seatbelt. We all KNOW (absorption of knowledge) they will save your life, but if you don't wear it (application of knowledge), you're just as dead as the guy who doesn't.

NSC

 

[Bandit111]

I agree and disagree. Posting the avy conditions only matters to those who take the time to use that knowledge, so its good to know and see the club putting them up but...... Avy conditions were posted on the shack two weekends ago and yet......still so many people doing so many stupid things............

The knowledge of the conditions is only beneficial if you apply it. I have heard the excuse too many times "sledders cover too much terrain to dig pits, I know what I'm doing, I'm so experienced..."

This is just an excuse for being lazy and not wanting to take the proper steps. No avalanche technician I have ever met, stood at the bottom of a hill, licked their thumb, held it into the wind and said "I can tell that hill isn't going to slide, I'm experienced."

Just like all this talk about making AST 1 or 2 mandatory for backcountry users. The knowledge will be absorbed during the course but will only save your life if you apply it on the mountain.

Its the same as wearing a seatbelt. We all KNOW (absorption of knowledge) they will save your life, but if you don't wear it (application of knowledge), you're just as dead as the guy who doesn't.

NSC

HEY PAL , maybe you should stick to the post and maybe thank your lucky stars it wasn't you or your friends . Might be time for thoughts and prayers !

Please stay safe , ALL OF YOU .


Darly Hays brother in- Law .

 

[Flange]

I'm very sorry for your loss Bandit111. Obviously an extremely difficult time for you and your family, but I don't think NoSecondChances said anything out of line and I don't think he was singling out this particular tragedy. Definitely a time for thoughts and prayers, but also a time for increased awareness and education.

 

[NoSecondChances]

HEY PAL , maybe you should stick to the post and maybe thank your lucky stars it wasn't you or your friends . Might be time for thoughts and prayers !

Please stay safe , ALL OF YOU .


Darly Hays brother in- Law .

Whoa!! Never meant any disrespect to you or your Bro-in-law. Real sorry for your loss, as I posted on another thread.

NSC

 

[NoSecondChances]

Looking for a day trip on thurs - hows the conditions? Any new fresh stuff? Just wondering if I should be keeping the hood on or going to the mesh one yet?

Did they get some new stuff up top with the recent moisture? How far are they parking up Quartz?

Any info is appreciated.

NSC

 

[GSR]

As soon as the sun comes out it is going to be great conditions! We just got 6 inches + of fresh snow yesterday so I would think it would be good! We had a ton of clients come back this weekend pumped on the new snow, but weren't able to explore far because of poor visibility. For a weak season, it sure is finishing strong!

 

[Redax]

Rode Quartz on thursday, staged at the parking lot, first few km were patchy but rideable.

Spring conditions with nothing new up top. I spent the next three days in revy and only saw a couple inches of fresh so I think it is safe to say quartz didnt get anything significant.

Snowing hard leaving revy on monday morning but it pretty much tapered off at Rogers.

 

[NoSecondChances]

Thanks guys, looks like its time to pull out the spring gear, rode in my hoody last Friday, it was about 14 C, was hopin' for some good snow with this last bit of moisture, guess its didn't pan out to as much as I had hoped though.

NSC

 

[steveo10]

yup a foot of fresh in revy on monday and had boulder all to ourselves

 

[Transporter]

Whats the latest conditions?

 

[Boosted Apex]

Anyone been out riding the golden area? Coming for sat and sun.

 

[JamesS]

I'm planning on riding Quartz Sunday, any updates?

 

[m7jino]

Reports of rock hard snow practically everywhere. I was at Silent on Friday (yesterday) and it was a skating rink.