Vail Pass Avalanche Death

[Gmiller]

http://www.realvail.com/article/176...-avalanche-may-have-been-smoking-Dead-Head-OG

https://avalanche.state.co.us/acc/acc_report.php?acc_id=504&accfm=rep&view=public


My condolences go out to the family and friends. BE SMART. One at a time.

 

[polaris dude]

Terrible this happened, but in avalanche bowl? really?

 

[snowww1]

Please keep an eye on the avalanche report. Many slopes are giving a false sense of security. This one had been hit hard by riders for days and most of the winter. It was a shock to us on approaching the area from the bottom and first seeing it. An area with hundreds of trees was wiped out. The persistent weak layers, when triggered are really propagating. This one ran to the ground and the fracture line was over 10' deep. His friends did an excellent job of covering a large search area and getting to him fast. It was not a complete burial and he died of trauma. Condolences to his friends and family. His friends were extremely appreciative of the rescue effort.

Mike Duffy
Avalanche1.com
Avalanche education for mountain riders.

 

[AndrettiDog]

Vail Pass has been a mess all year. With the late snow and then sudden storms, Shrine Bowl has been sliding all year. There are several slide areas on Vail Pass.

 

[backcountryislife]

And this one near aspen

and this one by my house

Don't be stupid this weekend!!!

 

[skidoorulz]

Is that a line of people walking up that ridge? And if so. What are they doing????

 

[Nychaze]

terrible.

 

[Qreiff]

Is that a line of people walking up that ridge? And if so. What are they doing????

No just small trees and shrubbery more exposed due to the slide.

 

[Gmiller]

No just small trees and shrubbery more exposed due to the slide.

In the aspen picture? There is no way there is a completely straight line of trees on the peak of that mtn. That is a line of people hiking to the riding area on the other side.

 

[TB1000]

That is Highlands Bowl you can hike up the ridge and ski the bowl that is on the left hand side. It's part of the ski area and they maintain it for avy's it's steep and deep.

 

[rocks rev]

In the aspen picture? There is no way there is a completely straight line of trees on the peak of that mtn. That is a line of people hiking to the riding area on the other side.

If so, thats alot of people!!

 

[WaBackcountry]

Wtf is with the pot thing? Do people in Vail let the media get away with a headline like that??

 

[FUchiZad]

Wtf is with the pot thing? Do people in Vail let the media get away with a headline like that??

No kidding man, reporter should be demoted or fired. I say this as I enjoy the Agent Orange for 4/20, guess my opinion should be blamed on that as well. Glad this reporter didn't do a story on my wrecked sled.

 

[rhalloran]

Yeah, that title ticks me off; when someone is drunk, does something that results in injury, they don't tend to use "man injured by lawn-darts may have been doing jagerbombs all afternoon."

Jerks. That ticks me off.

I went and looked at the slide in person today. No amount of cannabis - don't care the name - would have made it a good idea.

THAT SAID, I skied that very shot two weekends ago.

It is HUGE. The whole thing ripped out on the ground. The pictures don't do it justice.

Sad for the snowboarder/family/friends. I was not there Thursday; I was at VP the weekend prior, was leery of that shot then. I'm always leery of that shot, but this slid on November snow (as CAIC warned, "lurking instabilities").

Too bad. I did not see it a couple of days ago, so I don't know what I would have done, but I certainly skied it two weeks ago.

I may have been under the influence of Sumatra or Kona coffee, if that matters. Sigh. I don't smoke, but that still ticks me off.

 

[smokenjay]

I agree. That article is terrible. My condolences to friends and family. It's humbling to think that could have easily been me or someone I know.