Avalanche

[Benny Profane]

I’m not saying they shouldn’t have skied that day but, from the standpoint of playing it conservatively, the information they had available to them prior to getting to the top of Airplane should have led them to perhaps choose something more conservative.

"perhaps choose something more conservative."

Was Wildcat open?

 

[JTG]

"perhaps choose something more conservative."

Was Wildcat open?

What’s your point? Do you not believe some objectives in Tuckerman’s Ravine and the Gulf of Slides are more risky than others, especially given the conditions and observations last week?

 

[raisingarizona]

"perhaps choose something more conservative."

Was Wildcat open?

The access trail has low angle skiing I believe.

With those obvious red flags I’d stay the F off those steep convex head walls. Especially with the deadly exposure below.

 

[Ripitz]

This is why I cross-country ski now.

 

[Benny Profane]

What’s your point? Do you not believe some objectives in Tuckerman’s Ravine and the Gulf of Slides are more risky than others, especially given the conditions and observations last week?

Whoa, easy there.

I believe that any early snow at Tucks is probably super dangerous. I also believe the entire place is dangerous, after what I observed the few Spring days I was there. Alcohol plus youthful testosterone plus peer pressure plus stupidity plus an innate sense of security that somebody in a red jacket with a cross on it will swoop in and save you as you're bleeding out, which I think this kid was from the break in his leg. Lucky to be alive, but, hope he doesn't require a long hospital stay from infected blood transfusions, like my old boss from an accident at Killington. But he was a few football fields from the base on Ovation.

I'll take controlled ski environments, thank you. Avalanche forecasting is still a real inexact science. But, even inbounds, some people get nailed. But they didn't do something as boneheaded as ski that gully early December.

 

[JTG]

Whoa, easy there.

No worries, I just want sure what you were trying to say.

Sure, staying out of the BC is the only sure fire way to mitigate BC risk!

That said…Airplane (more remote than anything in Tuckerman Ravine, steep and narrow, with pockets aplenty to load, and low tide coverage) was probably a terrible choice for a day with the known wind loading conditions. Perhaps more likely to slide (they call it Gulf of Slides for a reason) and harder to effect rescue than other places they could have chosen to make turns in the area that day.

 

[gorgonzola]

HOLEEEEEFUUUUUUCK....

 

[raisingarizona]

Whoa, easy there.

I believe that any early snow at Tucks is probably super dangerous. I also believe the entire place is dangerous, after what I observed the few Spring days I was there. Alcohol plus youthful testosterone plus peer pressure plus stupidity plus an innate sense of security that somebody in a red jacket with a cross on it will swoop in and save you as you're bleeding out, which I think this kid was from the break in his leg. Lucky to be alive, but, hope he doesn't require a long hospital stay from infected blood transfusions, like my old boss from an accident at Killington. But he was a few football fields from the base on Ovation.

I'll take controlled ski environments, thank you. Avalanche forecasting is still a real inexact science. But, even inbounds, some people get nailed. But they didn't do something as boneheaded as ski that gully early December.

You could get safe skiing conditions in that terrain in December but you need to have the experience to know how to identify that. Thin, early season snowpacks and rapid wind transport though is the perfect recipe for avalanche conditions. You can absolutely visibly see that that was the case on the mountain that day and by observing the weather prior leading up to this accident.

Maybe my initial reaction after watching those clips was a bit harsh but as someone with almost 30 years of experience I couldn’t help but say to myself, you fucking jackasses are lucky to be alive and that was extremely avoidable but I also need to remind myself that 30 years ago ain’t that long and we all start out somewhere. I was a jack ass too and often but a lucky one.

 

[raisingarizona]

HOLEEEEEFUUUUUUCK....

Yup. That’s how you get yourself killed for lame, marginal skiing. Skiing is cool but it ain’t cool enough to go risking your life for basic ski lines. I think scrolling through their comments made me even more irritated.

 

[gorgonzola]

yea no thanks I'll stick to meadowskipping, I can still fuck myself up pretty royally