Tree Well Rescue at Mt. Baker

[Brownski]

Seems like an infinite variable sort of equation. Temperature, snow density, how much snow tree branches drop and the trapped individual‘s body position- and who knows what else- will play a part in survival time. If he impacted differently and ended up buried with a mouthful of snow, it could have been very quick.

 

[Harvey]

I'm only noting what I've read in the last couple days. Don't have ANY experience and have no interest in backcountry skiing personally. Have great respect for those who like it. I have been reading about tree wells and basic avy awareness for years, especially after I starting exploring more mountain out west that get deep powder after gaining enough experience and technique to enjoy it.

Bottom line is the guy who was stuck in the tree well was both knowledgeable and very, very lucky and he knows it.

Marz I wasn't saying "you" more like "one" or anyone. (Clumsy response done with voice.)

Just never thought about whether there is air in fluffy-ish snow.

Thanks Benny.

 

[tirolski]

Interview of boarder.

Ian Steger interview

Click here to view this video from KXLY .com.

www.kxly.com

Dang.

 

[MarzNC]

Interview of boarder.

Ian Steger interview

Click here to view this video from KXLY .com.

www.kxly.com

Dang.

Well worth watching the March 30 video. Includes a detailed explanation of Ian did before Francis got involved related to the question @Harvey asked about availability of air. Also what has happened since the rescue on March 3 between Francis and Ian, who have become friends.

 

[MarzNC]

An article written by a friend of Ian Steger. He puts the location of the tree well into context for those who know Mt. Baker.

March 30, 2023

Video of Terrifying Tree-Well Rescue Shows How Lucky Snowboarder Is to be Alive

A snowboarder tells the harrowing story of how he survived this terrifying tree-well incident at Mt. Baker. Luck was certainly on his side.

www.theinertia.com

" . . .
Ian’s not sure how long he was buried, but it was somewhere between three and 15 minutes. Three minutes is the time it took in the video from when Francis, who’s on skis, sees him to the point Ian’s airway is clear. Fifteen minutes is a conservative amount of time it takes to suffocate when immersed in snow upsidedown.

But as you see in the video, Francis hustled and had he not gone all-out things could have turned dark for Ian very quickly. Thankfully it didn’t, and he has lessons to share with the world.

“The big conclusion that I’ve come to,” Ian remarked, “is that complacency is real. It’s a real thing. I’ve ridden through that zone hundreds of times, and that has never been a place where I have even considered danger.”
. . . "

 

[Ripitz]

Don't have ANY experience and have no interest in backcountry skiing personally. Have great respect for those who like it. I have been reading about tree wells and basic avy awareness for years, especially after I starting exploring more mountain out west that get deep powder after gaining enough experience and technique to enjoy it.

The danger of tree wells exists inbounds as well. It can also happen in the East as proven in the recent Sugarloaf incident.

In the Spring of 1992 I skied into a tree well while skiing solo at Vail. I was on my way back on the frontside on the last run of the day after spending it in the Back Bowls. The run I was on was rather benign compared to the runs I had in Inner and Outer Mongolia and the sidecountry of Mushroom Bowl into Mill Creek, where you would think the real danger lurks.

Somewhere just above the mid lodge when I turned off the ridge I was sucked into a well. I was just skiing along and never saw it coming. I was sucked towards the tree and crashed into its branches near the trunk. I heard a loud crack on impact and flipped over landing backwards upside down. At first I wasn’t sure if it was wood or bone that was broken. I couldn’t see or hear anything and couldn’t breathe. Years of swimming taught me to remain calm and work through the problem.

I realized my hand was free and could feel some of the branches. I was able to pull up on them to get my head out so I could breathe but I was completely stuck. After getting my head out I kind of laid there folded in half and took an assessment. Once I realized I hadn’t broken anything, I was able to reach my heel piece to get my foot out of one of my skis and then kick the other one off. I then pulled up and climbed the branches hand over hand to get out.

I looked around and there was no one there. My hat and goggles were full of snow (no helmets back in the day) I had snow down my jacket, pants and even my boots. I was soaking wet and exhausted from the struggle and now very cold. I got myself together and skied out onto trails that were completely vacant since this was after last chair. Ski patrol would never have seen me on their sweep. That experience shook me real hard. I was very fortunate that day.

 

[raisingarizona]

I fell head first into a deep tree well once back in 96, Steamboat. It was terrible but I got out. 1of ten, I highly don’t recommend. I haven’t seen one ever since. I may have learned something?

 

[MarzNC]

A brief description of an experiment done to see what tree well situations are more dangerous than others is included in this article. Mostly an interview with the former long-time head of ski patrol at Crystal Mountain in WA. He's been tracking SIS fatalities for quite a while. There is basic advice related to tree wells at the end of the article.

January 2023

A Powder Day Can Be Deadly—Even In-bounds. Here’s How to Stay Safe.

Paul Baugher, the global expert in tree-well suffocation, offers safety tips for skiing deep snow

www.outsideonline.com

" . . .
[description of what creates a tree well] The fuzzy green branches of a pine tree often obscure the well created by the trunk, which can be several feet deep, depending on the height of the snowpack. Loose snow in the pit can act like quicksand for an unlucky person who falls in headfirst. Gravity simply pulls a person’s body downward, until the loose snow covers his or her airways to the nose and mouth.
. . .
This winter, Baugher has been scanning the web for news of skier fatalities with a careful eye. In his opinion, the historic snow totals in California, Utah, and parts of Colorado have created the deadly recipe for SIS, and he’s been reaching out to resorts to remind officials to warn skiers. Baugher has seen patterns emerge in his research into SIS fatalities, and he believes skiers can avoid disaster by learning from his work.

Conditions are most dangerous when there is at least 24 inches of unconsolidated snow in and around trees. This often happens in the 48 hours after a major storm, Baugher says. Fatalities often happen in peak ski season, when temperatures are too cold for surface snow to melt in the sunshine.
. . ."

 

[tirolski]

I fell head first into a deep tree well once back in 96, Steamboat. It was terrible but I got out. 1of ten, I highly don’t recommend.

@raisingarizona, skiologistic-statiscally, 10 tree wells? Dang.

I haven’t seen one ever since. I may have learned something?

Seems so.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

The danger of tree wells exists inbounds as well. It can also happen in the East as proven in the recent Sugarloaf incident.

In the Spring of 1992 I skied into a tree well while skiing solo at Vail. I was on my way back on the frontside on the last run of the day after spending it in the Back Bowls. The run I was on was rather benign compared to the runs I had in Inner and Outer Mongolia and the sidecountry of Mushroom Bowl into Mill Creek, where you would think the real danger lurks.

How long were you there?