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Ok Summit County Front Ranger SBF'rs check in.

3K views 20 replies 10 participants last post by  burritosandsnow 
#1 ·
None of you better have been involved in the avalanche that killed a snowboarder yesterday in the fingers slackcountry outside of A-Basin. He was carried into some trees and died from the trauma. We've posted up plenty about how crappy the snow pack is in this state. So sound off.

RIP, may your powder turns be endless...
 
#4 ·
From CAIC

Avalanche Details

  • Date: 2010/03/10
  • Time: Unknown
  • State: Colorado
  • Location: Preliminary report: Steep Gully #1, west of Arapahoe Basin Ski Area
  • Primary Activity: Sidecountry Rider
  • Summary Description: 1 snowboarder caught, partially buried, and killed
  • Number Caught: 1
  • Number Partially Buried, Non-Critical: 1
  • Number Partially Buried, Critical: 0
  • Number Fully Buried: 0
  • Number Injured: 0
  • Number Killed: 1
  • Location Setting: Sidecountry
  • Site Elevation: 11600 ft
  • Slope Angle: unknown
  • Slope Aspect: NW
  • Slope Characteristic: unknown
  • Avalanche Type: unknown
  • Avalanche Trigger: AR - Snowboarder
  • Avalanche Trigger (subcode): u - An unintentional release
  • Avalanche Size - Relative to Path: unknown
  • Avalanche Size - Destructive Force: D3
  • Sliding Surface: G - At Ground/Ice/Firm
  • Crown Depth: 12 in
  • Crown Width: 150 ft
  • Vertical Run: unknown
Events Leading to the Avalanche

Party consisted of 3 snowboarders, all male in their 20s. None carried avalanche gear.
Accident Summary

There is a convex knob in the middle of the starting zone for Steep Gully #1. The first rider triggered the avalanche as he rode over the knob. The avalanche broke to the ground along the convexity. The snowpack was very shallow, and rescuers estimated the average crown depth about 12 inches, and around 24 inches at the deepest. The avalanche was the full width of the gully, but left large areas of hangfire.
Rescue Summary

The rider was caught and carried for most of the avalanche's run. He was stopped by trees in the upper portion of the runout, and partially buried. His partners descended the path and used their snowboards to excavate him before organized rescue arrived. The avalanche broke trees approximately 6 inches in diameter.
Comments

The Steep Gullies are numbered from east to west. The morning of the accident, there was a remotely triggered avalanche in Gully #4 (2' deep, 30' wide, ran about 800 vertical feet). Monday, two days prior to the accident, there was a skier triggered avalanche in Gully #2. The most recent fatality in the area occurred on January 25, 2000.
A 20yr old rider, no gear, and obviously no knowledge of backcountry safety. He was killed by the impact of being carried into the trees. Convexities this season have been hair trigger. I have started a few slides by jumping or slope cutting these this year. To be avoided for sure. This really sucks.

Like I said, it better not be anyone on this forum. I'll be kicking your ass in the afterlife when I get there if it is...
 
#9 ·
Were you around when the rescue operation started?

This is so sad, from reading the report this kid and his friends had absolutely no idea that what they were doing was dangerous. Lucky that only one person was killed and not all of them.

and Mr Polonia if you happen to check this thread out, this is why I post up the warnings. This accident is basically the same type of thing as going out the gate at 9900.
 
#10 ·
I had to be around because I rode from about noon to 4:00. I didn't notice it though. But, I was heading east on 6 leaving to head home, so I wouldn't have passed the probable rescue site. I also stayed in Montezuma Bowl pretty much all day too, so I didn't get over to the Pavalicini Lift. It sounds like these guys were probably in that OB terrain farther down the Pali Cornice. That shit looks tempting, but yeah, if you're caught in a slide there, there's no way save luck to avoid being carried into DENSE trees.
 
#11 ·
The fingers is a dangerous area. High consequence if you choose poorly on a bad day. Like this kid.

Long before I was experienced in BC travel, a kid I knew at DU took a ride back there. He got slammed into the trees and broke both his femurs. At least he lived to talk about it.

It's tender out there no doubt. The snow pack is finally starting to stabilize but we are a few weeks from being out of the worst of it. You can still hit a sweet spot and have it go to hell on you.
 
#12 ·
No Good, No Good! Just ordered my Snow Sense from Amazon, today. I'm hoping to be a "just moved to" guy in the next year or two for a season. I hope to get the avy gear together over this off-season and get trained next season. I wanted to do the Intro training this Feb in New Hampshire, but didn't have the gear.
 
#13 ·
Yeah, I'm definitely getting certified next season. I really wanted to this season, but with work, I just did not have the time. Well enough, because this season has not been one to learn on anyway. If you want to play in the CO backcountry this season, you better REALLY know your shit.

And for the most part, the idiots riding Loveland Pass know nothing about avalanche awareness. I wouldn't ride that pass right now regardless. Sure, you may know what you're doing, but that isn't going to help you if one of those other idiots trigger a slide onto you.
 
#17 ·
If they were where I think they were, when the shit hits the fan there, you're screwed whether you know what you're doing or not. Any slide is highly likely to carry you into a dense stand of trees that you're going to be pin balling off of.

In that area, the only solution is prevention or, in these conditions, staying the hell away.
 
#18 ·
Well education may have led them to walk away from the slope. The best way to survive an avalanche is to not get caught in one in the first place. That is where education and experience is invaluable. I've hiked miles to get to spots and ended up just turning around because of conditions.

The Fingers, Witches chutes, steep gullies, whatever you want to call them, do have a few options to limit your exposure. Nothing is great though, and dense trees to populate the run out zone. Not a good thing if you get carried.

We now have a name of the snowboarder. Daniel Michelotti. The news report is that he died of suffocation. If that is the case, avy gear and competent could have saved his life. The earlier reports from CAIC stated that he died from trauma from being slammed into the trees. I got a hunch CAIC's report is correct. Either way Daniel is no longer with us.

RIP Daniel.
 
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