Avalanche season came early and was bigger than expected this year, and surprised us with deaths and accidents occurring even in areas normally considered safe to skiers and snowboarders.
This is truly frightening for anyone who enjoys wintertime mountain recreation. Last month, three skiers were killed in-bounds at California’s Squaw Valley, Utah’s Snowbird and at Jackson Hole, Wyo.
That’s unprecedented, according to Post reporter Jason Blevins, who writes that only three skiers died in in-bounds avalanches in the 15 ski seasons between 1990 and 2005.
And though Colorado has been spared a fatal in-bounds avalanche, even the world-class bowls at Telluride and Vail this season have had slides that trapped skiers in areas that had been deemed safe.
The big early snows, as wonderful as they are for the powder-addicted among us, have created an unusually unstable snowpack that’s made backcountry adventures and, apparently, advanced terrain at resorts all the more dangerous.
As Blevins reports, for years ski patrol experts at resorts have had amazing success in preventing avalanches in those areas that resorts open to riders. These experts bravely head into the danger zones and make use of explosives and even such exotic tools as old Army howitzers to trigger slides and make slopes and bowls safer. Their effective use of such tools has created a sense of assumed safety that has been challenged this season.
The lesson in all this is that you should stay in-bounds, and never tempt fate by exceeding the ski patrol’s authority. Also, reconsider riding a resorts’ advanced terrain if big snows suggest big slides could result. If you’re going to ride areas that resemble the backcountry, think like a backcountry rider.
Those who take on backcountry conditions are a tough breed — or they are supposed to be. Heading for the unpatrolled hills requires a working knowledge of avalanche science and current conditions. The expectation is that backcountry riders take a class (or ride with someone who has) that teaches avalanche awareness and also how to quickly locate survivors and extract them. Avalanche burials kill within minutes, if not immediately.
Those who trek into unpatrolled terrain should carry avalanche beacons that can send and receive signals to help aid rapid recovery. It doesn’t stop there. Backcountry trekkers should haul in shovels and probes designed to help find and dig out avalanche victims.
Avalanches are a powerful and deadly force of nature that are almost impossible to escape for those who trigger them or are caught in them. Riding or trekking into high, backcountry areas in avalanche season is a dangerous game that requires sophisticated and copious gear and a thorough knowledge of how to use it.
