Jackson Hole Avalanche

Sip

question from an east coast skier,

As a fellow east coast backcountry skier, I advise you not to fuck with backcountry in avalanche prone areas (AKA the entire country west of the Mississippi) until you've had proper training.

No but there was an in bounds avalanche at Alta a few days ago. Some people got buried but they didn't die.

29YO from california, lived in JH

yea not fucking with that shit without a guide and instruction. avalanches freak me out more that nutting myself on a rail

As they probably should. But to answer your question, from what I've read the best way to ski out of an avalanche is to point it straight to pick up speed, then cut to the side out of the path of the slide.

I skied with Mike on Teton Pass just over a week ago. He was a super smart guy and a strong skier. One of those guys that makes you feel like an old friend the first time you meet him. I only had the opportunity to hang out with him a few times, but I personally know some people who were very close and I feel for their loss...

Pucker face is notorious for big slides. My first season in Jackson, a similar slide occurred early season and the snowboarder was lucky enough to self arrest as the entire slope slide below him. The entire face is pretty much the perfect pitch for an avalanche, has a nasty rollover, literally no safe zones and underneath all the snow is pretty much just a sheer cliff band.



That being said, its one of the most beautiful and best lines in the JHMR side country. When the sun pops after a storm, the face just looks too incredible to pass up. I have found myself up there several times in somewhat sketchy conditions, and against my better judgement, still decided to drop in.

But this really puts things into perspective... Its easy to hear about avalanche horrors stories and brush them off as something that happens to "other people".

Had I been riding the resort today, who knows?... Maybe the allure of pucker faces untracked powder would have gotten to me before Mike and his group and it'd be me you're reading about now.



Here's a link to Early Up's article: http://www.earlyups.com/news/avalanche-pucker-face-jhmr/

Here's a link from the local paper: http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/avalanche-buries-one/article_b68833e9-0df6-5cba-b009-ef2059af445c.html

And heres tonights avi report: http://www.jhavalanche.org/viewAdvisory

R.I.P. Mike Kazanjy

Vibes to Mike and his family. Gonna have to poor out the next hostel takeover for him.

Crazy to still ride that after it had fractured in the drop in and towards the run out. Sad day for sure, seeing that up the tram will be an ugly reminder.

I haven't been up to JHMR since the sky's cleared. Are you saying the face had natural activity on it?

**PUCKER FACE AVALANCHE** ---What they don't want you to see!!! from rich goodwin on Vimeo.

Right at the top too…

SIP
^^, That video is from a different slide I think. At least that is what I saw on early Ups.com

yea thats from the one i mentioned i saw my first season in jackson.

Yea there had been from the natural snow and the wind that has fallen before xmas.

so so sad. big storm + warming on top of faceted layers = a bad time. remember moderate doesn't mean safe. shred in peace.

Every year, Pucker Face slides huge either naturally or with someone's weight on it. After reading Earlyups assessment of what happened http://www.earlyups.com/videos/jh-avalanche-fatality-thoughts/ , I wonder about some decisions. Ski in peace and I hope everyone can learn from what happened.