Avalanche experience?

If you're curious about avalanche observations check out this link

https://utahavalanchecenter.org/avalanches/list/salt-lake

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php/46407-Box-Elder-Peak-2-11-06-TR?highlight=low avvy danger don't mean no avvy danger

No, but been involved in one. It was a category 2 hard slab slide. There was no chance of surviving it if I was caught; it would have crushed me to death.

I dug out a friend from a sluff avy. He fell and got buried in the sluff and was caught. he was buried in less than 50cm and did not take any time to find him. If your gonna get caught in something, sluffs are very likely.

I remember mine vividly, and this will likely be the only time I talk about it in detail on ns.

I was caught in one my first year living in Revelstoke when I was 19. It was a category 2 measuring about 60 feet across and a 1-2 foot crown. Me and four friends, two Germans, two québécois, and myself, were skinning up in the slack country at treeline where we thought we were safe. Key word being thought. It was snowing 4cm an hour at this point and on the way up I had seen signs and mentioned a couple times, but didn't push because I didn't want to be the downer of the group.
Holger, the group leader, had skied this zone every day like it was his backyard. Familiarity is a big part of the human factor of avalanches.
Anyways, we go to a cliff band and we stopped, and decided to go one at a time. Holger got about 30 feet away and I heard my friend yell, 'Avalanche!'
I looked uphill, and saw a huge wall of snow and a huge cloud rushing toward us making a loud wooshing sound. I crouched down, jammed my poles in the snow and basically just prayed I'd be on top.
It blew my skis off my feet from underneath. After it had cleared i stood up to find I had only been hit by the edge of it and was able to pull my feet out. Me and one of my friends were the only ones left on the slope. The other three had been carried off. Two went down the shoot as we saw one pole sticking up mid chute. Our beacons would not work from where we were to where they had been carried. It is so scary when you turn on your search and get no signal. After hearing two of my friends saying they were alright, Me and the friend still on top of the cliff band hugged and made our way down to the others. We took the safest route down, which still set off tiny slides in the trees.
When we got to the bottom and cam around the corner, my friend said, 'what is that?!'
I looked up and immediately had that feeling in your gut where you just want to throw up. About 50 feet away, at the end of the runout, was an airbag sticking out of the snow. I turned my beacon back to search, and there it was, a signal pointing straight to the bag. I dropped everything but my beacon and shovel and ran as fast as I could through waist deep snow. There was a hand sticking out of the snow. We dug and found it was holger.
I'm going to skim this part. We performed cpr for 30 minutes before making the call you never want to have to make. It was getting dark and there was no chance of a heli rescue at this time in this storm. Carrying him didn't work either. He was too heavy with all his gear in the deep snow, and any attempt at a toboggan, even with my hellbents, wasn't working. We made the decision to rest him under a tree and mark it well. We trudged back to the resort, defeated and one short.
When we got back the police were at the bottom and my phone had about 20 missed calls from family and friends halfway across the country. News cameras were waiting but we didn't talk.
It was the worst day I've ever had and I wouldn't wish that on anybody. If I can take three things from my experience it is these: 1.always follow your gut, because there will be other days to enjoy the mountains.
2. Never become complacent with where you are. Just because you've been there lots, does not mean it will be safe every time.
3. Get an airbag and use it correctly. I saw one bag save a life that day. Holger was carried off a 50 foot cliff and deployed his bag. He didn't have the crotch strap on, and the bag had slid up his back. When we found him his hand and bag were sticking out of the snow, but his head was about 9 inches below the surface.
Had he been wearing the crotch strap, I can't say he would have survived because I don't know, but I am sure his head would have been closer or above the top. The whole experience was on helmet cameras and the police and Avalanche experts use it as information into what should be done when your day takes the worst turn you can think of.
I continue to ski and live in Revelstoke, all the others have gone seperate ways, but we all still ski and keep in touch. Stay safe in the mountains everyone. Know before you go and have the gear, and knowledge. The mountains will give you th best days of your life and the worst days of your life. I definitely wander the mountains with a huge respect for their power and an appreciation for how easily life can be taken. Keep that in mind before you drop into something you aren't sure about.

Was skiing in some trees in a zone we had skied hundreds of days before. It had snowed about 5ft but we had skied there hundreds of days before and thought it was safe. Got to an area where it was a little more open. Started to head down and every thing slid on me. Got rocked off a few trees, managed to ditch my skis. Ended up face downhill about a foot under, about 2ft from a tree well, was able to dig myself out. Fuck was it scary, I would imagine it to being similar as being in a giant cement mixer full of cement while getting smashed off of things. I can see how people die just from the ride, being slammed off the trees was fucking rough, luckily I was able to push off with my feet.

Hindsite it was a poor decision to even be in there. Shoulda been sledding in the meadows

Skiing in BC backcountry last season; an avalanche broke loose on our projected line before we dropped the heli down. Scary af, thank God I wasn't in it.

Pancake_FuckerI remember mine vividly, and this will likely be the only time I talk about it in detail on ns.

We made the decision to rest him under a tree and mark it well. We trudged back to the resort, defeated and one short.

did your friend make it?

Pancake_FuckerI remember mine vividly, and this will likely be the only time I talk about it in detail on ns.

We made the decision to rest him under a tree and mark it well. We trudged back to the resort, defeated and one short.

did your friend make it?

I have a good friend that got caught in an avalanche in Hatcher Pass on Nov 22 and hasnt been found yet. We're all hoping for the best.

Please be safe out there. Respect the terrain and the conditions and when in doubt, back out. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

KennyfI remember mine vividly, and this will likely be the only time I talk about it in detail on ns.

We made the decision to rest him under a tree and mark it well. We trudged back to the resort, defeated and one short.

did your friend make it?

No unfortunately. We found him too late. We did cpr because what else could we do? Search and rescue picked him up with a heli the next day. You never think it'll happen to you until it does man.

Pancake_FuckerNo unfortunately. We found him too late. We did cpr because what else could we do? Search and rescue picked him up with a heli the next day. You never think it'll happen to you until it does man.

sorry to hear that

Pancake_FuckerI remember mine vividly, and this will likely be the only time I talk about it in detail on ns.

thanks for sharing that story man, i'm sorry for your loss, that's wicked heavy. very informative write-up, though. the importance of being conservative when in avy terrain is ALWAYS worth emphasizing.

I haven't had it happen yet, hope it's because of good choices and not luck. I'm pretty conservative.

freestyler540No, but been involved in one. It was a category 2 hard slab slide. There was no chance of surviving it if I was caught; it would have crushed me to death.

I dug out a friend from a sluff avy. He fell and got buried in the sluff and was caught. he was buried in less than 50cm and did not take any time to find him. If your gonna get caught in something, sluffs are very likely.

man sounds heavy. howd you find him? Transceiver and probe?

Pancake_FuckerI remember mine vividly, and this will likely be the only time I talk about it in detail on ns.

I was caught in one my first year living in Revelstoke when I was 19. It was a category 2 measuring about 60 feet across and a 1-2 foot crown. Me and four friends, two Germans, two québécois, and myself, were skinning up in the slack country at treeline where we thought we were safe. Key word being thought. It was snowing 4cm an hour at this point and on the way up I had seen signs and mentioned a couple times, but didn't push because I didn't want to be the downer of the group.
Holger, the group leader, had skied this zone every day like it was his backyard. Familiarity is a big part of the human factor of avalanches.
Anyways, we go to a cliff band and we stopped, and decided to go one at a time. Holger got about 30 feet away and I heard my friend yell, 'Avalanche!'
I looked uphill, and saw a huge wall of snow and a huge cloud rushing toward us making a loud wooshing sound. I crouched down, jammed my poles in the snow and basically just prayed I'd be on top.
It blew my skis off my feet from underneath. After it had cleared i stood up to find I had only been hit by the edge of it and was able to pull my feet out. Me and one of my friends were the only ones left on the slope. The other three had been carried off. Two went down the shoot as we saw one pole sticking up mid chute. Our beacons would not work from where we were to where they had been carried. It is so scary when you turn on your search and get no signal. After hearing two of my friends saying they were alright, Me and the friend still on top of the cliff band hugged and made our way down to the others. We took the safest route down, which still set off tiny slides in the trees.
When we got to the bottom and cam around the corner, my friend said, 'what is that?!'
I looked up and immediately had that feeling in your gut where you just want to throw up. About 50 feet away, at the end of the runout, was an airbag sticking out of the snow. I turned my beacon back to search, and there it was, a signal pointing straight to the bag. I dropped everything but my beacon and shovel and ran as fast as I could through waist deep snow. There was a hand sticking out of the snow. We dug and found it was holger.
I'm going to skim this part. We performed cpr for 30 minutes before making the call you never want to have to make. It was getting dark and there was no chance of a heli rescue at this time in this storm. Carrying him didn't work either. He was too heavy with all his gear in the deep snow, and any attempt at a toboggan, even with my hellbents, wasn't working. We made the decision to rest him under a tree and mark it well. We trudged back to the resort, defeated and one short.
When we got back the police were at the bottom and my phone had about 20 missed calls from family and friends halfway across the country. News cameras were waiting but we didn't talk.
It was the worst day I've ever had and I wouldn't wish that on anybody. If I can take three things from my experience it is these: 1.always follow your gut, because there will be other days to enjoy the mountains.
2. Never become complacent with where you are. Just because you've been there lots, does not mean it will be safe every time.
3. Get an airbag and use it correctly. I saw one bag save a life that day. Holger was carried off a 50 foot cliff and deployed his bag. He didn't have the crotch strap on, and the bag had slid up his back. When we found him his hand and bag were sticking out of the snow, but his head was about 9 inches below the surface.
Had he been wearing the crotch strap, I can't say he would have survived because I don't know, but I am sure his head would have been closer or above the top. The whole experience was on helmet cameras and the police and Avalanche experts use it as information into what should be done when your day takes the worst turn you can think of.
I continue to ski and live in Revelstoke, all the others have gone seperate ways, but we all still ski and keep in touch. Stay safe in the mountains everyone. Know before you go and have the gear, and knowledge. The mountains will give you th best days of your life and the worst days of your life. I definitely wander the mountains with a huge respect for their power and an appreciation for how easily life can be taken. Keep that in mind before you drop into something you aren't sure about.

bro what a story... feeling for you man. thanks for the tips though, these sort of stories need to be put out to the masses to build awareness. Hope youre still enjoying your skiing and still skinning.

Doc.stompenomicsman sounds heavy. howd you find him? Transceiver and probe?

Nah, he had a free hand. His avy was small. I just dug him free. He was a little shaken, but was out the next day.

The signs you should look out for being in a avalanche are:
- The freight train sound and rumbling. Sometimes you can even hear the crown sheering when it starts. If your in a valley, you can hear the echo of distant natural avies.
- Unusual speed gain. Just like a horizontal escalator at airports; you will feel that your speed in "off"
- The cracking of the slabs will be all around you.

If your caught in one, instinct and experience will get you out of one. Then a debriefing is a good idea to learn from the mistake.

In my avy, I saw the chances were high and I found a place to shelter myself from the slide. The mistake I made was bad wind predictions and powder withdrawal syndrome

freestyler540The signs you should look out for being in a avalanche are:
- The freight train sound and rumbling. Sometimes you can even hear the crown sheering when it starts. If your in a valley, you can hear the echo of distant natural avies.
- Unusual speed gain. Just like a horizontal escalator at airports; you will feel that your speed in "off"
- The cracking of the slabs will be all around you.

If your caught in one, instinct and experience will get you out of one. Then a debriefing is a good idea to learn from the mistake.

man cheers for the advice. Ive never been caught in one so all the tips i can grab are helpful. Props to you

Pancake_FuckerI remember mine vividly, and this will likely be the only time I talk about it in detail on ns.

I was caught in one my first year living in Revelstoke when I was 19. It was a category 2 measuring about 60 feet across and a 1-2 foot crown. Me and four friends, two Germans, two québécois, and myself, were skinning up in the slack country at treeline where we thought we were safe. Key word being thought. It was snowing 4cm an hour at this point and on the way up I had seen signs and mentioned a couple times, but didn't push because I didn't want to be the downer of the group.
Holger, the group leader, had skied this zone every day like it was his backyard. Familiarity is a big part of the human factor of avalanches.
Anyways, we go to a cliff band and we stopped, and decided to go one at a time. Holger got about 30 feet away and I heard my friend yell, 'Avalanche!'
I looked uphill, and saw a huge wall of snow and a huge cloud rushing toward us making a loud wooshing sound. I crouched down, jammed my poles in the snow and basically just prayed I'd be on top.
It blew my skis off my feet from underneath. After it had cleared i stood up to find I had only been hit by the edge of it and was able to pull my feet out. Me and one of my friends were the only ones left on the slope. The other three had been carried off. Two went down the shoot as we saw one pole sticking up mid chute. Our beacons would not work from where we were to where they had been carried. It is so scary when you turn on your search and get no signal. After hearing two of my friends saying they were alright, Me and the friend still on top of the cliff band hugged and made our way down to the others. We took the safest route down, which still set off tiny slides in the trees.
When we got to the bottom and cam around the corner, my friend said, 'what is that?!'
I looked up and immediately had that feeling in your gut where you just want to throw up. About 50 feet away, at the end of the runout, was an airbag sticking out of the snow. I turned my beacon back to search, and there it was, a signal pointing straight to the bag. I dropped everything but my beacon and shovel and ran as fast as I could through waist deep snow. There was a hand sticking out of the snow. We dug and found it was holger.
I'm going to skim this part. We performed cpr for 30 minutes before making the call you never want to have to make. It was getting dark and there was no chance of a heli rescue at this time in this storm. Carrying him didn't work either. He was too heavy with all his gear in the deep snow, and any attempt at a toboggan, even with my hellbents, wasn't working. We made the decision to rest him under a tree and mark it well. We trudged back to the resort, defeated and one short.
When we got back the police were at the bottom and my phone had about 20 missed calls from family and friends halfway across the country. News cameras were waiting but we didn't talk.
It was the worst day I've ever had and I wouldn't wish that on anybody. If I can take three things from my experience it is these: 1.always follow your gut, because there will be other days to enjoy the mountains.
2. Never become complacent with where you are. Just because you've been there lots, does not mean it will be safe every time.
3. Get an airbag and use it correctly. I saw one bag save a life that day. Holger was carried off a 50 foot cliff and deployed his bag. He didn't have the crotch strap on, and the bag had slid up his back. When we found him his hand and bag were sticking out of the snow, but his head was about 9 inches below the surface.
Had he been wearing the crotch strap, I can't say he would have survived because I don't know, but I am sure his head would have been closer or above the top. The whole experience was on helmet cameras and the police and Avalanche experts use it as information into what should be done when your day takes the worst turn you can think of.
I continue to ski and live in Revelstoke, all the others have gone seperate ways, but we all still ski and keep in touch. Stay safe in the mountains everyone. Know before you go and have the gear, and knowledge. The mountains will give you th best days of your life and the worst days of your life. I definitely wander the mountains with a huge respect for their power and an appreciation for how easily life can be taken. Keep that in mind before you drop into something you aren't sure about.

Craziest thing I've read in a while! Really good job telling your story!

far be it for me to tell you to go for a ride but fuckin up early in your bc career and gittin bitch slapped by mother nature has a way bringing the reality and lessons of spatial variability and awareness and an everchanging elevation aspect and terrain snowpack
to heart and head
cut n pasted. from a decade ago

Once again a pow pilgramage to the holy land. GG trailhead 7:30 30 degrees and another 8-12" of lighter density snow.
3 splitters making the mecca. Alta only sucks if you can't ski or take the effort to board it pre/post season.

Skinnin up to the castle.

Snow pit 3/4 up EC. will try and post snow pit data in slide zone if I don't get out today. Basically 10" of new on a slight crust from previous days snow. A crap layer if icey slush of equal temp rounds poorly bonding, not getting a good refreeze better at this elev. than pit at bottom of EC. Snow pack depth about 10', due to big and repeated slides, from info of alta locals. New snow was bonding fairly well and not cracking on test slope cuts. sluffs and cornice cut on top ran slow but full track.
.

Slacky Packey jioning the crew. 10 years in the Wasatch and this reformed boarder 1st trip to Alta. Taking down the E castle props freak

Topher completing rueschblock cut. 1st layer failed with second jump. repeated full extension jumps required to make ice crust layer finally fail.

Summit shot Steve, Toph and Pacman

The ski down was awsome face shots and stable snow in the trees along our skin track. I apologize for the lack of stoke as failure to charge camera batteries for blame.
From here we skinned to the top of Supreme for a final shot down.We ski cut the bowl were the gun tower is located I watched as the others skied the trees along side of the ridgeline stopping before the steep rollover. I skied skier left of the bowl. Nice faceshot pow turns and for an instance I was at a ski resort and not in the BC. One probably two turns to many down the fall line and as I made a hard tight hand ski cut to regain the group shit broke above me. This was the largest fastest moving sluff of the day and it caught me. Let the ride begin. Was strained through some trees and missed my first chance at self arrest. I manged to hook a tree and come to rest upside down with my leg pinned behind the tree and my unattached ski. Not wanting my partners to set anything off above me I had them drop and traverse in from the side. I managed to slip off my pack and get my shovel out to dig out my pinned ski and leg by the time they came around. Bootered up hoping my other ski had stopped in the first set of trees I rode through. NSL Gotama MIA. So I screwed up in a Tavern and paid a heavy cover charge to party at Moes. Definately not the first time but hopefully the last I make such poor decisions. Honey I'm going to the tavern to look for my ski is pretty much how my free time in June and July will be spent. Fortunately my Trustarastafarian friend was home and let me borrow a pair of sticks so I didn't have to make the walk of shame down the Albion cat track. Thanks bro. A final shot of debris feild and temporay home for my Gotama. Reward if found.

never found the ski learnt some lessons the biggest being protect yourself at all times
in or outta bounds post or in season.