 Poster: A snowHead
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Questions are being asked about the decision to open a run at Big White Ski Resort (British Columbia) only about an hour before a massive avalanche on Sunday buried several skiers and snowboarders. The body of a snowboarder was found in the avalanche debris on Monday.
The slide, which came down around 11am, was more than the width of a football field, and was up to 8m deep in the middle....Big White vice-president, Michael Ballingal, said the avalanche patrol had deemed the hill safe.
See: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=7bd41ba8-fe90-41ac-a72e-803a661aedf1&k=59
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Of course lots of us probably also ask questions about why a particular run is closed when it seems absolutely fine. I did this only last week when a run under a chair at Sunshine was closed one morning and had been open the whole week before. The truth is almost all of us and probably those asking the questions, know a lot less about safety of a slope than the people making these decisions. I for one appreciate the very difficult and sometimes dangerous job they do and it is impossible to know how many lives they save when they take action. Unfortunately this is not an exact science and we all know the risks we take going up a mountain, I wonder what criticism can be brought unless of course someone had overridden a recommendation from the avalanche patrol but I would find that very hard to believe.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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This will hit Big White hard, which prides itself on being such a family resort. The OH has a photo of this area as his screen saver - very sad to think someone has died there.
My sincere condolences to those affected by the avalanche and to the friends and family of Leigh Barnier.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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This is going to be a massive issue for N American ski areas this season. There have been a number of "post control releases" which is marketing speak for inbounds avalanches this year already. I hope it doesn't result in a scaling back of available terrain and I believe patrols do everything they can to ensure slopes are safe. Maybe a slope doesn't react to charges but then goes under sustained and repeated loading.
Maybe more inbounds transceiver use is necessary. I was wearing mine a few times last week and never stepped outside a boundary rope.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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fatbob, good call - mine never left the car last week, will wear it all the time in Canada in February I think.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
I hope it doesn't result in a scaling back of available terrain and I believe patrols do everything they can to ensure slopes are safe.
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I'm of a different mind here.
While I do believe the patrol do they best to determine if a slope is safe or not, but the number of inbound avalanche this year (canyon and Whitefish, both with fatality) is a sign THIS season's condition might be abnormal enough their past experience need to be modified. Preferrably without more life lost. I do feel a bit more caution for THIS period might be advisable.
I'm going to Canyon in 3 weeks. So I'm concerned. My friends who live there were also understandably concerned. They routinely ride in the slide area in years past. It hit too close to home.
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Maybe more inbounds transceiver use is necessary.
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Transceiver without probes and shavels aren't much good. Skiing alone also renders the "gear" less useful.
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This is the area that avalanched - Parachute Bowl is to the left of the photo
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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When in bounds a transceiver is a lot of good without a shovel, probe or skiing partner. If you witness a slide then you are able to start searching and hopefully find a signal by the time patrol show up with their shovels. If you are in an avalanche it is the first type of search patrol will conduct and so increase the chance you will be found.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I agree with canucklehead, I happened to ski an area on blackcomb mountain a few days ago that avalanched around 1 hour after I skied it, a class 3 slide, i was skiing alone on a big pow day so i wore my beacon, just in case. you never want it to be needed, but at least i would've had a chance of being found if i was caught in a slide, or like said, i might have been able to find someone else who was caught.
never a bad idea to wear a beacon imo
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| cathy wrote: |
This will hit Big White hard, which prides itself on being such a family resort. The OH has a photo of this area as his screen saver - very sad to think someone has died there.
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Yes, it's not a resort you would associate with high risk. I was amazed this happened in-bounds. We were there over Christmas and New Year and there was a lot of snow over that period, but nothing to suspect this might happen. It just goes to show you can never be complacent.
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The Surf's Up slide wbsr is talking about could very easily had the same result as the BW slide, I took a look at the crown wall the other day while heading down the glacier and it's clear Blackcomb lucked out with that one.
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