Poster: A snowHead
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A woman died after being buried by an avalanche in the High Baldy area near Snowbird (US). The victim, 27-year-old Heather Gross, who was an experienced skier, was in-bounds when this avalanche occurred. Search and rescue crews were able to reach her, but not until she had been buried for more than an hour. She died at the hospital. ...Source: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=5079104
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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Bad news yes, but just becuase it is inbounds does not mean its avalanche save. You cannot expect the Ski Patrol to make an area 100% safe.
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stanton wrote: |
Bad news yes, but just becuase it is inbounds does not mean its avalanche save. You cannot expect the Ski Patrol to make an area 100% safe. |
I thought that was the whole point of in-bounds skiing in North America?
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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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Snowbird and Alta patrollers are some of the best in the world...Mt. Baldy is nothing less of backcountry skiing "in-bounds." The "out-of-bounds" and "off-piste" disparity between europe and the US is a misnomer. This situation is virtually the same scenario as a slide occurring right next to a pisted trail in a european resort. In utah, and Snowbird especially, 'in-bounds' terrain is very steep and receives some of the higest snowfall totals in the world. As a few years ago, more than 1200 avalanches occurred in the tiny wasatch range in the last decade or two.
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peakseason wrote: |
Snowbird and Alta patrollers are some of the best in the world...Mt. Baldy is nothing less of backcountry skiing "in-bounds." The "out-of-bounds" and "off-piste" disparity between europe and the US is a misnomer. This situation is virtually the same scenario as a slide occurring right next to a pisted trail in a european resort. In utah, and Snowbird especially, 'in-bounds' terrain is very steep and receives some of the higest snowfall totals in the world. As a few years ago, more than 1200 avalanches occurred in the tiny wasatch range in the last decade or two. |
Im with you on this but the science goes on & making somewhere 100% risk free is a no brainer.
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DB, judging by the probe search, looks as though she was not wearing a transceiver - or that none of the searchers had one. Maybe skiers don't routinely wear them in that area?
Moving and vivid account. Very sad.
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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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Desperately sad. The search sounded chaotic, with almost no avy kit available until quite a long time into the process.
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In Whistler it's not routine to wear avy gear inbounds.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Kramer wrote: |
In Whistler it's not routine to wear avy gear inbounds. |
Any particular reason, or just the way things are?
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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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rob@rar, because it's all avalanche protected, it's just felt that there isn't a need unless you're going to the backcountry.
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stanton wrote: |
peakseason wrote: |
Snowbird and Alta patrollers are some of the best in the world...Mt. Baldy is nothing less of backcountry skiing "in-bounds." The "out-of-bounds" and "off-piste" disparity between europe and the US is a misnomer. This situation is virtually the same scenario as a slide occurring right next to a pisted trail in a european resort. In utah, and Snowbird especially, 'in-bounds' terrain is very steep and receives some of the higest snowfall totals in the world. As a few years ago, more than 1200 avalanches occurred in the tiny wasatch range in the last decade or two. |
Im with you on this but the science goes on & making somewhere 100% risk free is a no brainer. |
Huh? You evidently know something not many of the rest of us do? Please enlighten us!
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You know it makes sense.
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Kramer wrote: |
rob@rar, because it's all avalanche protected, it's just felt that there isn't a need unless you're going to the backcountry. |
Do you think an accident such as this will begin to change minds?
As I've never skied in North America I find it difficult to get my head around how they avalanche-protect the entire inbounds area to a level at which many (most?) skiers and boarders don't think it's worth carrying avy kit. What avalanche protection measures are used to secure inbounds areas?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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DB, thanks. Do they use a lot of explosives? I'm trying to imagine securing the main Tignes bowl where I was a couple of weeks ago with explosives on al the slopes not already protected by gasex, barriers, etc. That would be quite a barrage.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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rob@rar wrote: |
DB, thanks. Do they use a lot of explosives? I'm trying to imagine securing the main Tignes bowl where I was a couple of weeks ago with explosives on al the slopes not already protected by gasex, barriers, etc. That would be quite a barrage. |
Yes they use a lot of explosives as they secure more offpiste than the equivalent European resort. In Europe slopes that could avalanche onto a marked piste (inc groomed pistes and offpiste itineries) are typically the only ones to be secured with explosives. Personally I take the safety equipment (often inc ABS / airbag rucksack) whenever going offpiste.
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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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And long may you continue. Dead men can't crack jokes.
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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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rob@rar, there is a scene in Blizzard of Aahs with the Snowbird ski patrol shelling avalanche prone areas with an old field gun
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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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rob@rar, Fernie they helibomb in the morning and afternoon every day if it's been snowing for upwards of half an hour. Never seen that amount of ordnance used in Europe...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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rob@rar wrote: |
Kramer wrote: |
In Whistler it's not routine to wear avy gear inbounds. |
Any particular reason, or just the way things are? |
Same reason European on-piste skiers don't wear avy gear.
Quote: |
In Europe slopes that could avalanche onto a marked piste (inc groomed pistes and offpiste itineries) are typically the only ones to be secured with explosives. |
While in N.A. they do the same for all "inbound" terrain.
Avy control being an non-exact science, sometimes slope goes even though it's deem "safe" by the patrol. So if the avy team made a wrong judgement in the Alps and slope slide into a piste, piste skiers could die as a result.
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