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Death in Colorado prompts unusual avalanche investigation
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead

Fatal avalanches within controlled (groomed and/or patrolled) ski areas are unusual because of the professionalism of ski patrols in preventing them. Ski patrols are responsible for either closing threatened runs or detonating potential avalanches before they can do damage. The vast majority of fatal avalanches therefore occur out of bounds, in the more remote areas of off-piste.

The USA tends to define 'out of bounds' skiing in a more obvious mapped and roped way than Europe, and therefore the incidence of 'in-bounds' avalanches is possibly rarer still.

On 20 May 2005 a wet slab avalanche in Arapahoe Basin, Colorado, claimed the life of David Bruno Conway, the 53-year-old head of a construction firm. Because the avalanche took place in a controlled area the incident led to a full investigation.

The results, summarised in this report from Rocky Mountain News, make interesting reading.

Any comments?


Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sun 11-09-05 21:45; edited 1 time in total
snow report
snow report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person

three thoughts come to mind.

1. avalanche forecasting is an exceedingly inexact science. i have always felt the CAIC does a very good job. for those of you planning trips to colorado the CAIC site provides by far the very best weather information going. i'm not trying to plug what they do, however, they are a non-profit and rely upon donations. i send them a few bucks every year. it's the first site i look at on the internet every winter morning.

http://geosurvey.state.co.us/avalanche/

2. during the four days prior to this incident there had been unusually warm temps at night. the snowpack never "set up" at night. the entire spring was unusual in so far as we received very heavy snowfalls for a thirty day period.

3. i'm surprised that there are not many more fatalities in this state. young kids with very little experience are often seen in the backcountry between A-Basin and Loveland with no shovels, probes, transponders, etc.

i think every skier needs to know a few rudimentary facts about avi awareness.
snow report
snow report
 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?

This article from Summit Daily News reveals more interesting information about the accident (which, remarkably, is said to be the first fatal in-bounds avalanche in Colorado for 30 years).
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snow conditions



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