Jackson Hole Death

M

Mead

Member
I was pretty much waiting for this to happen but here it is....

(A lot of this is hearsay but a lot of people who were skiing today told me the same story)

Teton Village opened up the Tram and Sublette chair this afternoon. In the past week we have gotten over 50 inches of snow, and the wind has been blowing most nights. On top of that, there was a bad hoarfrost layer underneath it all. This afternoon, Tower 3 chute, Alta 2 chute, Dicks Ditch and Paintbrush went at the same time. These were all inbounds, and open to the public. Five were buried, and one was killed.

Wear your beacons inbounds people, you wouldn't want to be in a situation where you couldn't help someone that was DYING, or worse, be in a situation where people couldn't help you.

Don't get avalanched!
 
this is really scary. Im heading out there in a week from the east and i have little to no avy experience and am so broke that there is no way i could afford a beacon. I guess ill just have to play it really safe and ski the low incline stuff when it dumps and be really careful.
 
regardless of if you have a beacon or not, you should be paying attention and making the right terrain decisions.

Someone posted this video from tgr. It shows the rain crust that all the new snow there is sitting on top of. This is why the snowpack is so dangerous right now.

Loud Powder from Andrew Whiteford on Vimeo.
flash_video_placeholder.png

 
This is getting ridiculous, resorts need to not open shit!! fuck more people are going to keep dying if resorts keep opening shit that is going to avalanche, what the fuck jackson how could you open those chutes in these kind of conditions?? Fuckin' shit.
 
i skiied there today. they closed down the tram and the gondie at like 1ish. unneving shit for sure. they were blasting so much too....
 
so sad to here. already 3 inbounds avalanches at resorts in the west that have resulted in deaths. and even more out of bounds avalanches in the backcountry... litteraly gives me goosebumps, this is not a good year for avalanches.
 
Vibes to the Friends and Family

Once buried if there is no oxygen supply (no air pocket) time is crucial to find the person/s. Anything over 8 minutes if they do survive they are likely to have brain damage. Ski in a group have your peeps, shovel, and probe and know how to use your beacon efficiently enough to use it in a pain situation.
I would like to train a search and rescue dog someday.
 
The report

From Bridger-Teton National Forest Avalanche Center's (jhavalanche.org) email advisories.

BTNF Western Wyoming Avalanche Bulletin

Jackson Ranger District, POB 1689, Jackson WY 83001

Issued: Sat December 27, 2008 6:15 PM

.........................

This afternoon there was an avalanche fatality in the Toilet Bowl

area of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Two skiers triggered a slab

avalanche on a slope that was previously skied and subject to avalanche

hazard reduction efforts in the morning. Both were caught and carried.

One was deeply buried, located with a transceiver and probe and

recovered from a depth of seven feet in less than ten minutes by the

Jackson Hole Ski Patrol. Unfortunately he did not survive. Our sincere

regrets go out to his friends and family.


 
First Snowbird, then Squaw, now Jackson. Not to mention 2 deaths to rocks at Whistler.

Plus vibes to friends and family, please wear your beacons people. I think I'll have to start carrying my pack inbounds. Not happy about that, but it might be a good idea.
 
Someone got buried in the BC here in UT yesterday and they made "a miracle save" it was on a slope less than 30 degrees. You can read all about it on the utah avalanche sight. Everything is so unstable right now it is crazy. There is no reason whatsoever to be in the BC...and when inbounds on exposed terrain be supercareful.
 
Seriously, if Keystone closes mellow shit like North Bowl when there are 10 new inches, how can Jackson Hole open those chutes up?
 
Jackson Hole Ski Patrol is some of the best in the world. Mistakes happen, but it isn't like the patrol is just winging it.

The upper mountain was definitely closed for several days because of this. They had done the control work, but I believe they are saying there are tons of pockets of instability which you are just not going to be able to completely manage.

It sucks all around, and I am sure the JHSP is kicking themselves tonight, but if the patrol wasn't confident in the control work and snowpack, the terrain would not have been opened. Sadly they were wrong in this case.
 
I got a buddy in Fernie who is training a dog to become a avi rescue dog. I also got another friend (who also recreates Fernie a lot) who got buried in an avalanche and was found by a avi dog. I think he might even have been the first to ever get recovered by dog.
 
I wonder what the pressure was like that patrol was getting from management to open the upper mountain since it is winter vacation.

On a different note, two days ago when the whole top was shut down, I was chillin' in the gondi line for hours, and overheard some woman say this... "But, we are guests here, they have to open it for us." It was made super clear by shit wasn't open. Some people are so flippin' dumb.

Anyway, this is so sad. RIP Dave!

Be safe out there kids, and you lose nothing by wearing your avy gear inbounds (granted this case sounds like it was trama since they got him out in 10 minutes). We've been riding with shovels and probes as well the last few days.
 
were they wearing beacons?

did the individual die of trauma or asphyxia?

But seven feet in 10 minutes is pretty good though
 
Yeah i was gonna say, that was quick ski patrol killed it on that. The guy might have died from trauma, not suffocation though.
 
Jackson has been very hairy lately. The patrol and management have been doing an excellent job with avy danger and crowd control. They blew 2.5 months' budget in 3 days (no pun intended) to try and control slides. Nevertheless, the pack is super sketchy. Skiing off thunder today in some low angle trees, stuff was fracturing and was very unstable. I hope people stay aware and careful, this death was a big and unfortunate wake up call
 
thats sad bring you shovels probes and beacons because it's not only your life your putting in danger
 
Pretty impressive they found in 6 and uncovered in 10 (through 8 feet of snow). Says a lot about having a beacon.
 
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