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Skier Buried, Survives

The following was written by one of the people involved with the "Little Water" incident in Utah where a backcountry skier was buried four feet deep after being swept into the trees and was rescued. See a slideshow showing the aftermath by clicking here. Slideshow by Bruce Tremper.

On Dec 26 I left the Mill D lot solo and skied a run with a ton of other people on Tom’s Shoulder/Wuthering (“Weathering?) Heights. The skin track was a few hundred feet down canyon from where it “usually” is, but I felt that I would follow it until I didn’t like it anymore – if indeed that happened – but it seemed to be ok and a quick pit (an addition to what someone else had done) on the steepest roll in there indicated that the new snow – at least – was relatively stable. Of course, it wasn’t the new snow that everyone has been worried about; it was the near-ground crust/facet/crust/facet/ground silliness that was now pretty well loaded. However, that line is low angle enough that I felt it was unlikely to slide, as did the rest of the 10-15 people on that slope. [more]

A Few Thought for the New Year

At the risk of perpetuating a cliché, snow teaches me that life is short. The winter lasts only so long. Eventually, the flakes on the ground are the only flakes we have, and once the little spot of Earth on which I’m riding tips back toward the sun, those flakes will return to their original form, filling creeks, rivers and lakes, continuing the cycle. I need to spend less time indoors longing for snow, and more time outdoors enjoying it. [more]

Epic Steeps on Opening Day

At 10:50am on December 30, cheering crowds of skiers and snowboarders strained against the ropes at Arapahoe Basin’s famed Montezuma Bowl. Folks lined up at the 12,472-foot entrance to “Zuma” starting half an hour before the ropes dropped, leaning into the fierce wind whipping up and over the Black Bear and Larkspur runs. [more]

News Brief

A Wilson, Wyoming man died this weekend in an avalanche at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.

David Nodine, 31, was skiing the Paintbrush, an expert trail, with a friend when the avalanche started. Rescuers found him after about six minutes, but he was buried for 10 minutes before they could uncover him. Teton County Bob Campbell tells the Jackson Hole News&Guide that Nodine died of suffocation. He died at the scene.

Nodine is remembered today on the News&Guide Web site, where there's more details on the story. And for information on avalanche conditions in the Bridger-Tetons -- which continue to be dangerous today -- click here.

Two people also died over the weekend in northcentral Colorado while snowmobiling on Gravel Mountain. Firefighter Brian Kopp and 19-year-old Mark Goetz died on the mountain. More details at the Rocky Mountain News. The Gravel Mountain avalanche was one of three in Colorado. Another one, also caused by high-marking snowmobiles, happened at Vail Pass, but no injuries resulted. A natural avalanche near Loveland Pass closed U.S. 6. [more]

Record Snowfall Nationwide

Various toupee-clad television weather forecasters have predicted massive amounts of snow in Colorado Springs, but so far the streets are dry. In some places, however, this has been the snowiest December on record. And winter just started. [more]

If I were 10 years younger, on December 20 I would have been at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, where the much-hyped launch of the ski area's new aerial tram was taking place. The ambitious construction project was completed on time, and was cause for a community celebration in Jackson, where skiing is a passion shared by many.

Instead, I found myself in a tiny gym in central Wyoming, 15 miles from the Montana border, watching a high school basketball game. Sometimes life changes happen so quickly you feel like they're out of your control and you're just along for the ride. Five months after relocating to a town I'd never imagined living in, these "moments of clarity" take place regularly. [more]

It's Going to be a White Christmas

Apparently all the powder hounds in the West asked Santa for snow, because he’s bringin’ it! Here’s a rundown of the Christmas depths and events at my favorite mountains.

Arapahoe Basin – 8 new inches, 35 inch base. As a special Christmas gift, the Pali Terrain has just opened.

Keystone – 9 new inches, 34 inch base. For $85, take your honey on a horse-drawn sleigh ride to dinner at a Soda Creek Valley cabin.

Breckenridge – 14 new inches, 54 inch base. Peaks 7, 8, 9 and 10 are open and full of pow. [more]

Better be careful here and not run into anyone, because at least half of the guys standing around in this area where the courthouse is, are contingency fee attorneys looking for their next client.

The steepest and maybe the deepest Double Diamond run in the city is a wonderful 23.3 percent out on Queen Anne Hill between Prospect and Highland. It's my favorite ski run in Seattle. It was named 80 years ago after a run down it on a toboggan with the riders all warmed up by prohibition rum sloshing around, right behind their belly button.

My favorite run in Seattle is called Warren avenue. [more]

Cold Enough

A fierce storm blowing in from the Pacific through the Seattle area caused havoc in on the roads in Washington and Oregon -and it also promises to boost some thin early-season snow conditions in the Northern Rockies.

Sun Valley enjoyed a good dump Friday and expects more on Sunday, and much of the mountain is now open, reports SunValleyOnline. . Other ski hills in Southern Idaho are ramping up too and expecting more snow over the next day or two.

Here in Montana, where butt-cold has been the word for the past week or so (about five below out there right now in Missoula), a thin early season is starting to recover, with some snow over the past week and more expected over the next few days. [more]

Be Prepared

It’s been snowing hard in the Western U.S. over the last few days, and a big dump of snow in the mountains over a short period of time is a recipe for avalanches. On Sunday and Monday, three avalanches caught three people in Utah and Colorado. Two victims died. [more]

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