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To say the least, last Sunday was a bad day for avalanches in our area. The accidents followed a familiar pattern for those of us who try to keep people out of avalanches...a nice, sunny day with an unstable snowpack. On Scotch Bonnet Mountain near Cooke City a group of snowmobilers were trying to work their way up the lower part of a slope when they triggered a decent sized avalanche. The slide pulled out in two different places, with one part being about 300 ft wide and other part being about 75 feet wide. In all areas it was about 2 to 5 ft deep and failed on an ice crust down near the ground. Down at the bottom the slope it piled the debris deeply, totally burying three riders and partially burying another. When the partially buried rider got out of the slide he went for help. One of the buried riders was wearing an avalanche beacon, and he was quickly recovered by the first folks from Cooke City Search and Rescue on the scene, but he had probably been buried for over an hour. The other two victims were found by probing. All the victims were buried 5 to 8 ft deep and none of them responded to the first aid efforts of the rescuers.
Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center
NORTHWEST AVALANCHE FATALITY SUMMARY--Snowmobiler fatality
near Blewett Pass, Washington, 1/18/98
------------------------------------
Date: Sunday afternoon, 1/18/98
Location: Near Lion Rock, south-southeast of Blewett Pass,
central Washington Cascades
Type: SS-AO-3, 200 ft wide, 2-4 ft slab depth, 4-500 ft vertical;
Slide released to depth hoar near ground
Narrative:
The victim was high marking a relatively steep (30-35 degrees at
the high mark point to 40-50 degrees near the rocks above near
the ridgeline) east facing slope at about 6000 feet when his
machine got stuck at the high mark. While trying to pull his
machine around, the slope about 100 feet above him fractured to
the ground, subsequently carrying him and his machine about 4 to
500 vertical and burying him under 2-3 feet of snow. Nearby
snowmobilers used trail marker wands to probe for the victim but
failed to locate him. After avalanche control of adjacent slopes
to protect rescuers Monday morning produced further large climax
slides, organized rescue efforts Monday afternoon found the
victim through coarse probing. The victim was located about 60
feet below and 20 feet across the slope from his machine.
The victim was not wearing a transceiver, and snowmobilers who
responded to the accident did not have probes or shovels. The
weather at the time of the accident appears to have been overcast
with some light snow. Currently wind speed and direction are
unknown. It is also unknown if the victim had any avalanche
training.
Snowpack:
The snowpack depth near the scene of the accident ranged from
about 2 feet to over 6 feet (in wind deposited areas). Recent
snowpits near the site as well as snowpits done at the fracture
line indicated 12-24 inches of recrystallized snow near the
ground, with depth hoar/cup crystals to 4-5mm close to the ground
and well faceted snow to 2 mm near the top of the recrystallized
snow. During the past 10 days about 2-4 feet of wind slab was
deposited over the faceted snow, with several distinct layers
within the wind slab. Ski penetration near the site was about 12
inches, and boot and snowshoe penetration was reported to be at
the ground in some areas. Avalanche control done near the
accident site to protect rescuers released several climax slides
to the ground--in fact every shot produced climaxes to the
ground.
Avalanche Center Forecasts:
Avalanche warnings for high avalanche danger at all elevations
were issued on Saturday for Sunday, and Sunday's morning forecast
specifically detailed the exposure, weak snowpack structure and
related avalanche dangers along the Cascade east slopes. It is
unknown if the victim had any knowledge of the snowpack or of the
forecast danger.
It is interesting to note that another snowmobiler related
avalanche accident occurred last Thursday along the east slopes
of the central Oregon Cascades (on Newberry Crater near Paulina
Peak). This event had a more positive outcome, however, as the
victim's friends were able to dig him out from under 5 feet of
snow using tree branches and the windshield from one of their
snowmachines.
January 18, 1998, Sage Peak, Montana
On Sage Peak in the southern Madison Range south of Carrot Basin, another avalanche released. This slide was large - the fracture line length was estimated at about 3/4 of a mile. This slide caught one rider in a gully who did not have any avalanche rescue gear. Another group of riders nearby did have rescue gear and went to the scene and began to search with their probes. They did a great job of locating the victim's snowmachine in about 15 minutes under about 2 ft of snow and finding the victim under about 4 to 5 ft of snow in approximately 45 minutes. Unfortunately, efforts to revive the victim using CPR were unsuccessful.
January 17, 1998, Pleasant Creek, Sanpete County, Utah
Salt Lake Tribune, BY TAYLOR SYPHUS AND BEN WINSLOW
Avalanches in Utah's snow-filled mountains killed two snowmobilers and briefly trapped a troop of Boy Scouts over the weekend.
Damon Kent Vernon, 21, was killed in Spring Canyon in Summit County when a snow slide buried him and his snowmobile at about 3 p.m. Sunday. His four companions found him and dug him out but were unable to revive him.
A separate avalanche in the Pleasant Creek area of north Sanpete County took the life of a snowmobiler from Moroni Saturday evening. Cody David Dyches and several friends were snowmobiling in an unstable back-country area and apparently caused the slide at 5 p.m.
Search dogs found Dyches under five feet of snow at 9:30 p.m., but several attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.
State transportation officials attempted to ward off a potentially disastrous spontaneous avalanche in Provo Canyon by dropping explosives from helicopters onto the snowy slopes. They got more than they bargained for.
The first bomb caused 15-feet of powder to cascade onto a 400-foot stretch of U.S. Highway 189. No one was trapped in the 11:20 a.m. slide because Utah Department of Transportation officials had closed the road about 10 minutes before the snow let loose.
UDOT officials are calling this winter one of the worst avalanche seasons in years because of the weak snowfall at the beginning of the season, followed by heavy storms this month. The base cannot support the new snowpack and the chutes give way.
The snow and debris released in Provo Canyon from the first of 75 blasts Sunday generated winds estimated at 80 mph as the mass roared down onto the road. Other than a guardrail that was ``pushed like a ribbon in front of the snow,'' according to UDOT area manager Craig Haskell, no damage to structures was evident.
The slide occurred about two miles west of the Sundance Resort turnoff.
The entire canyon was closed for hours while UDOT moved in bulldozers and backhoes to clear the Slide Canyon debris.
Officials said the canyon would be reopened at 6 a.m. today.
Except for the inconvenience of having to drive the Interstate 80 loop to get to Interstate 15 South if they wanted to get to Utah County, participants in the Sundance Film Festival staying in Provo Canyon were not affected.
Residents from Springville were allowed to head toward Provo out of the canyon and those living in Sundance were able to travel up the canyon to Heber City.
In the five years UDOT has performed avalanche control in Provo Canyon, Sunday's is the first controlled slide to wash up on the road. ``The slides have definitely been more spectacular this year,'' Haskell said. ``If we had not caused this one on Sunday, we would have had a spontaneous slide soon because of the storm prediction.'' Snow and colder temperatures are expected to move through the Wasatch Front this morning and afternoon.
Avalanche forecaster Kevin Griffith blamed the size of the slide on severe weather conditions that prevented UDOT from dropping charges a week ago. The Sunday slide was a ``climax avalanche'' where all layers of snow, down to the dirt, give way and slide.
``Everything is dependent on the weather in this business,'' Griffith said. ``The intent is to do avalanche control work before spontaneous slides hit the road.''
Meanwhile, a group of Boy Scouts on a winter excursion east of Beaver in southwestern Utah, who accidentally triggered an avalanche that trapped four of them in 5 feet of snow Friday, may be charged the cost of their rescue, according to Beaver County search and rescue crews.
The troop was cross-country skiing in Merchant Valley, about three miles west of the Elk Meadows Ski Resort. ``The scouts left at about 8 or 8:30 a.m. to go do some skiing in the back country and they were going to dig some snow caves and do some wilderness survival overnight,'' said Bob Koler, Beaver County search and rescue commander. ``On their way up [to the campsite] they got in about a mile and they triggered the avalanche.''
The group of 20 Scouts were from Orem and St. George. Four Scouts were trapped for about five minutes before they were freed by other Scouts. A Scout leader flagged down a car near the resort and contacted authorities. The boys were taken to Beaver Valley Hospital to be treated for minor injuries. One was kept overnight for observation.
They were skiing across a ridge when the snow came down from above and hit them, said Elk Meadows spokeswoman Tina Stewell. Search and rescue officers, Forest Service rangers, the Elk Meadows ski patrol and volunteers with snowmobiles aided in the rescue. Authorities spent four hours evacuating the area because of the danger of more avalanches.
This was the first avalanche reported in that area.
``This was a class 3 avalanche,'' Stewell said. ``It could bury a bus and you wouldn't find it until spring.''
She described the avalanche as 100 yards wide and at least 3 feet deep. The Scouts who were buried in the snow ran the risk of suffocation. Their inexperience in the area also counted against them, she said.
``They were so lucky. It was a miracle they were only buried for a few minutes. The area they were in had unstable conditions all year. There are back-country guides that should be guiding these people, that know how to test the snow, who have the right equipment,'' she said.
Beaver County search and rescue crews plan to watch the Merchant Valley area more closely. Koler said it was a close call for the entire troop. ``They were extremely lucky they didn't die out there,'' he said.
The Beaver County Sheriff's Office is investigating the avalanche.
Summary: Bald Mtn. ski area total burial in bounds (tree skiing) January 15, Fire Trail on Bald Mountain.
Mid-day, skier triggered release while skiing in bounds but in a densely treed "off-piste" area. SSAS2G. 75 feet wide, 150'long 33"crown face.NE facing 34 degree slope. New snow and 4finger faceted snow failed on buried depth hoar at the ground. Some remnants of old MF crust at ground. Skier was completely buried in 2-5ft of debris (much deeper in places) that fell on to a road cut, out of sight of his partner. No beacons, shovels etc. Partner was quick thinking and located victim by digging on road directly beneath loose skis that had released and hung up in trees just above road cut. Victim was recovered in 8 minutes, just as he was losing conciousness and as a ski patrolman happened to ski up with a shovel. No injuries. This was during a period of high hazard and the patrol was coming down to look at conditions. Lucky guy that his partner had been quick thinking and had not skied off to get help.
Sun Valley Avalanche Center
A 23 year old skipatroller was caught in an avalanche and took a long ride, 100 yards through trees. A pocket released 3-4 feet deep, 45 feet wide, between two shot placements above him while he was ski cutting. He was completely buried. His partner, another patroller, quickly located him under 15 minutes and was digging him out when other rescuers arrived at the scene. He was unconscious and did not respond to CPR. He was transported down to the parking lot where he regained consciousness. He was air evacuated to a local hospital. His injuries consist of a broken femur.
A couple of days later, another Solitude ski patroller was caught in another slide and also went for a long ride. No injuries were reported.
Utah Avalanche Forecast Center
Casper Star-Tribune
CASPER -- An avalanche killed a Carbon County man Sunday afternoon after burying him and his snowmobile under two feet of snow west of Encampment.
Benjamin Frank Romios, 21, of Encampment was pronounced dead at a hospital Sunday evening after spending hours buried in snow, according to Carbon County Sheriff Jerry Colson.
Colson stated in a press release that Romios was snowmobiling in the Battle Lake area of the Sierra Madre Mountains about 2 p.m. Sunday with four other people.
Romios' snow machine got stuck on a hillside near Battle Lake when an avalanche, about 150 yards wide and a half-mile long, engulfed him and his machine, the sheriff stated.
He stated that one person left to seek help, while the other three members of the party began digging to try to find Romios.
Sheriff's deputies, members of search and rescue teams from Encampment and Saratoga and more than 30 other volunteers arrived on the scene and began probing for Romios, according to Colson.
Rescuers found him under about two feet of snow about 5:20 p.m. Sunday, Colson stated.
He stated that emergency workers started CPR on the victim, who then was rushed to Corbett Medical Center and pronounced dead a short time later.
JOAN HAINES Bozeman Daily Chronicle
A Livingston snowmobiler was buried alive Sunday -- encased under snow in the Rock Creek drainage south of Livingston for 10 to 12 minutes and unable to move -- and lived to tell the tale.
Kemp O'Neill is now a member of an exclusive club he never wanted to join.
A massive slide that started near the bottom of an avalanche chute buried O'Neill under 2 1/2 feet of snow.
"I never knew something so white could be so black," O'Neill said in a telephone interview Wednesday.
The slab slide was about 300 yards wide. The snow crashed down about 800 yards.
O'Neill lost consciousness at one point. But he was rescued from under the snow by friends in his party who used O'Neill's shovel and probe, the only rescue tools carried by seven sledders. They were able to locate him because he was wearing an radio transceiver -- a device that can send or receive radio signals.
"I would not be alive today if it wasn't for my transceiver, a lot of quick thinking and a lot of luck," O'Neill said.
Karl Birkeland, director of the Gallatin Forest Avalanche Center, marveled at O'Neill's good fortune.
"Not too many people have been dug up alive after being totally buried, even with transceivers," Birkeland said. However, he said, those who are rescued within 15 minutes after burial have a 92 percent chance of survival, he said.
For a while, it looked as if O'Neill's luck had run out.
O'Neill, 37, and several of his friends had gotten stuck in heavy snow on flat land near the bottom of a bowl in the Rock Creek drainage. O'Neill had left his snowmobile -- the one with the shovel and probe on board -- and was trying to free a friend's sled.
The friend began yelling at him.
"I looked over my shoulder, and I got buried by a 10- to 12-foot wall of snow," O'Neill said.
He teaches youngsters to snowmobile safely under a state program, and knew very well he was supposed to use his arms to make swimming motions so he could stay on top of the snow.
But he couldn't do it.
"I tried with all I was worth to get my arms to help me," O'Neill said. "My arms wouldn't work. The snow slammed me to the ground."
He learned later the snow had carried him about 150 yards. He was on his back looking up into blackness.
"I did a lot of thinking down there," the snowmobiler said. "I was thinking about my wife (Lori) and kids (Shay, 8, and Deni, 11) and things I meant to do. I was making peace with myself."
O'Neill, a general contractor, said one thing he thought about was how his wife would carry on financially if he died.
At the same time, he said he had faith in his transceiver and his friends. But he didn't know whether some of them had also been buried under the avalanche.
Fortunately for O'Neill, the friend who found him, David Lanzendorf, had practiced using his transceiver the day before. Lanzendorf found O'Neill's general location with the beacon, than used a probe to find his body.
It took about four minutes before O'Neill was able to open his eyes and several attempts before he was able to talk. At one point, Lanzendorf told O'Neill, "I didn't realize lips turned that dark a blue." His friends built a fire, and O'Neill sat near it and gathered his thoughts.
He advised all snowmobilers to carry transceivers and rescue equipment with them. It doesn't make sense to pay $4,000 to $5,000 for a sled, then refuse to put out $200 for a transceiver that could save a life, he said. O'Neill said he was surprised there was an avalanche at Rock Creek, which is about 35 miles south of Livingston in the Gallatin range. He'd been traveling to that spot for nearly 20 years, he said.
But he and his friends did overlook some warning signs, he said.
"It was snowing real heavy," O'Neill said. One snowmobiler had felt the snow settle under him, a sure sign of a weak snowpack.
"You know better, but you choose not to pay attention," he said.
Still, O'Neill said, he lived through the nightmare.
"Me and my guardian angel, we pulled it off," he said.
FROM THE SL TRIBUNE, Associated Press
Medical Helicopter Crashes, Kills Four
A medical helicopter rescuing a skier injured in an avalanche crashed in a snowstorm en route to the hospital late Sunday, killing all four people on board.
The University of Utah Health Sciences Center helicopter took off from a parking lot at the White Pine area in Little Cottonwood Canyon, about 18 miles southeast of here, around 11 p.m. Sunday.
About 2:30 a.m. today searchers found wreckage on the north side of the canyon in a wooded area of the mountainside, across the highway from where the helicopter took off.
``It's an intensive crash site with lots of damage to the aircraft. It was a mile up off the road in a hard area to get to,'' said sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Jim Potter.
Found dead at the crash site were the pilot Stan Berg, paramedic Tim Hynes, nurse Shayne Carnahan and David Anderson, the injured skier, a hospital spokesman said.
Their ages were not immediately available.
National Transportation Safety Board investigators were expected to arrive today to determine the cause of the crash, said a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration in Seattle.
The helicopter was responding to a call to retrieve a backcountry skier injured in an avalanche in the White Pine area, about a mile from Snowbird ski resort, when a snowstorm blew in during the rescue.
KUTV television reported that sheriff's search and rescue crews saw the helicopter hovering overhead and believed it was going to land, when it suddenly rose, veered to the right and disappeared. Moments later they heard a muffled explosion.
``We don't know if it was a visibility problem, or if the winds caught, but it appears they drifted to the north, and struck the mountainside,'' said sheriff's Capt. Jeff Carr.
The mood was somber at University hospital, where the last medical helicopter crash occurred in 1983 during a snowstorm that claimed the life of the pilot.
``It's a very sad and tragic day for university hospital and the state of Utah,'' said John Dwan, hospital spokesman. ``Three individuals dedicated to helping other people and saving lives lost theirs.''
Dwan said it is the pilot's decision whether to fly in stormy weather.
An earlier attempt to rescue Anderson in the late afternoon was aborted because of weather conditions, he said.
Dwan confirmed reports that Anderson's wife, who had been skiing with her husband when a snowslide injured him, was waiting at the hospital when she got word of his death about 5 a.m.
Little Cottonwood Canyon was closed early today as crews conducted avalanche control procedures following the overnight snowstorm, which dropped about one foot of new snow.
By RAYMOND MASLECK Trail Times Newspaper
A 35-year-old Fruitvale man was killed by an avalanche while snowmobiling Saturday in Norns Creek, about 15 kilometres northwest of Castlegar.
Kevin Langille, 35, was riding in the steep-sided, high-country drainage, west of Pass Creek, with a group of more than a dozen snowmobilers from Castlegar and Fruitvale when the avalanche struck at 3:30 p.m. He was ascending a steep, 100- to 150-metre slope well-known in the snowmobiling community for its challenge.
"He wanted to make one last run and put up the high mark of day," said Dennis Deptuck, a close friend and business associate, who wasn't on the outing."He apparently had made it to the top and was coming back down when the whole mountain broke away."
Langille was wearing a avalanche locater beacon and was dug out of the snow in less than 15 minutes, Deptuck said. He was given CPR on site, but was pronounced dead on arrival at Castlegar District Hospital after being evacuated by helicopter.
The Castlegar RCMP released few details over the weekend and the exact cause of death was not disclosed.
The hill was so steep that it didn't hold snow well and many experienced snowmobilers would not venture into the area except in very stable snow conditions. The Canadian Avalanche Centre In Revelstoke is rating the slide hazard in Southern Columbia generally as high, representing "extreme danger" for backcountry travellers.
"It was a calculated risk," said a member of the Castlegar Snowmobile Club, who didn't want his name used. "Lots of people wouldn't go into that area, but lots of people would. They were all experienced riders. This was nobody's fault. It is just one of those things that happens."
Another club member, George Plotnikoff, of Thrums said he only goes into the area when the snow is very stable.
"We all knew about that hill and and we know not to go in there until spring. But it is a place you want to go. Once you are up above the tree line it is gorgeous. There is no place better."
Langille owned Trakk Recreation Repair, a snowmobile dealership located in Trail, as well as the Minute Brake franchise. He was married and had two children attending Beaver Valley Valley Middle School. Langille also led a popular country and western band called Roughshod.
"He was an awesome guy," said Deptuck, who hired him as a mechanic 15 years ago, and then sold him the brake repair portion of his brake and muffler shop several years ago.
"He would give you the shirt off his back. He was a central person in the community and touched a lot of people."
Submitted by Terry Sawchuk
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