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Opinion
The daily avalanche advisory posted by the Sierra Avalanche Center showed a “considerable” avalanche danger in backcountry areas on Christmas Day — the day Randall C. Davis, 21, was buried and killed by an avalanche above Poulsen’s Gully at Squaw Valley USA.
“Human triggered avalanches will be probable today. Use extra caution when traveling in the backcountry,” according to the Dec. 25 report.
Davis was found buried under several feet of snow in an area described as “heavily wooded, very steep and considered expert terrain,” by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.
“No one witnessed the accident,” according to a Squaw Valley media release. “Ski Patrol noted apparent trauma due to impact with trees and avalanche debris in the area.”
Though the area where Davis was found matches conditions considered dangerous by the Sierra Avalanche Center’s report, Andy Anderson, an avalanche forecaster with the Tahoe National Forest and Sierra Avalanche Center, said it is hard to say what the conditions were like near Poulsen’s Gully that day.
“Avalanche conditions inside resort boundaries will often vary due to a ski patrol’s different avalanche mitigation techniques,” Anderson said.
Explosives and ski cutting — a defensive technique used by skiers and riders to trigger an avalanche on their own terms and then ride off for an island of safety — are the most common avalanche control techniques ski patrols utilize, he added.
A reported 22 inches of new snow had fallen overnight at the resort, and snow continued to fall heavily throughout the morning of the incident, according to the Squaw media release. Earlier in the day ski patrol conducted avalanche control in the area using hand charges and ski cutting.
The last in-bounds avalanche fatality at Squaw occurred in 1963.
There have been two other in-bounds avalanche fatalities this season in the U.S., one in Wyoming’s Jackson Hole and one at Snowbird Ski Resort in Utah.
Unstable snow, unstable conditions
There are no typical avalanche conditions. But whether they are caused by wind, sun, or snow, avalanches can happen when snow pack rests on another weak layer of snow.
“The only other thing you need is a trigger,” said Anderson. “New snow is the most common avalanche trigger, though, the one we hear about the most is a person.”
Any time there is enough snow to recreate on, there is the potential for avalanche activity, Anderson added.
Knowledge before you start
Many North Shore ski safety experts said the best step a skier or snowboarder can take to protect themselves from the risk of avalanche is to know what conditions are out there.
“The best way to get out of an avalanche is to stay away from dangerous terrain,” said Devin Hiemstra, Ski Patroller at Diamond Peak. “The more you learn about avalanches the more you realize that there are a lot of factors that play into it. But at the end of the day, it’s what Mother Nature wants to do. You can be on a mellow slope that seems like it hasn’t slid in a while and all of the sudden you’re a trigger.”
Hiemstra recommends visiting www.sierraavalanchecenter.org or calling (530) 587-2158 to find out the latest avalanche conditions.
Whether skiing inbound or outbound, Mt Rose Snow Safety Supervisor Dallas Glass recommends carrying a probe, pole and beacon at all times and knowing how to use them.
He also recommended taking an avalanche course to become educated.
“If you plan on doing any backcountry skiing, you need to get educated,” he said.
“Human triggered avalanches will be probable today. Use extra caution when traveling in the backcountry,” according to the Dec. 25 report.
Davis was found buried under several feet of snow in an area described as “heavily wooded, very steep and considered expert terrain,” by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.
“No one witnessed the accident,” according to a Squaw Valley media release. “Ski Patrol noted apparent trauma due to impact with trees and avalanche debris in the area.”
Though the area where Davis was found matches conditions considered dangerous by the Sierra Avalanche Center’s report, Andy Anderson, an avalanche forecaster with the Tahoe National Forest and Sierra Avalanche Center, said it is hard to say what the conditions were like near Poulsen’s Gully that day.
“Avalanche conditions inside resort boundaries will often vary due to a ski patrol’s different avalanche mitigation techniques,” Anderson said.
Explosives and ski cutting — a defensive technique used by skiers and riders to trigger an avalanche on their own terms and then ride off for an island of safety — are the most common avalanche control techniques ski patrols utilize, he added.
A reported 22 inches of new snow had fallen overnight at the resort, and snow continued to fall heavily throughout the morning of the incident, according to the Squaw media release. Earlier in the day ski patrol conducted avalanche control in the area using hand charges and ski cutting.
The last in-bounds avalanche fatality at Squaw occurred in 1963.
There have been two other in-bounds avalanche fatalities this season in the U.S., one in Wyoming’s Jackson Hole and one at Snowbird Ski Resort in Utah.
Unstable snow, unstable conditions
There are no typical avalanche conditions. But whether they are caused by wind, sun, or snow, avalanches can happen when snow pack rests on another weak layer of snow.
“The only other thing you need is a trigger,” said Anderson. “New snow is the most common avalanche trigger, though, the one we hear about the most is a person.”
Any time there is enough snow to recreate on, there is the potential for avalanche activity, Anderson added.
Knowledge before you start
Many North Shore ski safety experts said the best step a skier or snowboarder can take to protect themselves from the risk of avalanche is to know what conditions are out there.
“The best way to get out of an avalanche is to stay away from dangerous terrain,” said Devin Hiemstra, Ski Patroller at Diamond Peak. “The more you learn about avalanches the more you realize that there are a lot of factors that play into it. But at the end of the day, it’s what Mother Nature wants to do. You can be on a mellow slope that seems like it hasn’t slid in a while and all of the sudden you’re a trigger.”
Hiemstra recommends visiting www.sierraavalanchecenter.org or calling (530) 587-2158 to find out the latest avalanche conditions.
Whether skiing inbound or outbound, Mt Rose Snow Safety Supervisor Dallas Glass recommends carrying a probe, pole and beacon at all times and knowing how to use them.
He also recommended taking an avalanche course to become educated.
“If you plan on doing any backcountry skiing, you need to get educated,” he said.
