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26 Comments
- Rikushix, on 01/10/2009, -1/+5Yeah, I'm from Vancouver and there have been a TON of deaths and injuries this year due to avalanches and skiers hitting out of bounds areas in general.
I don't know about government action, but something might have to be done about this considering how dangerous the conditions are this season. Although I kinda understand where the daredevil skiers are coming from; as an intense skier (and boarder!) myself I know what a rush it is to get snow that no one else has skiied before. - Laiden, on 01/10/2009, -0/+4Yeah, I'm from Van City too and this is absurd. Whistler-Blackcomb still has it's peak areas closed off. These normally in-bounds areas have killed 2 people. Last time I was up, I could see an avalanche where I normally ski from the landing at the top of the Big Red Express.
- simpsond, on 01/10/2009, -2/+6I just got back from Jackson Hole yesterday. It really is a dangerous scenario. However, after 5 days of skiing back country in the tetons, I am still alive. It's not that there's a ton of snow, it's a BAD snowpack. If you do ski in these areas, you better have a transceiver, a shovel, a probe, and a few other friends with the same equipment and the ability to find someone in an avalanche. It's sketchy this season.
- bikeidaho, on 01/10/2009, -1/+4At least here in Utah it is due to the poor snow base we received in November. In November we received a good bit of snow which then melted and refroze creating a great ICE base in which these avalanches slide on. Just wear your beacon and now how to use it. Also carry probes and know how to use those too. You never know when you will be a first responder. Snowbird, UT had their first inbounds death this year in 40 years. Avalanche control was done hours before the slide. Even when everyone does everyhing correctly, you still can die. Sad, but the inherent risk associated with skiing; backcountry or not.
- e2superman, on 01/10/2009, -0/+2I heard there is a speculation an out of bounds snowboarder was uphill and caused the slide. Is this what people are still saying?
- akchrs, on 01/10/2009, -1/+3Are you and the Marine Corps skiing to Virginia or are you going to Virginia THEN skiing with the Marine Corps.
- keraneuology, on 01/10/2009, -1/+3This is a stupidity problem, not a government problem. We do not need additional enforcement. We do not need additional rules. We do not need additional regulations. We do not need new laws. If you decide to play in the snow you decide to take the risk that you might get 50 tons of snow in your underpants. If you decide to ski/board out of bounds then you run the risk of a) dying or b) being arrested for trespassing. Deal with it.
- Omegahed, on 01/10/2009, -2/+4We just had a massive inbounds landslide/avalanche in Washington State at the Hyak ski area at Snoqualmie Pass. Luckly, no one was on the slopes at the time, and only a few homes were hit and minor injuries were sustained.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCjdCwdmVOM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMqgsjMU6M4 - polarbobbear, on 01/10/2009, -1/+3Skiing is harder on the knees than snowboarding actually. I do both and I know after a day of skiing my knees are in much worse shape than after a day of snowboarding.
- frhuntin, on 01/10/2009, -0/+2I was in Jackson when both of the slides discussed in the article happened. It was nuts the whole town shut down. Scary times.
- WhoDoneIt, on 01/10/2009, -0/+2No issues to report here. Wii Ski has all hills open. I've even managed to pick up a hot ski bunny after a few runs in my living room. Palmala Handerson.
- diaji, on 01/10/2009, -1/+3http://utahavalanchecenter.org/
utah conditions.
http://www.avalanche.org/~uac/BRAIC/LoganPhotos/Lo ...
recent slide outside salt lake city, 2000 feet wide, 6 feet deep. - z00k, on 01/10/2009, -0/+2The Marine Corps is hosting a Skiing event in VA next month.
- regeya, on 01/10/2009, -2/+3Weather is not climate!
Climate is not weather! - pixelguru, on 01/10/2009, -2/+3Do you refer to your knees as "my good knee and my bad knee", or is it "my bad knee and my really f*cked up knee"? Maybe you've been lucky, but the guys I know who have been snowboarding for years all have had at least one knee surgery and sound like they're popping bubble wrap when they walk, while I as an unfashionable skier, have no knee problems whatsoever - and I have no problems playing on the same terrain they do.
- e2superman, on 01/10/2009, -1/+2Ski in Bounds. Nuff said.
- delriomusic, on 01/22/2009, -0/+0CRAZY!!!! I grew up Riding Snoqualmie Pass, leave it to Wash. St. get feet of the freshies and then it rains for 2 days straight!!! I hate it when that happens.
- equivokal, on 01/10/2009, -1/+1I think your irony detector is broken.
- Zindrix, on 01/10/2009, -1/+1Read the article, moron:
"Early snow in the fall coupled with rain left a weak, ice-covered base on many mountains. Then heavy storms throughout the West dumped several feet of snow, which has been perilously resting on the vulnerable base."
Early snow means it was colder than normal. Not exactly attributable to global warming. - inactive, on 01/10/2009, -1/+1I blame global warming.
- fez08, on 01/11/2009, -0/+0Actually, there have been three in bounds avalanche fatalities this season. One would be a really bad year. Three is unheard of. The fatalities have happened at resorts with some of the best ski patrols in the world (snowbird, jackson, and squaw valley). On top of that, the slide that took out the restaurant at JH was in bounds. granted many people thought that was a dumb place to put a restaurant (a previous restaurant at that location basically ended up in the parking lot) but the slide was not expected to go that big. Thats what's so crazy about this season. high avy danger and deaths out of bounds is nothing new, but the number of large in bounds slides is scary.
- z00k, on 01/10/2009, -4/+3And I'm suppose to go on a ski trip next month... >.>
- keltin, on 01/10/2009, -2/+1In bounds or Out of bounds? In - fun, Out - Darwin candidate.
- josejimenez, on 01/10/2009, -2/+0Global warming should melt that snow very quickly. Al Gore said so.
- equivokal, on 01/10/2009, -6/+2Global Warming works in strange and mysterious ways.
- thezackisback89, on 01/10/2009, -13/+2Snowboarding > Skiing
Ski season? No, no, no... it's snowboarding season.
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