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Show ski area development. All of the members of the party, which included two Forest Service snow rangers and one ski instructor, were experienced skiers. The group completed one day's investigation and then spent the night of 15 March in a miner's cabin located some distance up the valley. The next morning, the party made a tour of the ridges; early in the afternoon they began the descent to their cars. It was clear that considerable avalanche activity had taken place in the area a week or two before, though most of the debris had been partially buried under subsequent snow fall. On the 16th no other signs of instability had been detected. While the terrain itself was recognized as definite " avalanche country," the experienced members of the party felt that snow conditions were generally safe. During their descent, the party traversed along a narrow, sloping bench on a 35 degree ( 70%) slope, which faced east. By 3: 00 p. m. they were at a point about one thousand feet above the valley floor, elevation 4,800 feet, on a ridge rising to a height of 6,500 feet. The total snow depth in the area that the party was crossing was no more than four to five feet. One of the skiers cut higher than the rest, above the bench, and released a damp, hard slab avalanche. Fortunately five of the nine skiers were across, or on the edge of the slide and were involved only in the edge of the tumbling snow. Three of the skiers were directly in the slide's path. As the snow swept by, the three were caught up in the avalanche and carried down the slope. One of the three was carried about one hundred feet and then lodged against a dead tree. The second, F- F., was carried over five hundred feet to within seventy- five feet of the end of the slide. He was alternately buried and brought to the surface, and apparently struck a tree on the way down. The third skier, E. L., was carried almost to the very tip of the slide, and was partially buried several times. RESCUE Rescue operations were initiated immediately by the other men. The upper victim was extricated from his position behind the tree. Though he suffered bruised back muscles and was in shock after the accident, he was later able to walk out of the area with some assistance. E. L., the man carried the furthest, was slightly injured with a pulled leg muscle, but was nevertheless able to assist with the rescue work. Both of his skis came through intact and on his feet ( he wore non- release cable bindings). F- F- was most seriously injured. He suffered back injuries from striking a tree ( later diagnosed as bruised and torn muscles which accentuated the effects of an old injury). One of his skis was completely lost, and the other broke in two. Since he was unable to walk, the others improvised a toboggan from skis and dragged him three miles down the valley to the nearest road. The exhausted party reached Silver Creek Lodge about 10: 00 p. m. that night. 45 |
