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Show carried down the hill, but " when I came to, I had a heck of a time breathing. I was on my side. My head was about a foot lower than my feet. I stiil had my skis on. I tried to move. I couldn't. My arm was over my head. That's probably what saved me. It created a little air pocket about twice the size of my head. " There was enough light getting through so I was aware it was daylight. I was praying and thinking about everything- my folks, A. and S., and I was sure they were caught too. It's a good thing for me they both weren't!" He said he was resigned to the idea that they wouldn't be missed until Monday. He continued, " I didn't hurt anywhere, but I was cold and shaking. My breath was melting the snow, and it was dripping in my ear- it was about driving me out of my mind. It seemed like eternity until they found me. I had been sleeping I guess, when I opened my eyes and saw a flicker of light. I didn't think it could be true. I hollered, and they hollered back. The first one I saw was the Snow Ranger. I couldn't say anything--! just grabbed for him I was so happy." AVALANCHE DATA The avalanche started high on the eastern slopes of Chair Peak. The slide ran an estimated 2000 feet, and was 600 feet wide. The victims were caught in a finger of the slide, about 600 feet from the toe. At the point where they were caught, the maximum slope was 30° ( 58%). The Snow Ranger classified the avalanche as a wet, loose, which would be coded WL- N- 4. COMMENTS This party of relatively inexperienced winter outdoorsmen violated five of the most important rules of mountaineering, namely: 1. Check both out and in with the proper authorities. 2. Check snow and weather conditions before you start. 3. Heed the warnings you observe en route. 4. Choose routes protected from hazards such as avalanches. 5. In questionable terrain, expose only one member of the party at a time. . All of these basic rules can be applied to either winter or summer mountaineering. Considering the conditions present and the decisions made by the party, it is very fortunate that any of them survived. Avalanching was frequent during their trip up the canyon. Climbing out of the canyon, they chose a route that flanked an obvious avalanche path. Yet, when fate struck, it only trapped two of the three. Had a witness not been able to go for help, it would have been Monday before rescuers would have reached the scene. One of the men trapped by the siide was buried for eight or nine hours and lived. This is seven to eight hours longer than most victims live under 18 |