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Show to keep from rolling. Also about three- fourths of the way down my goggles became filled with snow, and I pulled them off so I could see where I was going. I must have lost my poles near the start of the slide ( my hands were not in the straps). " Somewhere along the way I received a slight bruise beside my right eye -- the only injury I received. It could have happened as I was bounced off a steep- angle rock slope. " It is extremely unlikely that a victim would be found in the upper portions of a slidepath. The velocity is so great that he would have to be literally snagged by something in order to be stopped, such as if he caught a ski in the branches of a tree. Furthermore, the snow does not pile up in the upper portions; in fact, in this case they were swept bare. A victim, or some part of him, would most likely be on top of the snow. Thus checking the upper slopes, at least for the first time, should only be a matter of looking for the victim, but not probing. " When the slide reached flatter, lower slopes, it began to slow down. I was trying my hardest to be on top when it stopped, but didn't make it. Although the pressure of the snow was fairly great, at no time did the snow feel as though it would break any bones, although it was great enough to make me worry about it. As for riding the slide, I think it might help to arch one's back and lay as nearly parallel to the slope as possible. I was trying for a more or less sitting position, and think the snow pressure on my back and head may have increased the rolling tendency. " The slide, losing speed, went through some small trees, and I hung up crossways to the fall line on one of these. The snow kept running for another second or two, piling up against the tree on top of me. Fortunately my head was near the edge of the pile, so there wasn't much pressure on my breathing passages. Another hiportant observation is that the snow set up on stopping, even though it was fairly dry. It was fluid only as long as it was moving, but as the speed decreased, fluidity decreased and pressure increased. " When the slide stopped, I was completely pinned, with the exception of my left hand and my head. For two minutes I did nothing but pant, trying to keep the snow out of my mouth. The snow on my head was light, and I could see daylight seeping through the snow, so I reasoned fresh air must not be too far away. After much pushing of the snow with my left hand and my head ( a process which sometimes piled snow against my face) I managed to get a hole through to the air. The snow I had pushed away had slid down the edge of the pile of snow which imprisoned the rest of my body. I began calling for help, and presently heard an answer. RESCUE " J. K., K. W., and J. R. had skied to the Bowl to check it out, not knowing what had happened to me. They skied into the bowl across more slab which could have slid. J. K. found me and dug me out. Although dressed very warmly, with my hood up, I had gotten very cold in just a few minutes. 63 |