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Show Grizzly run, which has a slope of 80% ( 39°) and is seldom skied, tested stable, with no reaction to ski cutting, though it avalanched two days later, while being ski stabilized. ACCIDENT SUMMARY After the majority of the hill was opened the two patrolmen and a patrol candidate entered the Bearcat run to inspect it and possibly to do control work. With an average slope of approximately 70%, Bearcat run had not been heavily skied that year. The run consists of an open ridge and a steep gully, which is a natural slide path; both continue into open timber. Because Bearcat is a north facing slope, it has very limited sun exposure at that time of the year. By late January, a severe depth hoar condition existed in the area. As the three men entered the area, the candidate was instructed to observe from a safe vantage point. The patrolmen skied the ridge without incident. No settling was observed, but the gully was not skied and was not opened to the public. One small slab kicked loose seemed to stabilize the entire ridge. After the patrolmen completed their control work, they were joined by three ski school instructors ( two of whom were former members of the Ski Patrol; the other had been a member of the 1963 Mt. Everest expedition). The fi\ 7e skiers decided to ski Bearcat, thinking that more skiing might stabilize it. When the group arrived at the run, they found new fracture lines in the gully, and it appeared more unstable than was previously thought. Two members of the group skied the ridge, which felt good under test, and stopped at the head of the gully. No new fractures or settling was observed on the ridge. The other three skied down the ridge, and they too found it stable. One of the patrolmen, R. P. and an instructor, D. S., noticed a fracture line at the head of the gully, and discussed the possibility of skiing above it to break it loose. D. S., who was in a better position for the first traverse, started across, but bottomed in depth hoar about eight feet from the trees. Whil( e trying to get his skis to the surface, D. S. saw a soft slab release five feet below him. R. P shouted a warning to him and then added, " Above you!" when he saw that D. S. was unaware that a second slab had released above his position. D. S. tried to dive for the timber, but the small slide carried him into the larger slide below. R. P. shouted to D. S. to swim. The victim tried to make swimming motions, but his ski poles kept pulling him down. Unfortunately he was wearing long thongs and tight pole straps. He was able to keep his head above the surface nearly two hundred feet, until the slide entered the trees. Then the snow started to churn. He was pulled under and felt his body and legs strike obstructions. The slide carried him four- hundred feet more before coming to a stop. Feeling the pressure increase as the snow stopped moving, D. S. tried to get his hands to his face to make a breathing pocket, but his poles frustrated his effort. The snow was packed so tightly about him that his rib cage 94 |