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Show No. 65- 7 GENEVA BASIN, COLORADO 20 December 1965 WEATHER FACTORS By Monday morning, 20 December, 1965, there had been only two snowfalls of any significance in the Geneva Basin Ski Area. There was hardly enough snow on the ground for the area to operate. Because of this, there was little concern about avalanche hazard. On Sunday, the 19th, there had been a severe wind storm lasting until early Monday morning which deposited a large amount of snow in the " Quick Slip" area. The temperature on Monday was between 25 and 30 degrees; it was quite sunny. ACCIDENT SUMMARY Early Monday, L. U., J. H., his sister and her friend reached Geneva Basin for a day of skiing. Although this was their first trip to the Basin, both of the boys were skiers of intermediate or better ability. L. U., sixteen, had been skiing for some time; J. H., seventeen, started skiing the year before. Shortly after they arrived, all four took the lift to the top of the ski area. The two girls skied south, but the boys went off in a northerly direction looking for an area called " Silver Streak," which a map at the lodge indicated was an intermediate slope. This area lay to the north and east of " The Glades" and " Quick Slip." As the boys continued north they passed three or four signs with red diamonds on them. Unsure of their meaning, they tried to avoid the general location in which the signs were posted. Passing through " The Glades," the pair arrived at the " Quick Slip" area above " Silver Streak" by about 10: 30. Posted as dangerous, this slope is steep ( 50%) and concave at the top. Gradually it levels off into a dense willow patch and boggy area. There had been one slide in the area the previous evening. As the two boys skied out across the slab, the whole area began to move, almost as a sheet, down the slope. Then the avalanche started, L. U. was ahead of and a little below J. H. For a while the boys were able to ride along on the surface of the slide, but as the avalanche slowed down, both went under and were pinned by the onrushing chunks of snow. At 12: 30, almost two hours later, when the two girls were unable to locate their friends, they reported them missing to the Geneva Basin management. The area assistant manager, and the assistant director of the ski school left in a Sno Cat to check the places in the Basin where people commonly get lost. When this search failed to turn up any clue as to the whereabouts of the two, the manager sent instructors down the main slopes to check for people matching their description. He also sent his assistant through " The Glades" toward " SilverStreak." Then he took the Sno Cat back to the lodge area and continued to search the slopes. The assistant, S. B., arrived at the avalanche in " Quick Slip" about 1: 30, but could see no sign of the skiers. He shouted and then heard the muffled voice of J. H. Shouting at him to keep yelling back, S. B. finally located him and removed the blocks covering his face. This accomplished, 128 |