Avi death near Telluride

[legalskier]

He had the expertise, knowledge of the terrain, the equipment, but.....

...a snowboarder died in the Bear Creek backcountry near Telluride on a day when the avalanche danger was rated as high....He was carried about 800 vertical feet in steep, rocky terrain. Soules was wearing an avalung breathing device and an avalanche floatation device. Both were deployed, but “damaged beyond use in the avalanche,” according to the CAIC....Soules was an expert skier who formerly worked for Telluride Ski and Golf. He is survived by his parents, a wife and a son.
Full Story: http://summitcountyvoice.com/2012/02/14/colorado-snowboarder-dies-in-telluride-avalanche/

 

[drjeff]

Wow, and based upon that avi-lung you tube clip in a different thread, one would of course asume that anyone caught in an avalanche would wind up totally safe

What good is striving for a more extreme line today, if it means that you won't have the chance to find a different line tomorrow??

 

[Nick]

Unfortunate ... at the end of the day you can have all the gear and all the training and ski on the lowest risk day, but the risk is always there, it's inherent in the sport. All you can do is mitigate it to the best of your ability.

 

[riverc0il]

What good is striving for a more extreme line today, if it means that you won't have the chance to find a different line tomorrow??

I guess we should all stick to the beginner slopes then...

...we all have our risk tolerances. Just because yours is lower than someone else's doesn't mean you should judge.

And that is coming from someone that has decided not to pursue avalanche terrain mid-winter.

 

[legalskier]

Wow, and based upon that avi-lung you tube clip in a different thread, one would of course asume that anyone caught in an avalanche would wind up totally safe

You read my mind- I was thinking the same thing when I posted this. All it takes is one bump on the head. What I don't understand is why he went out- alone- when the avi danger was so high.

 

[maineskier69]

RIP
Goes to show you can have all the avalanche equipment available, but it may not save from the trauma of getting thrown across rocks and through trees.
Same goes with skiing with helmets, they do help protect your melon, but only so much. Of the 3 skier/rider deaths in VT last weekend, 2 were wearing helmets.
All we can do is try to be safe while doing what we love most but must accept there is always "that chance".
Skiing and riding is still statistically safer than driving.
Thoughts and prayers to the friends and families of the fallen.

 

[snowmonster]

RIP. Another member of our tribe is gone.

As I have always been taught: the best piece of gear you have sits between your ears. Use it well.

 

[drjeff]

I guess we should all stick to the beginner slopes then...

...we all have our risk tolerances. Just because yours is lower than someone else's doesn't mean you should judge.

And that is coming from someone that has decided not to pursue avalanche terrain mid-winter.

In no way am I saying just stick to beginner slopes. What I am saying is that at some point one needs to realize that when assesing what slopes/lines they're contemplating that there very could be times when the risks of a catastrophic event, even when prepared with the latest and greatest safety equipment available, will exceed the benefits to one's own self in taking that slope to line. And unfortunately it's NOT just about one's own self in situations like that since there will be others who will have to put themselves in harms way to rescue/recover that person and the effects on that person's loved one's too. It's the age old battle sometimes between being selfless and selfish.

It's like why on a much more scaled back scenario, that I won't poach a closed trail. I'm not expecting to fall and get hurt on it, but if I did(and lets be honest if a trails closed there's usually a very good reason for it), then my selfish actions could very well put a patroller(s) either at risk of hurting themselves to get to me and/or trash their skis/board that they have to pay for themselves, and myself personally I don't think that's right. True, in this case it was a back country location and I referenced an in bounds situation, but that still doesn't change the fact that other people who didn't have the accident happen to them end up being involved

 

[riverc0il]

As we've seen in recent weeks, you put yourself at risk simply by skiing an open groomed run at a ski area. Are the levels of risk different? Yes. Is backcountry skiing in avalanche terrain with a high danger warning more dangerous? Yes. But your still on a slippery slope by judging someone else in regards to their accepted risk tolerance. You are making a personal judgment call from where you are sitting that someone else's risk tolerance was too high. Someone else could say the same of yourself, what, going out and doing something dangerous like alpine skiing at a ski area that could serious cripple or kill you. What about your family if something happened to you while alpine skiing? Your glass house may have safer glass but it is still a glass house none the less.

 

[RENO]

the best piece of gear you have sits between your ears.

Obviously what's between this guys ears wasn't the best. Amazing. He did absolutely everything wrong. Even if the avalung worked perfectly, who the hell was gonna rescue him in time when he's by himself? If you're not damaged by rocks, trees, etc... and actually survive enough to be able to use the avalung, it's only gonna help you for a short time before the snowpack eventually squeezes the life outta you.

 

[speden]

Very disappointing that the ABS airbag was found "shredded" and the rider buried four feet deep. I like the physics behind the air bags to keep you on the surface of an avalanche, but if it can be punctured it's obviously not going to work.

I'm not sure what they make those bags out of but maybe they need to look at stronger materials like kevlar reinforcement or something. That would add weight, but if you're skiing in a rocky area you're going to need all the puncture and tear resistance you can get. Since the rider apparently died of head trauma perhaps the air bags could also be designed to extend around the sides of the head to cushion impacts while tumbling. Seems like maybe they could have a siren noise maker to supplement the radio beacon too.

Not saying this would have saved the guy in this particular case, but he would have had a better chance if the air bag had stayed intact.