Tree Well and Deep Snow Safety

[billski]

This is a very, very good web site, with excellent advice.

Excerpt:

Skiing and snowboarding off of the groomed runs and in deep powder snow is one of the most exciting and appealing parts of our sport.
If you decide to leave the groomed trails, you are voluntarily accepting the specific risks of falling into tree wells or deep snow and suffocating, however, fortunately these types of accidents are very preventable.



Each skier or snowboarder controls his or her own level of risk and are the only ones that can prevent this type of accident from happening. To minimize your risk, you must know how to travel safely with your partners in these ungroomed deep snow areas.
This personal safety information is intended to assist all skiers and riders in learning about the risks and prevention of tree well and deep snow immersion accidents. If you still have questions please contact your ski patrol.

 

[EOS]

Great Site!!

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Newpylong]

I fell into a tree well in the spring at the top of the Superstar lift at Killington while taking a piss. I barely got out.

 

[legalskier]

Skier dies in White Pass tree well
A skier who died at White Pass is described as a woman in her 20s who worked at the ski area this season.
...She was the last person in a group on a run Saturday. Her friends became concerned when she didn't come down....
Story: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017890902_apwawhitepassskideath.html

 

[Nick]

Skier dies in White Pass tree well
A skier who died at White Pass is described as a woman in her 20s who worked at the ski area this season.
...She was the last person in a group on a run Saturday. Her friends became concerned when she didn't come down....
Story: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017890902_apwawhitepassskideath.html

That stinks... a really horrible way to go...

 

[snowmonster]

Time for an avalung!

 

[ski stef]

Saw this happen to a guy on that show "I shouldn't be alive"

He was stuck in the tree well for like 45 minutes or something and managed to get his cell phone out and call his wife while immersed upside down. He had only a vague idea where he was but ski patrol found him and he got out alive.

Tried to find it on youtube but I'm to lazy after a couple searches. Anyways, it was pretty crazy and I don't know if he had his GoPro on or not but I remember you could see like some light from his cell phone while he was calling his wife. Must have been tough to remain calm, and actually I'm pretty sure they had the recorded call he made to his wife and he was like "call the ski patrol" she was like "wait, what?" and then he started like freaking out so she started freaking out. Then ski patrol called him on his cell phone and they had that recording. I rarely take my cell phone on the mountain with me anymore. I'd be effed if something like that happened. Scary situation altogether.

 

[snoseek]

I got pretty hung up in one in some super tight trees at Loveland a few years back. Sluffy snow pushed me into it, I have never been so scared in my life! A solid half hour later and I managed to get out of that, I prefer that never happen again!

 

[SIKSKIER]

With all due respect tree wells in the east on not even in the conversation with western terrain that will have 6-10 feet of base.I've been in a couple in BC Canada catskiing and it is a very scary situation.One well took me an hour to get out and only after the cat group made another run in the same aspect to look for me when I didn't show up.I needed help to get out.There was no getting out on the uphill side with the bottomless snow after finally getting my skis off.Laying head first with your skis above you is a helpless feeling.With my poles I was finally able to release my skis after about 10 minutes.Snowboarders can be in a much dire situation for not being able to reach the binding.Scary.

 

[RENO]

With all due respect tree wells in the east on not even in the conversation with western terrain that will have 6-10 feet of base.I've been in a couple in BC Canada catskiing and it is a very scary situation.One well took me an hour to get out and only after the cat group made another run in the same aspect to look for me when I didn't show up.I needed help to get out.There was no getting out on the uphill side with the bottomless snow after finally getting my skis off.Laying head first with your skis above you is a helpless feeling.With my poles I was finally able to release my skis after about 10 minutes.Snowboarders can be in a much dire situation for not being able to reach the binding.Scary.

Has anybody ever gotten stuck in a tree well in the east? I don't even think about them when I'm riding in the east even when we have a great snow season...

 

[Puck it]

Au contraire on east coast tree wells. They are not quite the same as west coast but can be a problem. I was at Mittersill last year after the 30" dump after Xmas. It had gotten a little warm, I think it was 12/30 give or take a day. I went down a tight chute about 4' wide by myself. The chute is lined with smallish Spruces. I check the speed and slid towards the untracked sides of the chute and bingo . I sunk into my waist near a spruce and the poles were no help with out hitting bottom and tips not hitting anything. It took about 10-15 mintues to get out.

 

[SkiFanE]

Has anybody ever gotten stuck in a tree well in the east? I don't even think about them when I'm riding in the east even when we have a great snow season...

Not like I've seen on vids from the west, but once in the 90s we were skiing off-piste at Stowe in real deep snow and my ski caught in a tree well...had to take it off and pull myself out. Details are fuzzy, but I do remember thinking I was glad hubby was there to help me out. There was a link to a vid here (maybe last year) of a guy just skiing along out west and disappeared and ended up headfirst in a treewell..the friend who was videotaping I don't think even realized it until he came upon him...he just turned around a tree and gone...scary stuff.

 

[RENO]

Saw this happen to a guy on that show "I shouldn't be alive"

He was stuck in the tree well for like 45 minutes or something and managed to get his cell phone out and call his wife while immersed upside down. He had only a vague idea where he was but ski patrol found him and he got out alive.

Tried to find it on youtube but I'm to lazy after a couple searches. Anyways, it was pretty crazy and I don't know if he had his GoPro on or not but I remember you could see like some light from his cell phone while he was calling his wife. Must have been tough to remain calm, and actually I'm pretty sure they had the recorded call he made to his wife and he was like "call the ski patrol" she was like "wait, what?" and then he started like freaking out so she started freaking out. Then ski patrol called him on his cell phone and they had that recording. I rarely take my cell phone on the mountain with me anymore. I'd be effed if something like that happened. Scary situation altogether.

I remember seeing that. His wife called him on his cellphone just as he fell in the tree well. She thought he was joking at first. This is a link to a small bit of the story. There's longer versions on youtube of his helmet cam footage.

 

[Cornhead]

I remember this too, scary. The sadness in his voice when talking to his wife makes my eyes water when he says, "I'm going to die if they don't find me." There's another where he's talking to ski patrol, he's incredibly calm. He boarded down the mountain after they rescued him, I think I may have taken a snowmobile ride myself.

 

[SIKSKIER]

Au contraire on east coast tree wells. They are not quite the same as west coast but can be a problem. I was at Mittersill last year after the 30" dump after Xmas. It had gotten a little warm, I think it was 12/30 give or take a day. I went down a tight chute about 4' wide by myself. The chute is lined with smallish Spruces. I check the speed and slid towards the untracked sides of the chute and bingo . I sunk into my waist near a spruce and the poles were no help with out hitting bottom and tips not hitting anything. It took about 10-15 mintues to get out.

Sorry Puck but no comparison.First off,your not talking about being in a tree well,just deep snow.A tree well is just that,a well below the canopy where snow doesn't fall.Been at Cannon for 40 years skiing Mitty and Tuckerbrook.I've been stuck in areas also but nothing here is life threatening.What is really being discussed is when there is no getting out without help.You just never see that here except when being swept up by an avi.We just simply don't have the huge snow bases to create those monster treewell traps.

 

[Puck it]

Sorry Puck but no comparison.First off,your not talking about being in a tree well,just deep snow.A tree well is just that,a well below the canopy where snow doesn't fall.Been at Cannon for 40 years skiing Mitty and Tuckerbrook.I've been stuck in areas also but nothing here is life threatening.What is really being discussed is when there is no getting out without help.You just never see that here except when being swept up by an avi.We just simply don't have the huge snow bases to create those monster treewell traps.

I agree not the same and I thought I had stated that.

 

[Nick]

like avalanches on the east coast. Not as bad either, but don't let that make you think it can't be deadly.

 

[k8piranha]

Has anybody ever gotten stuck in a tree well in the east? I don't even think about them when I'm riding in the east even when we have a great snow season...

I actually just found this thread - I was wondering how common they were in the east after I fell in one at Sugarbush on Saturday. Never even thought we had them here - especially since there's not a ton of snow yet. It was very scary - we were skiing below the Church and I hooked a tip on a branch and went for a tumble. I was trying to roll so that I could just get up and keep going but as I was in the middle of that the snow beneath me gave way and I fell on my back deep into a hole with my feet and skis up above me. I was in deep enough that no one could see anything from outside. Every time I moved more snow would fall in on my face. I think the hole was made by several feet of snow over some small conifers. When I rolled over this untracked area I fell right through into the pocket beneath and all the snow fell in on me. At first I couldn't breathe but was able to get the snow away from my face. If I didn't move too much the snow wouldn't keep falling in. Luckily a few of my friends had been behind me and heard me calling for help. I had one arm free with the pole still attached and i was able to wave it so that just the tip might have been visible. It took 3 guys to get me out of there. If I had been alone I'd probably still be up there - there's no way I could have rescued myself from the position I was in, especially since every time I moved I just kept sinking into the pine branches. I will be very happy if this never happens again.

 

[fbrissette]

Has anybody ever gotten stuck in a tree well in the east? I don't even think about them when I'm riding in the east even when we have a great snow season...

About 15 years ago, we pulled an american out of a tree well at Tremblant. His wife had been unsuccessfully trying to get him out for about 15 minutes. We unsuccessfully tried to revive him. He did not make it. He fell off an easy traverse and he was head down less than 10 feet away from the trail.

Obviously, tree wells and avalanches are more common out west but if you venture backcountry in the green moutains or the Chic-Chocs the risk does exist.

 

[MadMadWorld]

About 15 years ago, we pulled an american out of a tree well at Tremblant. His wife had been unsuccessfully trying to get him out for about 15 minutes. We unsuccessfully tried to revive him. He did not make it. He fell off an easy traverse and he was head down less than 10 feet away from the trail.

Obviously, tree wells and avalanches are more common out west but if you venture backcountry in the green moutains or the Chic-Chocs the risk does exist.

The two factors that prevent real tree wells to form in theast are: amount of snowfall and snow pack. I had a nasty experience with a tree well in the backcountry of Sunshine Village. A new storm had blown enough snow into the well that I didn't see it as I was coming over a roller.Thankfully we were well prepared for it and knew how to get out. I have seen some tree wells in the Chic-Chocs and the High Peaks but even those were nowhere near the one I experienced out west.