Four skiers were killed in an avalanche in the Wilson Glades between Millcreek Canyon and Little Cottonwood Canyon on Saturday, February 6. These four deaths bring the total number of avalanche fatalities in the United Sates since January 30 to 15 and to six fatalities in Utah this season.
Oregon Skier Dies in Avalanche in California’s Klamath National Forest
The Mt. Shasta Avalanche Center confirmed Thursday the death of a skier near Etna Summit, southwest of Etna, California, following a Wednesday avalanche. Mt. Shasta News has identified the victim as 35-year-old Brook Golling, of Ashland, Oregon.
Skier Dies in Thursday Avalanche in Popular East Vail Chutes, Avalanche Warning In Effect
Colorado’s Eagle County Sheriff’s Office confirmed late Thursday the death of a skier in the East Vail Chutes, a popular backcountry area beyond the boundaries of Vail Ski Resort. Following an avalanche earlier this week that killed three skiers in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, this marks the fourth fatality in the state in less than a week.
Experienced Skier Killed in Avalanche in New Hampshire’s Ammonoosuc Ravine
New Hampshire Fish and Game has confirmed the death of a skier in an avalanche in the Ammonoosuc Ravine of New Hampshire’s Presidential Range. Following a 24-hour search, which began Tuesday night, a multiagency rescue effort recovered the individual’s body on the west side of Mt. Washington, the range’s tallest summit.
The Art of the Sufferfest: How to make the worst ski days into the best memories
Maybe you’ve watched a few episodes of The Fifty and think Cody Townsend always seems to be having fun. The truth is that he—like most ski mountaineers—probably isn’t, but Townsend has learned that the secret to huge days in the mountains lies in having the right attitude. Though I haven’t been picking my way through the 50 classics (in fact, I generally avoid them), I have had my fair share of sufferfests in the mountains, and there are a few tried-and-true ways to make them less suffer-y.
Three Prominent Eagle County Community Members Identified in San Juan Avalanche
Late on Wednesday night, Colorado’s San Juan County Office of Emergency Management, in a multiagency search and rescue operation, recovered the bodies of three skiers who’d been missing since Monday’s February 1 avalanche near Ophir Pass. The skiers have been identified as prominent community members of Eagle County. In a joint statement from Eagle County and the Town of Eagle, the families of the deceased have confirmed their identities as Seth Bossung, Andy Jessen and Adam Palmer.
Three Eagle County, Colorado, Residents Confirmed Dead In San Juan Avalanche
Search and rescue officials have been working since Monday evening in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains to find three skiers who went missing following an avalanche near Ophir Pass. According to the San Juan County Office of Emergency Management, the multiagency search has been ongoing since 5:20 p.m. on Monday and has experienced delays due to elevated avalanche hazard in the area.
Gearbox: Ortovox Diract Voice
As an avalanche instructor, I spend a lot of time calling out directions to my students: “Zig-zag until you find a signal! Follow the arrows! Make sure the numbers are going down! Get lower to the snow! Now pull out your probe!” Well, imagine a world in which I don’t have to yell those things, because your beacon is doing that for you.
Avalanche Fatality Reported Outside Boundaries of Utah’s Park City Mountain Resort
On Saturday, January 30, 57-year-old Kurt Damschroder of Park City, Utah, was caught and killed in an avalanche beyond Utah’s Park City Mountain Resort. This is Utah’s second avalanche fatality of the season, the first of which occurred on an adjacent ridge on January 8.
Slow Down
On February 19, my friend Erme Catino and I met up for a trip to Mapleton, Utah, to ski and photograph Spanish Fork Peak. Some years past, there’d been a fire on the mountain above town, leaving a ghost forest that transitioned from oak to large spruce, sweeping to an alpine environment near the summit. Starting in the mud, we shouldered our skis until there was enough snow to skin. Thoughts of contrasting shades, snow and faded tree trunks lured us higher, and it reminded me why I began making ski photos.
