Avalanche
Four skiers and one snowmobiler died in separate avalanches on Saturday, bringing the total number of US avalanche fatalities to fifteen over the last week making it the deadliest seven-day period since 1910.
In March of 1910, an avalanche in Wellington, WA, killed 96 people.
From Alaska to New Hampshire and across the western United States the period from January 30th up to yesterday has been exceptionally tragic. There have been 15 confirmed fatalities due to avalanches in that span. The number of confirmed deaths in the six days from Feb 1 up until yesterday (14) are the most avalanche fatalities in a seven-day period since 1910 when 96 people perished in Washington at the Wellington town site on the west side of Stevens Pass.
Here in Colorado there have been over 500 avalanches reported to and observed by the CAIC since January 29th. Two of those avalanches have been fatal and as avalanche forecasters and members of the communities impacted we express our sincerest condolences and motivate to fulfill our mission to provide avalanche information, education and promote research for the protection of life, property and the enhancement of the state’s economy.
30th January – In Utah, a skier died Saturday after being buried by an avalanche in the backcountry just outside Park City Mountain Resort.
1st February – The body of a backcountry skier was recovered after an avalanche on Mount Washington, NH.
1st February – A huge avalanche near Silverton, CO claimed the lives of three Eagle County residents.
2nd February – Three hikers’ bodies were recovered after being caught in an avalanche in the Chugach Range, Alaska, on Tuesday.
3rd February – A skier was killed by an avalanche near Etna Summit, CA
4th Feburary – A skier was killed by an avalanche after leaving Vail Resort, CO, through a backcountry access gate.
6th February – A 60-year-old man was killed in Montana’s Swan Range while he was snowmobiling
6th February – Eight backcountry tourers were caught in an avalanche in Utah. Four were killed.
So global climate change affecting snow packs in a major way, heuristic mentality combined with hubris thinking and a pandemic which has somewhat drastically changed the ways in which people are searching for an outlet for social distancing and whatnot and bam!
So yah people need to make much smarter decisions on venturing on to 30 degree or more untouched snow covered slopes that to recreate.
And ski blog sites like this need to get the word out that risks due to such factors in climate change are also making such ventures more risky to human life.
Cmon now how many more incidents of people dying will it take to start to discourage such poorly thought out desicions.
Condolences to families of victims.
This can be prevented by people making more wise choices.
But as we constantly witness, people aren’t able to improve desision making yet.
So we’ll just keep reading about and counting more dead.