On Saturday, October 7th 2017, a backcountry skier, famous climber Inge Perkins, was fully buried and killed in an avalanche while approaching Imp Peak, MT.  Her ski partner, famous climber Hayden Kennedy, was only partially buried by the avalanche, searched for his buried partner, couldn’t find her, hiked out, and notified authorities.

The next day, Hayden took his own life in grief.

Inge, 23, and Hayden, 27, were lovers and lived together in Bozeman, MT.

“Inge and HK had moved to Bozeman, Montana, together in the last few months. On Saturday, October 7, they headed into the backcountry of southwestern Montana for an early season ski tour. On Saturday Inge was killed in an avalanche. Unable to bear the loss of his partner in life, the following day, Sunday, October 8, Hayden Kennedy took his own life.” – Black Diamond, today

The avalanche was 1-2′ deep, 150′ wide, 300′ long.  

The slope the avalanche released was 38-45º steep with a north-northeast aspect at about 10,000′.

The below report contains full details from North America’s first avalanche fatality of 2017/18.

Inge’s death was the first avalanche fatality in North America in 2017/18.

“Over the last few years, however, as I’ve watched too many friends go to the mountains only to never return, I’ve realized something painful. It’s not just the memorable summits and crux moves that are fleeting. Friends and climbing partners are fleeting, too. This is the painful reality of our sport, and I’m unsure what to make of it. Climbing is either a beautiful gift or a curse.”

— Hayden Kennedy told eveningsends in September, 2017

Black Diamond’s Tribute to Hayden Kennedy:

In Memory of Hayden Kennedy

It is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to our friend, Ambassador and true brother of the BD tribe, Hayden Kennedy.

To say Hayden was a talented climber would be an understatement. To say he was one of the world’s best climbers is closer to the truth, yet even those words fall flat and fail miserably at truly describing what Hayden—or HK as we called him—really represented in our sport. He was, with all intents and purposes, a climber who transcended barriers. From high-end 5.14 sport routes at his home crag in Rifle, Colorado, to 5.14 trad lines in the Creek, to the first fair means ascent of Cerro Torre’s Southeast Ridge in Patagonia with Jason Kruk, or his first ascent with Kyle Dempster and Josh Warton on the south face of the Ogre in Pakistan.

Yet, even that run-on list of incredible achievements hardly captures the whole picture. In truth, trying to share the full breadth of HK’s transcendental abilities in the vertical world, which he effortlessly cultivated in a mere 27 years, is impossible.

But to be clear, he was by no means an elitist. In fact, as if born from a different generation, HK was a staunch believer in walking the walk, not talking the talk. You couldn’t find him on social media, and until a few years ago he clung to his malfunctioning, archaic flip phone as if it was a crucial piece to his rack. In short, HK climbed to climb, not to spray. And it was the moments in the mountains that mattered most to him, not “instatweetingmyfacegram” as he would often joke with his friends.

HK’s depth went well beyond climbing, however. In high school he played the sax, and recently he applied that musical theory to the guitar while recovering from a torn ACL in his hometown of Carbondale, Colorado. He diligently practiced during the length of that winter’s recovery, and soon had a repertoire of songs that hinted at his eclectic tastes in music. From old school country to classic rock, to German electronica, he absorbed it all with the same ease that he applied to his climbing. Alpine, sport, trad; country, metal, folk. To HK, it was all good.

For someone so multi-faceted, just climbing wasn’t enough. Whether he was talking at length about his latest reading list, or immersed in the finer points of baking bread, HK was constantly searching for new avenues of self-expression, and new ways to live. He often wrote about his expeditions to the greater ranges—frequently publishing pieces in Alpinist, Rock and Ice, Evening Sends and other mags and websites—and his ability to weave a meaningful narrative through the trials and tribulations of climbing was innate. He also incorporated this skill into his live presentations, where he’d hold the audience rapt with tales that often crossed into the deeper reaches of loss and love and how they become undivided in a life of climbing.

What he had recently found, though, was Inge. Inge Perkins was every bit Hayden’s equal. A brilliant climber, skier, and beautiful soul, Inge was HK’s latest source of dedication—and his commitment was unwavering as always.

Inge and HK had moved to Bozeman, Montana, together in the last few months. On Saturday, October 7, they headed into the backcountry of southwestern Montana for an early season ski tour. On Saturday Inge was killed in an avalanche. Unable to bear the loss of his partner in life, the following day, Sunday, October 8, Hayden Kennedy took his own life.

Our hearts go out to their families, and anyone they touched along the way.

We know the list is innumerable.

• Black Diamond

About Inge Perkins by Mystery Ranch:

“I grew up bushwhacking around the Montana and Norwegian mountains with my parents, constantly whimpering from fear and discomfort, but always wanting to go out again.”

When I was nine, I watched a film about a girl saving wolves by climbing a cliff over the Norwegian border with the wolves, and I was intrigued instantly. I started training and competing with the Bozeman Climbing Team, giving me the skill base and strength to grow as a climber. However, after a trip to Wild Iris in Wyoming, the process of projecting beautiful routes in stunning areas while living outside amongst supportive company became far more appealing than traveling for competitions. I have continued to train while in school so I can realize new goals when I have the opportunity to travel. However, the biggest motivation for me to be in the best shape I can be has consistently been my desire to be able to climb lines that inspire me wherever I go. As my love for climbing and skiing grows, my dream is to intertwine the two more and more as well as use my drive to push myself in these pursuits as a means to explore magical corners of the world while sharing the excitement with others.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Ski traversed the Taylor Hilgard Unit in the Madison Range (20+ miles, 13k’ vertical) and did the second ascent of Vesper (14a) in the Fins one week apart

• Skied the Grand Teton with powder conditions

• Won the Montana Bouldering Championships and Montana Randonee Championships

• Skied and climbed in 7 states and 5 countries during the ‘15/’16 school year

• Won the first outdoor deep water solo competition at Summersville Lake, West Virginia

• A few routes I am most proud of:

  • Rodeo Free Europe (14a), Wild Iris

  • Manhattan Project (14a), The Fins

  • Vesper (14a), The Fins

  • The Strawberry Roan (13c/d), Little Popoagie

  • No Country for Old Men (5.11, trad, 14+ pitches), The Black Canyon

  • Roadside Prophet (14a), Rifle

  • Hook, Line, and Sinker (5.12, 1800’), Mt. Hooker, Wind Rivers

• Mystery Ranch

About Hayden Kennedy by Patagonia:

Hayden climbed his first multi-pitch climb, the Kor-Ingalls route on Castleton Tower, when he was 13. He was petrified the entire day. Rather than deter him, the experience solidified his climbing obsession. Today Hayden works toward the goal of mastery in all aspects of climbing. He finds inspiration from the struggle of a hard redpoint or the mental challenge of a dicey alpine lead.

Update: October 10th, 2017

AVALANCHE FATALITY

by Galatin National Forest Avalanche Center

With unbelievably heavy hearts, we are sad to report there was an avalanche fatality on Saturday, October 7^th. The incident occurred on Imp Peak in the southern Madison Range, approximately 20 miles south of Big Sky. Two skiers were caught, one was fully buried and killed.

On Saturday, two skiers hiked 6 miles from the Upper Taylor Fork trailhead to the north couloir of Imp Peak. Near the bottom of the couloir around 10,000’, they triggered an avalanche while ascending on skis with skins. The avalanche was 1-2’ deep at the crown, approximately 150’ wide, and 300’ long. The slope where the avalanche released was 38-45° steep with a north-northeast aspect.

This area received one foot of snow since October 1^st, which was on top of 3-4 feet of dense snow that fell since September 15^th. The avalanche was a hard slab of wind-drifted snow that collapsed on a layer of soft old snow underneath, and slid on the old snow from late September.

Both skiers were caught, skier 1 was partially buried and skier 2 was fully buried. Skier 1 searched for skier 2, was unable to locate her, and then hiked himself out from the area. On Monday, Gallatin County Search and Rescue recovered the body of skier 2. They located her with avalanche probes, buried 3’ deep. Alex and Doug went in for the recovery and accident investigation, and will have a full accident report available later this week. Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the skiers involved.

GNFAC Pre-Season Avalanche Info

Issued on October 3rd, 2017:

by Galatin National Forest Avalanche Center

Good Morning. This is Doug Chabot with pre-season avalanche, weather, and event information for the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center issued on Tuesday, October 3. This bulletin is sponsored by The Friends of the Avalanche Center and sponsors of Powder Blast on October 27, 2017.