Lake Tahoe Ski Resort Facing Lawsuit After Skier is Killed By Avalanche Cole Comstock, 34, of California, was killed by an avalanche on January 17, 2020, on an Alpine Meadows ski run around 10:16 in the morning. His close friend, Kaley Bloom, was also swept by the avalanche and received serious injuries but somehow survived. Comstock was an experienced skier who skied both in-bound and out-bound areas of the resort depending on conditions. […] Avalanche Nick Retterer | February 26, 2021 9 Comments
Skier Survived Utah Avalanche That Killed 4 By Clinging To A Tree A skier caught in an avalanche in Millcreek Canyon located near Salt Lake City, Utah, survived by clinging to a tree. Once the slide had subsided, the skier managed to locate another member of his group, and the two of them began using their avalanche beacons to rescue others buried beneath the snow. Two separate groups were caught in the […] Avalanche Miles Wong | February 11, 2021 5 Comments
Former Avalanche Forecaster Discovers That Approximately ⅓ of Tourer Fatalities in the U.S. Occurred When Tourers Were Ascending Are you traveling in the backcountry this year? Do you spend most of your time identifying avalanche terrain while traveling uphill or downhill? If you think that most avalanche fatalities occur when tourers are going downhill, then you are correct. BUT a shockingly high percentage of avalanche fatalities still occur when tourers are going uphill—32% percent to be exact, according […] Avalanche AvyBrains | December 9, 2020 0 Comments
STUDY: 30% of All Avalanche Fatalities in Western USA Occurred During an Atmospheric River Research published by Benjamin Hatchet, Susan Burak, Jon Rutz, Nina Oakley, Edward Bair, and Michael Kaplan in the Journal of Hydrometerology suggests a strong link between Atmospheric River (AR) events and avalanche deaths. According to their research, 31% of avalanche fatalities between 1998 and 2014 occurred either during or shortly after an AR event. West Coast skiers got very […] Avalanche Roger Romani | February 17, 2019 0 Comments
Only 12 Avalanche Fatalities in the USA in 2016/17 – The USA Averages 27 | We Asked 5 Experts Why This Year’s Total Was So Low? There were only 12 Avalanche deaths this winter (2016/17) in the U.S. The annual average is 27. So, what happened? Record breaking snowfall characterized much of the western United States this year, with storm snowfall totals being recorded in feet instead of inches, massive avalanches closing roads all across the nation, and “weather events” that left us all saying “OH MY […] Avalanche LadyBrains | November 14, 2017 3 Comments
NEWS: Worldwide Avalanche Fatalities Up 40% for 2014/2015 With better equipment available these days more skiers and riders are now heading into the backcountry. While the backcountry holds the fresh powder and gnarly terrain many of us are seeking it also has many risks, including avalanches. Avalanches are no joke. There were 137 deaths caused last winter season worldwide. While you will see lots of statistics on avalanche […] Avalanche Jack Lafeman | October 26, 2015 0 Comments
40 Percent Rise in Deaths in the Backcountry Last Winter With winter just around the corner and dreams of powder becoming more frequent there are also sobering reminders of the dangers associated with skiing and snowboarding in the backcountry. Last year in Europe 137 people were killed in incidents in the European backcountry involving avalanches, that’s more than 40% above average. Avalanche Michael Moranz | October 15, 2015 0 Comments
New Study: Human Error Causes 75% of High Altitude Avalanche Fatalities A recent analysis of avalanche fatalities on the worlds highest peaks suggests that 75% of those fatalities were the result of poor decision making and forecasting. The Himalayas hold every peak on Earth over 7,000 (23,000 ft) meters including 14 over 8,000 meters. Obviously, above 8,000 meters (26,000 ft), the “death zone”, mountaineers becomes very dangerous. Avalanche SnowBrains | September 3, 2015 0 Comments
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