trumpetsailor

Immediately following NWAC's announcement of the news, several obituaries (one linked above) appeared. As those seemed to conflate the NWAC announcement and some other unrelated sources, it seems like they may have been automatically generated. Now that it has been confirmed by multiple news sources that the cause was a climbing accident and not a crash, I'm reasonably certain that this is the case. Why someone would use an LLM to generate an obituary is unclear to me, but it is definitely the case that a lot of people (myself included) will click through on everything when there's a news-vacuum. Updated news from authoritative sources: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/avalanche-forecaster-dies-in-climbing-fall-near-leavenworth/ https://www.ncwlife.com/news/nwac-forecaster-killed-in-rock-climbing-accident/article_8c814908-e093-11ee-b496-e3abfdd9d0f8.html Finally, here's the link to the family's GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/supporting-stella-and-milo Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and everyone at NWAC.

A partner and I followed on skis the approach of one of his vision-quest winter routes a few years after he led the way, solo on snowshoes. That trip was among the high points of my life; it felt like we were stealing something just by completing the approach. Never met the man, but given the places he chose to go, he must have been a remarkable person to have known.

On reviewing my photos from Skyline Divide yesterday, a party of two climbed it yesterday. The climbers are visible in the photo below as a dark dot above the NR cliff. If you were in that team of two, please get in touch for a few more photos: charlie@charliehagedorn.com

So good.

A great read. Thanks for sharing!

I never thought I'd see the day that a GitHub repo was linked on CC. Thank you for sharing the software, psathyrella!

I'm half self-taught, half class-taught. I'm glad I did both. I'll put in a plug for taking a good class. If the class is a good one, you'll learn more much more quickly and safely than by yourself. A good instructor/guide/course-leader will have decade-scale experience and can give you a taste of the perspective one gets from being in the mountains for a lifetime. That perspective is hard-earned and better gotten the easy way. I think you'll find that the WAC and the Mountaineer-branch courses require comparable time commitment. Many guide services offer shorter-duration courses. To get the most out of the guided courses, extensively practice what you can ahead of time, and come to the class prepared to soak in knowledge. I took the Seattle Mountaineers basic-course in 2006, and am active with the WAC's backcountry travel course. The WAC is somewhat less-regimented than the Mountaineers of '06 (things may be more flexible now, I hear), but you should enjoy working with and learning from other people. TL;DR: Find common-sense comparable-skill climbing partners and seek good mentors. Play the long game. A good class can help. Also, this.

What a fun gig for the right person!

We headed to HLP in winter a couple of years ago. Just before we reached the ridge, the visibility shut down to less than ten feet. The spacious snow cave we built to pass the time until clearing became our home for the night, as the visibility didn't improve until early morning. The following morning, we found that we wanted no part of the required traverse on icy trap crust. Bringing other options on that route is a good idea. We had fun because we were prepared. Hope we'll have the chance to make a winter visit to the hut in the future and pay it forward. Thanks again to all involved.

You're awesome. Thank you.

Awesome. The photos, esp #16, are winners. Thanks!

Heal well, Josh!

Top-notch TR from a superlative climb. Zeb's arm recover okay?

Beautiful photos, as always. Congratulations on ticking the niners!

Three names released, second guide, two climbers (one Seattlite): http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2014/06/wife-climber-died-doing-what-he-loved/

Update with one ID: http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2014/05/six-climbers-missing-on-mount-rainier/

So cool. Thank you!

Thanks! The details may not help with the overall lesson, but they serve to make the accident reports internally-consistent and real. Thanks again!

Thank you Jason. Stellar photos; I would that they weren't somber. They help to make it more real. Thank you for making the trip. Your photos and photos from others who have returned to Lewis' summit all show the same view of a fractured cornice with a single set of footprints nearby. Can you help me make that fit with the accident narrative? As I read this, it sounds like they were descending side-by-side, with Franklin closer to the ridgeline. Did you see a second broken cornice down-ridge from the summit? Thanks again! --Charlie Franklin's accident catalyzed a short essay on risk for new climbers, it is here.

Beautiful! Nice work!

@schroden - elevation is not the primary challenge. Rainier's a different animal from almost everything else in the lower 48. That said, climbing with trusted and skilled friends is great.

The annual snow and avalanche workshop is happening in Seattle this weekend. Find out more here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Northwest-Snow-Avalanche-Workshop/326447231415 Tickets here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/468315 MJ had this to say recently: FOAC / NWAC - Programs and Changes - 2013 Scott Schell – Program Director, Northwest Avalanche Center, Seattle, WA Exciting changes are coming this season to the Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC). The first change is online: a fully redesigned NWAC website for backcountry travelers. This revamp is packed with great features such as a design that matches the device you’re using (phone, tablet, etc.) – no more wonky mobile site needed. A redesigned avalanche forecast dispenses with the Avalanche Danger Rose, replacing it with a forecast that will be easier to read and understand by users of all experience levels. The new NWAC website will be unveiled to the public at NSAW. Scott Schell will explain how get the most out of these new changes and will also explain the new Professional Observer Program, a network of trained field observers whose reports will greatly improve the accuracy of NWAC backcountry forecasts. Bio: Scott Schell is the Program Director of the Northwest Avalanche Center in Seattle, Washington. He is a certified American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) Ski Mountaineering Guide who has guided throughout the United States, Alaska, Canada, and Europe. He is a former AMGA ski discipline instructor and currently serves on the AMGA Board of Directors. An avid ski mountaineer, Scott has been involved in avalanche and guiding education for over 15 years. He is an Instructor and Instructor Trainer for the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) and a member of AIARE’s Education Committee. Scott is the co-author of Backcountry Skiing, Skills for Ski Touring and Ski Mountaineering (Mountaineers Press, 2007). Parallels in Aviation and Backcountry Travel Commander Jeff Montgomery, USN, Naval Aviator Every year accidents occur in Naval Aviation that result in fatalities. Concurrently, each year the backcountry skiing community also deals with the tragic loss of life. In both fields the root, causal factors for these accidents will often be nothing surprisingly new. Almost always they are based on lessons already learned and mistakes repeated. The same can be said of any profession or endeavor that involves hazard and risk. The common denominator is the human mind. In this presentation I will discuss the basic skill sets and tenants used in Naval Aviation to mitigate risk and optimize crew coordination. More importantly, I will use examples and scenarios to try and prove that the tools we use in the Navy are something a backcountry skier can use in the mountains. Finally, I hope to convey a critical underlying component of "mindset," and my premise for approaching high risk adventures in life. I am excited about this opportunity to speak, and I look forward to sharing my experiences and fueling the discussion of risk mitigation. Hopefully, we can make a positive, significant difference in someone's life this winter and beyond! Cheers and with respect, Commander Jeff Montgomery. Bio: Active duty Navy 16 years, 4 oversea deployments, Over 3000 flight hours in navy jets and over 500 carrier landings. Instructor at Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center in Fallon, NV. Simply put, Cmndr. Montgomery represents the best of the best in Naval Aviation. He is also a very enthusiastic backcountry Telemark skier where he has also logged thousands of hours in the backseat of his Icelantic Shaman skis. Practical Backcountry Risk Management Ben Pritchett – AIARE Program Director, Executive Committee We manage risk to maximize our gains and minimize our losses. Risk managers across many industries agree on several core principles that outline a risk management process applicable to any specific context: 1) Identify what, when and where things can go wrong, 2) Assess the likelihood and consequence of those events, 3) Evaluate your options for action, and 4) Act according to the plan; and all the while, communicate with your team and error correct promptly. This presentation illustrates how these principles apply to managing avalanche risk. Further, we detail communication tools designed by the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) for backcountry teams to manage their risk. Bio: For the last 17 years, Ben has works as a ski guide, avalanche forecaster, and educator in Crested Butte, CO. Currently he coordinates the AIARE professional avalanche training programs, and works closely with Colin Zacharias (speaker later in the day) to manage AIARE's recreational curriculum and instructor training programs. Meteorological Changes and Their Effect on Snowpack Cliff Mass – University of Washington Professor of Meteorology This talk will examine the implications of global warming over the Pacific Northwest. The presentation will describe some of the latest global circulation model and regional climate model results, as well as historic trends during the past half century. The unique characteristics of the climate response of the Pacific Northwest, with its mountains and proximity to the Pacific Ocean, will be examined. Bio: Cliff Mass is a full professor at the University of Washington, he is a fellow of the American Meteorological Society, has been an editor of a number of meteorological journals, is a member of the Washington State Academy of Sciences, and has served as a member of a number of National Academy committees. He is currently a member of the WRF Research Applications Board and a co-chair of the AMS Board on Communication. “What’s the problem?”- How we’ve learned to better communicate avalanche risk Colin Zacharias – Technical Director, American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education Most of the time those caught in avalanches were aware of the potential danger, and yet, triggered the fatal avalanches themselves! Apparently, awareness of the problem is only half the battle. Stick around for the day's final presentation and find out why critical risk management strategies often go unspoken! Learn to identify and seize the opportunities common to both pros and backcountry riders, and better communicate issues including "what's the problem?", and "what could happen to us?" , and most importantly, "how are we going to deal with this?". Bio: During the past 30 years Colin has been exposed to a broad scope of the avalanche and mountain guiding industry. His experience includes a ski area forecaster, highways technician, ski guide, backcountry heliski lodge manager, and avalanche educator. He is currently employed as a mountain operations and risk management consultant in both the US and Canada. Colin also sits as the Technical Director for AIARE, and continues to instruct on both AIARE and CAA professional level avalanche courses. An IFMGA/ACMG guide for 25 years Colin is a past technical director of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, coordinating the guide training and certification program through Thompson Rivers University. Colin continues to guide private clients to destinations such as the remote coast range, Baffin Island, Argentina, Morocco, New Zealand, Alaska, Europe and Iceland. Colin sits as the Director of Rigging and Safety for his wife, Julia Taffe's contemporary aerial dance company, "Aeriosa". Colin and his Julia Taffe both work in the film and television industry and recently travelled throughout Morocco working on ABC’s Expedition Impossible series. A Huge THANK YOU to All of our Sponsors – NSAW 2013 K2 Sports Northwest Avalanche Center New Belgium Brewing American Avalanche Association Fall Line Fisheries Backcountry Access Outdoor Research North Coast Alpine Guides David Pettigrew Memorial Foundation Cascade Powdercats AIARE Summit at Snoqualmie Black Diamond Pieps Second Ascent Mammut Alpental B.A.R.K. Nature’s Bakery Brooks Range Mountaineering Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team Alpine Safety Awareness Programs

Would you rather mountains be privately held?

Looks like Evo has BackUps too, which are a hair wider underfoot. http://www.evo.com/outlet/skis/k2-backup.aspx Recommended gear acquisition order: Boots (must fit well to prevent sadness; Dynafit compatibility is good) Bindings (Think Dynafit. Reliable release is cheap compared to knee surgery.) Skis (You can skimp here, but >80 mm waist is a recipe for happiness) Skins (Can skimp here too, though you want them at least as wide as the waist of the ski) Agreed with everyone above; learning to downhill ski inbounds yields better quality skiing much faster. It's possible to learn to ski in the backcountry, but it's less fun and far less effective. For ski technique, good instruction and a couple days on a lift is worth a year in the backcountry. Edit: I do know at least one excellent climber who exclusively snowshoes.

At some point, GS stood for "guide service". They add burlier material in places. As a skier, it's most noticeable on the side bottom, where my old pack got a little worn by ski edges when A-framing. The rest of the pack is holding up better than my ~V2-3 60L.