dalius Posted March 7, 2003 Share Posted March 7, 2003 Here's the link for the skiier killed at Crystal. 44yo male fell into a tree well and suffocated...... Ouch. Be careful out there. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/134648334_webskier07.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob_Clarke Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 as quoted from the article -The skier was alone in the Campbell Basin area when he fell into a newer snowdrift under a tree and apparently suffocated, Schuster said. With lots of new snow, the areas near the trees "become like quicksand," she explained. Holy shit Freshiez suck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chucK Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 Mikeadam had a story on the late great Alpinelite about a time he almost bit it in a tree well. Sobering read. I think you can still dredge it up if you search on Google for Tree Well and look at the cached page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 the sar mission for a mt bachelor employee last year really woke me up to the dangers of tree wells. seems to happen more often than you think (close calls, that is, not necessarily fatality). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 Tree wells are BAD! When I first moved to Government Camp('81) I got stuck for an hour standing upright!40 feet from home,I thought I was dead. Cant sympathize enough with the family and friends over this ....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figger_Eight Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 crap...what a bummer. I've had to spend what seemed like forever trying to thrutch out of those things before. You can't underestimate those things - even when your at resorts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Parker Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 I got sucked in a tree well at Crystal once. Was unable to extract myself. Fortunately my buddy was close by to help. I was wearing pin bindings with Voile plates and could NOT get my own skis off in the position I was in. Switched to Hot Chilis in case it ever happened again. Easier to reach the heel and don't need to undo any plate at the toe! Friggin scary man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rat Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 the solution: a folding saw (or a.t. gear) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toast Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 Bummer, that sucks. I guess this stresses sticking with your partner (no matter how big a pain in the ass they can be.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philfort Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 That sucks... I got stuck just above a tree-well today for about ten minutes (luckily my friend knew where I was, and was slow skinning back up extricate me) - I was able to free myself eventually, but it would have been a much more serious situation if alone. (I was on my back, head downhill pointed towards treewell, dangling from slide alder because of my Rainiey heel lifts both caught on alder. I absolutely could not undo my bindings because of angle. Finally with much struggle after 10 minutes I was able to reach a branch, pull it forward and unhook one ski, which I was then able to get out of, and then I could reach the other alder branch. During the whole ordeal, I had to keep hosting my self away from the well by pulling on some other alder) ...important to ski with a buddy in the trees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figger_Eight Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 rat said: the solution: a folding saw (or a.t. gear) So that's helps you how? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlpineK Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 Figger_Eight said: rat said: the solution: a folding saw (or a.t. gear) So that's helps you how? Either cut your way out or be on skis that are easy to get out of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cman Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 at the bottom of the bear claws i cam upon a skier breaking trail in the flats. for some reason he had chosen to take off his skis and walk. he was right next to a tree and was almost neck deep, i thought i was going to have to rescue him but he managed his way out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gapertimmy Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 my buddy bob and i were at crystal today, and had just gotten on campbell chair as someone came skiing up to the liftie about the person he had just found who wasn't breathing... all he said was, there is a guy over there in the tree well (pointing up to the bowl) who isn't breathing. talk about a helpless feeling. some others on the chair yelled down to a patroller who was chatting with some skiers, and he went looking in the trees at the bottom of the bowl, talk about a buzz kill. scary shit though. on one of our final runs, we we're in green valley and bobo and i split up, and he too fell into a well after his bindings popped, luckily he was under the chair so someone pulled him out, he said it was just like quicksand and he couldn't even get purchase with his boots on the inside of the well. the skiing was wonderful, just tragic to see the events unfold mere feet away from where you are making turns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rat Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 So that's helps you how? visualize "stumpy" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshK Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 Yeah, I can imagine that really sucked Timmy. It was damn deep at Stevens too, but I imagine nothing like Crystal. 50"+ of completely unconsolidated light snow is a LOT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salbrecher Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 My first time skiing when I was 5 my dad took my brother sister and I into the backcountry just off a local ski hill. when we stopped for lunch I took off my skiis and was walking around when I went into a well up to my neck. I stopped myself with my arms but could feel the snow giving. My dad thought it was soooooo funny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEWSTIPS Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 Toast said: Bummer, that sucks. I guess this stresses sticking with your partner (no matter how big a pain in the ass they can be.) FYI, KING5 is doing a story with the ski patrol at Crystal on saturday afternoon/night. We're shadowing them on their afternoon shift to see the types of calls they respond to and talking about the dangers skiers face after a heavy snowfall. They wanted to make sure we emphasize "buddy skiing". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Off_White Posted March 8, 2003 Share Posted March 8, 2003 Make sure they explain what "buddy skiing" is. Its more than just going to the area with someone, you've got to maintain contact and check on each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlpineK Posted March 9, 2003 Share Posted March 9, 2003 I've ditched my buddy on deep powder days more than once. There are no friends on a powder day. All the same, it is a bummer to hear about the accident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eerie Posted March 10, 2003 Share Posted March 10, 2003 where did this 50" + at Crystal come from??? The nwac data site for Crystal Mtn "Ski" area shows something like less than 30" over the previous 4 days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomcat Posted March 10, 2003 Share Posted March 10, 2003 Maybe that was at a different elevation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshK Posted March 10, 2003 Share Posted March 10, 2003 Eerie said: where did this 50" + at Crystal come from??? The nwac data site for Crystal Mtn "Ski" area shows something like less than 30" over the previous 4 days. NWAC also shows snow pack, not snow *fall*. 50" of falling snow does not nescessarily euqal 50" of snow pack, as the snow obviously consolidates somewhat under new snow, wind, etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik Posted March 10, 2003 Share Posted March 10, 2003 Eerie said: where did this 50" + at Crystal come from??? The nwac data site for Crystal Mtn "Ski" area shows something like less than 30" over the previous 4 days. amount fallen, which the ski resorts record. and snow water content pack ability something or other is what the nwac records. 50"+ sounds better for the marketing people!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshK Posted March 10, 2003 Share Posted March 10, 2003 And if you think it's bad around here, you should see the snow reports for the california and rockies resorts. Since they have to compete against all the other local resorts, they fudge the numbers like you wouldn't believe. I have figured out that 12" of fresh in the sierras equals calf shots and 12" of fresh in colorado equals a light dusting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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