Another avalanche fatality at Baker

[curtveld]

Don’t know whether this story got any coverage outside Bham:

 

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060419/NEWS09/604190344/1001/NEWS

 

Condolences to the survivors, friends and family.

Edited April 21, 2006 by curtveld

[Billygoat]

Sketch

 

R.I.P.

[seawallrunner]

I was in the area today. there were several avalanche tracks off Herman (and off the table, and off the cornices near artist point, etc... sketchy terrain this weekend).

 

remembering tuesday's news and looking at these tracks was very sad.

 

one additional factor - baker is open on fri-sat-sun only until the end of april. the rescue must have been additionally difficult because there were no mt baker personnel taht day to call upon. remember, there are two chairlifts nearby, as well as a first aid cabin.

[markharf]

I was in the area today. there were several avalanche tracks off Herman (and off the table, and off the cornices near artist point, etc... sketchy terrain this weekend).

 

remembering tuesday's news and looking at these tracks was very sad.

 

I skied backcountry in that area today, staying mainly on steep, north and northeast slopes. The storm snow (6 inches of powder) was stable and a blast to ski until sun-warmed, at which point it began to sluff in entirely predictable ways. The slides on the east side of Hermann above the parking lot were all exactly this: fresh snow sluffs due to warming. No one skied those aspects. On the other hand, there were fresh, wet sluffs in-bounds in the skied-out snow on Pan Dome.

 

Last week's storm snow is now topped by a supportable rain crust, thus largely insulated from skiers bounding around in the powder; at least, this was true in the places I skied (all 205 lbs. of me). I never broke through the crust.

 

Events which might affect all that damp, slabby snow from last week are best avoided. This is obvious in light of the large crowns easily visible on Shuksan Arm and at the top of Stoneman, among other places. This does not mean there's not good skiing to be had....for those either knowlegeable, cautious or lucky.