WA skier in Avalanche

[capitolp]

Watch out for the snowpak, especially if your knowledge is limited.

 

SNOWMASS — Nicholas Blake Davidson, 25, was killed Thursday afternoon in an avalanche on a closed section of Hanging Valley Wall at Snowmass Ski Area.

 

Davidson, a native of Washington state who lived in Lazy Glen, was a pro skier.

 

According to news reports, Davidson, who used the first name Blake, had placed well in big-air and extreme-skiing competitions. Co-workers at Kenichi in Aspen remembered him as caring and giving.

 

"He was the man, pretty much," said Travis Redd of Missouri Heights, one of Davidson's best friends. "I don't know a single person that didn't enjoy Blake's company. He made people feel like he cared about them."

 

Davidson was skiing in the lower Ladders section of the Wall around 1:10 p.m. when the avalanche occurred, according to the Skico. Davidson jumped from a cliff band and got caught in the avalanche, which carried into an area with trees, said Pitkin County Deputy Coroner Scott Thompson.

 

Mike Hogan of Snowmass was among a group of skiers who found Davidson long before ski patrol got to the scene. He said the avalanche occurred below Rayburns Chute, a closed run that led out into a wide field.

 

"No rope, no closed signs," Hogan said. "There was one on the top of Rayburns Chute, but we stayed skier's left of it and then traversed right. It was very easily accessible to anybody. We were there yesterday doing the exact same stuff."

 

Skico spokesman Jeff Hanle said the run was closed and well-marked, and ski patrolmen investigated the accident Thursday, concluding that the run was clearly closed.

 

"[Davidson] said there was a cool line to ski, and we followed him but stopped to go to the bathroom," Hogan said. "I was about 30 seconds behind him."

 

Davidson was skiing with one other person, who called for help when the slide happened, and Hogan's group skied down to start searching in an avalanche he described as a 4-foot slab 50 feet wide and 100 to 150 feet long.

 

"It went all the way to the ground; there were grass and bushes showing," Hogan said. "It was definitely the biggest slide I've ever seen in an in-bounds area. We were probing, using skis, branches, digging holes throughout the whole slide area."

 

According to Skico, a patrolman saw the bare ground from the Elk Camp lift and called headquarters at 1:10 p.m., the same time patrol received civilian calls. Skico said Davidson was found at 1:32 p.m. and showed no vital signs at the time. He was pronounced dead on the scene at 1:59 p.m.

 

Hogan said that patrol arrived on the scene after Davidson was found, roughly 20 minutes after the slide.

 

"As soon as we found him, we were digging him out, trying to get snow out of his mouth," Hogan said. "That's when patrol took over. He was on his side almost to his stomach, so we couldn't do CPR. He looked like he pretty much suffocated. His face and lips were completely blue."

 

Thompson, however, said Davidson was wearing a helmet and that the cause of death "wasn't obvious." An autopsy is scheduled for today in Grand Junction to determine if he died of trauma or suffocation.

 

Team Aspen/Snowmass, a group of area athletes such as Gretchen Bleiler, Chris Klug and Chris Davenport, recently added Davidson to its roster.

 

"It's a really terrible tragedy," Davenport said. "It's one of those reminders that we face. Yes, things are dangerous out there."

 

By Thursday afternoon, numerous friends of Davidson had posted comments on his MySpace page.

 

"I love you ..." a friend wrote, "don't be gone ... call me and tell me this isn't true."

 

Another friend wrote, "Blake, I don't know what to really say or think right now. I just want you to know that I will always remember and cherish the times we spent together."

 

The Aspen Times was unable to reach family members for comment, though friends said Davidson's father lives in Glenwood Springs and his sister lives in Seattle.'\

 

Watch out for the snowpak, especially if your knowledge is limited.

 

[plexus]

It was a real crazy storm. We got 28 inches here southwest of Denver, yet only 6 inches fell at Copper Mtn, but well over a foot by Berthoud Pass. It's all a dry snow that was accompanied by heavy winds. Heading up to the hills tomorrow to get a little taste before flying back east for the holidays. And I'm not going anywhere near any prime slide spots. Tree skiing for me thank you.