Category Archive:skiing

“We have a block of harder snow over a section of weak sugary facets of the ground, so we have something over nothing," said Dave Zinn, avalanche expert. "This is the recipe for an avalanche, all you need now is a steep slope and a trigger.”

“Really watch out for those signs of instability -- like shooting cracks. Do some avalanche testing - dig stability tests, do an extended column test, see if you get stable results," said Zinn. "And if you don't see (stable results), find a different slope."

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Two people were caught in Tahoe avalanches in the backcountry over the weekend, on Saturday December 26. One was a skier and the other a snowmobiler. Both escaped serious injuries.

The avalanches took place on steep slopes of 40 degrees or more. Officials are advising users to choose slopes that are 30 degrees or less.

“Whumpfing, shooting cracks, recent avalanches, and unstable snow pit test results are all indications of unstable snow in the area. Do not underestimate potential avalanche size, potential run out distance, or the hazard from connected terrain above or to the side. Think bigger avalanche than expected.”

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An avalanche in New York caused by a Christmas Day storm has damaged a ski resort in the Catskill Mountains.

The storm brought high winds and more than 6 inches (15 cm) of rain to the Belleayre Mountain Ski Center.

The ski resort is cleaning up on Christmas after an avalanche in New York smashed into a lodge. The avalanche caused some serious damage.

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A final report on a fatal skier triggered avalanche that killed two Durango backcountry skiers last weekend says it appears the skiers likely triggered the slide while climbing up an avalanche path.

The skier triggered avalanche occurred on a steep slope above tree line. “They went on a day that wasn’t a good day to be there,” the official report said. Other skiers in the area that day were interviewed. They mostly stayed in lower angle areas and in the trees. They noted the dangerous conditions on the higher, steeper and open slopes.

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A ski patroller buried by an avalanche was on the northeast end of the Anthracite Range, known as Friendly Finish, in the Gunnison area. He was touring alone in the backcountry at the time.

The avalanche occurred on a northeast-facing slope and the avalanche risk was rated as "considerable," or 3 out of 5. The slide took place at about 10,500 feet.

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Several natural and human-triggered avalanches have been reported across Colorado this week, including one near Vail Pass on Thursday.

The Vail Pass avalanche broke at the ground. Although it was relatively small it could have injured someone if they had been caught in it. The avalanche was triggered by skiers.

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Major Hugh Lindsay was skiing off-piste at the Swiss resort of Klosters in 1988 with a group including senior royals when an avalanche disaster struck.

After the Crown episode entitled "Avalanche" was made available for streaming last week, Lindsay’s widow, Sarah Horsley, has revealed she had asked Netflix not to adapt the disaster for television.

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