Just got back from I.P and as most of you know, there was a kid killed in an avalanche last Saturday.....
We were up on the ridge south of where it happened. It happened on the peak to the left of windshield hill.
We were standing there about a mile away looking at what happened and we saw four sledders going up the avalanche debris from the bottom up about a quarter mile. Being so far away from them, we could do nothing but watch as they climbed about 2/3 the way up the debris.
I am sure they thought it was safe because it slid already, how could it be unsafe.......
Well, what they could not see, but what we could see, was that the entire right side of the chute had NOT yet let go. It was sitting there ripe to slide.
One of the brainiacs, left the debris near the top and made a cut into the stuff that had not yet let go.
Fortunately, it did not let go and they continued to play to the west of the slide area before leaving.
I sat there the whole time with my cell phone out ready to call 911, I was that sure it would slide.
Come on people, use your heads!
Island park is getting safer by the day, as there was no new snow, and it was warm out so there is a good chance of that bottom layer finally bonding to the rocks/brush/dirt.
By the way, that slide that killed that young kid, broke all the way down to the dirt. There was no way to get out of the way, that hill is like a funnel. You are screwed if you get caught there. It is the front side or Reas peak, down about 500' from the top.
For the record, it was just west of the left most point of windshield hill. I never liked that chute, never played in there, and never will allow any of my group to go in there. It is a death trap......
We were up on the ridge south of where it happened. It happened on the peak to the left of windshield hill.
We were standing there about a mile away looking at what happened and we saw four sledders going up the avalanche debris from the bottom up about a quarter mile. Being so far away from them, we could do nothing but watch as they climbed about 2/3 the way up the debris.
I am sure they thought it was safe because it slid already, how could it be unsafe.......
Well, what they could not see, but what we could see, was that the entire right side of the chute had NOT yet let go. It was sitting there ripe to slide.
One of the brainiacs, left the debris near the top and made a cut into the stuff that had not yet let go.
Fortunately, it did not let go and they continued to play to the west of the slide area before leaving.
I sat there the whole time with my cell phone out ready to call 911, I was that sure it would slide.
Come on people, use your heads!
Island park is getting safer by the day, as there was no new snow, and it was warm out so there is a good chance of that bottom layer finally bonding to the rocks/brush/dirt.
By the way, that slide that killed that young kid, broke all the way down to the dirt. There was no way to get out of the way, that hill is like a funnel. You are screwed if you get caught there. It is the front side or Reas peak, down about 500' from the top.
For the record, it was just west of the left most point of windshield hill. I never liked that chute, never played in there, and never will allow any of my group to go in there. It is a death trap......
