Slidebrook

[walks]

Hey everyone,

Need to see if anyone has some info.

Went into slidebrook around 2pm. About a 1/4 of the way into the traverse I saw two teenagers standing there with a radio out. Didn't think much of it at the time. On the bus back two guys said they heard one of them saying there dad dropped in at that point but that was about it. There was a discussion which lead us to make a decision for these two guys to go to dispactch and also maybe make a run back in there. Not sure who the two guys were. I couldn't make it back in there due to have two kids with me but decided to go to guest services and inform them to notify dispatch as well.

It didn't look like anyone had gone into deep pocket during the day which leads me to believe that there is no clear ski tracks to lead this guy out if he doesn't know where he is going.


It was a tough decision to be alarmed or not in this circumstance but thought it would be better to be alarmed. I want to use this forum to see if anyone has heard anything about this. Does anyone know if there is anything going on with this? If the guys was lost, did he make it out?

If anyone has any info please let me know.

thanks

[Go Figure]

If you can not find your way out unless there are tracks, Darwin will kick in.

[HowieT2]

how was the cover?
I was in various woods at south today and the base is noticeably improved from last weekend.

[freeheel_skier]

If you can not find your way out unless there are tracks, Darwin will kick in.

I have no info to add but...............

Nice attitude. :roll: The two teens IF Lost have parents who worry about them. Hope everybody is safe and sound :wink:

[boze]

If you can not find your way out unless there are tracks, Darwin will kick in.

How nice & callous of you GF. Quite possibly that's something I might have muttered back in my days as a human turd. But I managed to crawl out of the primordial ooze just recently enough to know that that comment's pretty tasteless.

Just imagine if someone is / did get lost...how offending your comments above would be to any family & friends?
Sorry but your attitude on this, speaking for myslef, is decidely unwelcomed.

Note: apologies to the board & moderators for this post but....well hopefully you do not need my explanation. Mea culpa if otherwise.

[telepow]

I went pretty far out yesterday and saw evidence of a lot of postholing. there was no particular pattern, up down, left right. Someone was definitely lost out there, pretty much mid basin. Its another good reminder that although its very accessible you can still get lost and die in slidebrook. There have been more and more novices in there every year exponentially and its getting to be pretty scary.

[jwt]

Was in VR Sat morning at 9:15 and S&S around 2:45 PM and saw nothing in the way of postholing or lost ones. I saw a group of 4-5 young adults on VR and it was thin at the bottom, lots of snowsnakes and lots of water bars open on run out.

yesterdays snow should have helped the conditions but it was a great thing to report it - one never knows and ski patrol run to check it out can't go to waste if someone is unsure of trouble - especially with those temps.

[Strat]

I've never been in, so I can't make a truly informed comment, but it really seems like it'd be tough to get lost in Slide Brook. Go downhill until you find the stream, and then follow the stream out to German Flats. It would take a few hours and would be tough in deep snow, but being a basin it doesn't seem that tough to find one's way in a jam.

[freeheel_skier]

I've never been in, so I can't make a truly informed comment, but it really seems like it'd be tough to get lost in Slide Brook. Go downhill until you find the stream, and then follow the stream out to German Flats. It would take a few hours and would be tough in deep snow, but being a basin it doesn't seem that tough to find one's way in a jam.

A few hours? Could be more if you're a kid "postholing" because you are on a board. If it is dusk, you are in big trouble. :shock:

Trails I ride in the summer time look very different in the fall on a night ride. Very easy to get disoriented at night. Be careful out there.....make sure the young'uns understand the consequences going off trail. :wink:

[telepow]

^ make sure to go with someone your first time strat. especially on a snowboard. I think that's how people get lost

[Strat]

^ make sure to go with someone your first time strat. especially on a snowboard. I think that's how people get lost
Oh I'm certainly not planning to go in on my own, especially on a snowboard. Seems like it'd be a good idea to bring a pack with a pair of snowshoes. The key of course is to go in early so in case you do get lost, you have more daylight to work with.

[telepow]

^ make sure to go with someone your first time strat. especially on a snowboard. I think that's how people get lost
Oh I'm certainly not planning to go in on my own, especially on a snowboard. Seems like it'd be a good idea to bring a pack with a pair of snowshoes. The key of course is to go in early so in case you do get lost, you have more daylight to work with.

good, then you're a lot better off than the guy who's tracks I found. I think there have been 3 after closing SARs in the last 4 or 5 years

[John Walden]

Just got back tonight from 10 days in Utah skiing Alta, Snowbird and the Canyons. I was amazed how they control their trails . They had an terrible accident at Alta several weeks ago when a skiier lost her life when another skiier set off an avalanche above her in an area that was sweeped by ski patrol that morning. This was very rare for a death in an inbounds area. I really felt for those ski patrollers who cleared that area that morning. She had fallen and was trying to get her skiis back on when the slide started. She didn't have any chance at that point. Another ski death occurred while I was at Alta this past week when a local girl with her ski group died at the Sunnyside Lift when she went head first and suffocated in the snow. Just a freak thing.

So, be careful in Slide Brook; things can go wrong quickly if you are paying attentionl.

Plan to be back skiing the Bush this weekend. Spring skiing in Utah all last week!

[walks]

With no news on anything happening I am assuming they got out alright. Bad combination with it being 9 degrees out and 2pm.

Thanks.

[smootharc]

Another ski death occurred while I was at Alta this past week when a local girl with her ski group died at the Sunnyside Lift when she went head first and suffocated in the snow. Just a freak thing.

So, be careful in Slide Brook; things can go wrong quickly if you are paying attentionl.


....the girl at Alta's NARSID (Non-Avalanche Related Snow Immersion Death) incident. She was loosely skiing with a family group, but they weren't, it would appear, strictly "buddied up". Buddy system in the trees at all times !

http://www.treewelldeepsnowsafety.com/

[castlerock]

They had an terrible accident at Alta several weeks ago when a skiier lost her life when another skiier set off an avalanche above her in an area that was sweeped by ski patrol that morning.

I think you mean High Baldy at Snowbird.

I hope we have tree well danger in Slidebrook this year. We certainly don't now.

[HowieT2]

Another ski death occurred while I was at Alta this past week when a local girl with her ski group died at the Sunnyside Lift when she went head first and suffocated in the snow. Just a freak thing.

So, be careful in Slide Brook; things can go wrong quickly if you are paying attentionl.


....the girl at Alta's NARSID (Non-Avalanche Related Snow Immersion Death) incident. She was loosely skiing with a family group, but they weren't, it would appear, strictly "buddied up". Buddy system in the trees at all times !

http://www.treewelldeepsnowsafety.com/

and she wasn't wearing a helmet.

[John Walden]

Castlerock: You were right; it was Snowbird. Alta had the other death several weeks ago before I got there. I heard details of her attempted rescue by some locals I know. They were there within minutes of the slide; ski patrollers from 6 areas were airlifted in within 30 minutes.

[boze]

Article on last week's death at Alta; was a teen skiing solo succumbing to a tree well

http://www.sltrib.com/justice/ci_11480640

As other's have said, buddy system is a must most esp when off the beaten path.

[smootharc]

Article on last week's death at Alta; was a teen skiing solo succumbing to a tree well

http://www.sltrib.com/justice/ci_11480640

As other's have said, buddy system is a must most esp when off the beaten path.

Interesting thought would be "tree well danger" public service announcements on lift towers or at the tops of lifts at areas out west. I don't think there is a great deal of awareness out there on this issue/danger.

[John Walden]

Castlerock: I was right after all; it was Alta. A buddy of mine fell into a tree well at Stowe last year. It was a good thing that there was four of us skiing with him; otherwise he would of never got out.

[castlerock]

The inbounds avalanche fatality was at Snowbird.

[John Walden]

Castlerock; You are right . The inbounds was Snowbird, the treewell death was at Alta.

[skiladi]

I think now that it must have been a partridge. I guess it could have been a ruffed grouse or a ptarmigan but I don't think it was a pheasant. But he /she and I were the only souls around. And that was fine with me. I know it sounds cavalier but I go it alone a lot and if I die I die happy. I cringe a bit when I see names of routes bandied about. Suggest the tour and zip it.

[win]

Personally, I would not go into Slidebrook yet. There is not enough cover down low for a pleasant run. Reports are that the upper third is ok but that is it. Another foot of snow and it will be a different story.

[shadyjay]

Heard that exact word from North Lynx patrol the other day so I was passing on that word to those who asked while I was up top.

[John Walden]

I don't understand skiladi's position of going it alone. I have never ventured in Slidebrook without at least three people with us.

[skiladi]

I don't understand skiladi's position of going it alone. I have never ventured in Slidebrook without at least three people with us.

It is not a "position". I am not condoning , recommending or suggesting that anyone do it. I will go with others if they are around and capable. But not having them doesn't prevent me from enjoying the skiing and the solitude.

[John Walden]

Skiladi:

Understood. I can appreciate that sentiment.