# United States & Canada Vacations Forums > Ski Country Forum >  >  deadly avalanche in Washington.....

## MIke R

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/20...-accounted-for

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## andynap

It's on ABC News now

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## BBT

Just read that also. Awful but with the goofy snow this year there will be more

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## MIke R

yep

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## BBT

Mike sure as we were discussing this AM look what just hit the local paper.

EAGLE COUNTY, Colo.  Step aside, Steamboat Springs: There is a new Ski Town, USA.

After two impressive days at the Colorado State High School Ski Championships in Eagle County, Aspen High's girls and boys reaffirmed their dominance. Both vaulted into first place Thursday, then delivered the exclamation point Friday at Beaver Creek and Maloit Park in Minturn. 

The result: Aspen pulled off a state title two-peat for the first time since 2002. 

The girls amassed 634 points  more than enough to defend last year's win on home snow. Steamboat (603) and Nederland (592) finished well off the pace, in second and third.

After a two-year hiatus, the Skiers boys climbed to the top of the podium once more with 655 points. Steamboat (629) took second and 2010 and 2011 state champion Summit (620) was third.

The titles are the boys' 10th and the girls' fifth.

What was really cool about this year was that neither one of us could have done this alone, Aspen nordic coach Travis Moore said. The alpine team and the nordic team independently were not dominant, but when you combined them together we were obviously competitive. That was really cool.

Keegan Swirbul sure looked dominant. The sophomore, who last year experienced some disappointment at state, was not about to squander this opportunity. He sped to a nearly 20-second victory in Thursday's skate, then outdid himself in Friday's 5-

kilometer classic. He led from the outset and crossed the line in 15 minutes, 52.2 seconds. His closest competitor, Summit's Jackson Hill (16:21.2), had to settle for runner-up for consecutive days.

Swirbul is the first Skiers nordic racer since Noah Hoffman in 2007 to win both state races.

(Last year) was a learning experience, a freshman mistake, Moore said of Swirbul, who relinquished the lead 40 meters before the finish of 2011's state skate, then let up and allowed another racer to pass him. He's also got a different way of competing now. He wants to be in front, he wants to lead the race. When he went by both today and yesterday, I was like, OK, keep it together, think about what you're doing and ski smart.' I didn't want him to rip it out there and blow up somewhere along the way.

I'm not surprised. He's tough, he was ready and he really wanted it. His game plan is to go out hard on the first lap, then go harder on the second.

A pair of teammates followed Swirbul's lead Friday: Brett Gordon (17:49.8) and Hudson McNamee (18:07.1) finished sixth and eighth, respectively, for Aspen, which tallied 171 points in the race. The Tigers (174) placed four in the top five.

In the two boys nordic races, the Skiers and Summit both scored 345 points. Aspen distanced itself from its rivals on the slopes of Beaver Creek.

Andrew Hancock led the way for the alpine squad Friday, laying down two clean slalom runs to post a time of 1 minute, 18.37 seconds  good for sixth. Ben Throm (1:22.54) overcame a blunder during Run 2 to take 13th, one spot ahead of teammate Gabriel Hjorth (1:23.43).

Ben was third after the first run and was having a strong second run. The course set was a little fast, and he leaned in on a right-handed turn near the bottom.  His hips got a little inside, and he hit the snow, Aspen alpine coach Craig Carlson said. He had to hike a few steps. He showed good composure and got those points we needed.

Ilona Schwarz overcame some misfortune, too, losing her pole near the end of her first run. She was unfazed, however, finishing third in 1:20.46. Lilly McSwain (1:26.29) and Sonja Gagen (1:30.85) wound up ninth and 14th.

Steamboat won the slalom with 164 points  seven better than Aspen. Consequently, the Skiers' 11-point, Day 1 lead had been cut to four heading into the afternoon classic.

Aspen's nordic girls removed all doubt. 

Ellie Parker (20:54.5), Hannah Dodge (21:31.7) and Else Dodge (21:48.4) logged eighth-, 10th- and 12th-place finishes for the Skiers, who scored 159 points  17 less than runaway winner Vail Mountain School but 27 better than the Sailors.

Repeat secured.

It was a great effort, Moore said. We were worried with the timing in the afternoon that the kick wax was going to play a big role in our performance. Luckily, we nailed a really good wax, and it all came down to their strategy, their fitness, their attitude and commitment. It was beautiful.

jmaletz@aspentimes.com
State skiing awards
The following were the end-of-season awards for the Colorado State Ski League, handed out Friday night at Battle Mountain High:

Skimester
Boys
1. Kyle Knaeble, Clear Creek
2. Alec Schaffer, Steamboat
3. Peter White, Steamboat
4. Sam Grise, Evergreen
5. Jake Barker, Steamboat
Girls
1. Bailey Kuechenmeister, Nederland
2. Sarah White, Steamboat
3. Martha Anderson, Steamboat
4. Ellie Petrik, Evergreen
5. Shelbie Ralston, Evergreen

Classic All-State
Boys
1. Jackson Hill, Summit
2. Keegan Swirbul, Aspen
3. Sam Piehk, Summit
4. Troy Meeker, Summit
5. Joel Sawyer, Summit 
Girls
1. Hannah Hardenbergh, Vail Mountain
2. Taeler McCreary, Summit
3. Katie Scruggs, Vail Mountain
4. Evelina Sutro, CRMS
5. Martha Anderson, Steamboat

GS All-State
Boys
1. Bronton Barry, Battle Mountain
2. Nick Bailey, Platte Canyon
3. Jake Bender, Evergreen
4. Thomas Lyon, Steamboat
5. Kyle Knaeble, Clear Creek
6. Deane Long, Evergreen
7, Ben Throm, Aspen
8. Sam Grise, Evergreen
Girls
1. Kendall VanHee, Battle Mountain
2. Bailey Kuenchenmeistester, Nederland
3. Lilly McSwain, Aspen
4. Ilona Schwartz, Aspen
5. Rae Lemon, Evergreen
6. Megan Rosa Steamboat Springs
7. Sarah Whit, Steamboat
8. Dayna Larsen, Nederland

Skate All-State
Boys
1. Jackson Hill, Summit
2. Fritz Carpenter, Aspen
3. Liam McDowell, Summit
4. Keegan Swirbul, Aspen
5. Joel Sawyer, Summit
Girls
1. Evelina Sutro, CRMS
2. Hannah Hardenbergh, Vail Mountain
3. Taeler McCreary, Summit
4. Eva Spaeh, Vail Mountain
5. Sally Ryerson, Vail Mountain

Slalom All-State
Boys
1. Bronton Barry, Battle Mountain
2. Owen Foster, Nederland
3. Jake Bender, Evergreen
4. Thomas Lyon, Steamboat 
5. Connor Benard, Steamboat
6. Nick Schult, Middle Park
7. Andrew Hancock, Aspen
8. Bryan Aubel, Battle Mountain
Girls
1. Kendall VanHee, Battle Mountain
2. Bailey Kuechenmeister, Nederland
3. Suzanne Lyon, Steamboat Springs
4. Ilona Schwartz, Steamboat
5. Rae Lemon, Evergreen
6. Elie Petrik, Evergreen
7. Sarah White, Steamboat
8. Danya Larsem, Nederland

Overall points
Girls
1. DanyaLarsen
2. Megan Rosa
3. Ilona Schwartz
4. Sarah White
5. Bailey Kuchen
Boys
1. Brinton Barry
2, Jake Bender
3. Connor Benard
4. Nick Barry
5. Thomas Lyon

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## MIke R

yeah wow.....looks like our strengths this year clearly lie in Nordic.....thanks for that....a lot of those names are very familiar to me

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## BBT

Maybe these new skiers are more serious than some in the past. I watch the AVSC every Saturday and these kids seem pretty devoted and boy do they start them young.

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## MIke R

yes they do start them young......we have kids here age 8-10 who are unbelievable...I ski with a kid on Wednesdays who is 7 and absolutely tears up double diamonds.....even my daughter is way beyond her years in ability by virtue of where she lives

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## katva

Oh dear....this is very near where my sister died in an avalanche.  I am all too familiar with the King County police and search and rescue.  How awful.....

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## MIke R

yes I thought if you when I saw that

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## katva

:Frown:  yeah....

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## katva

Wow--- this made the local news.  My stomach just turned ---how eerie!

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## LindaP

I know, Kathy, I have been thinking of you all day....that was so awful. The skier on the Today show, said she was saved by her inflatable backpack. Although my son is in Utah, I had to email him, and ask about those packs!!!!!!!!
     What's up with those Mountains???

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## MIke R

> What's up with those Mountains???



whats up is two feet of snow on top of a shallow base and extreme  dangerous warnings were posted that day..they had no business being out there in those conditions....and yes those air packs are awesome

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## katva

Those air bags are cool!  I heard the former director of the US Forest Services Avalanche Center (Doug Abromeit, whom I spoke with several times 8 years ago....) on NPR tonight, driving home from work.  He said they are not a panacea
since the bags will let you "float" wherever the avalanche is going----not good if it's going over a cliff or into a tree!  But, saves many lives, to be sure....Interesting article, you can listen to it here:
http://www.npr.org/2012/02/20/147164...ag-saves-skier

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## LindaP

Well, I did get an email from my son, he said those bags aregreat and he teaches about them in his avalanche classes, but can't be substituted for good decisions. And said as an example; that a snowboarder was just killed in Colorado on the 16th, he usd the airbag, but it was shredded in the flow.

Also, told me there are more avalanches in Colorado than any other state, because the snowpack there is more prone to persistent weaknesses.

And that yes, he has an airpack; paid $400.00 for, amen :)

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## MIke R

http://www.skinet.com/ski/article/ex...-year%E2%80%99

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## LindaP

Yup;  my son was supposed to do backcountry guiding this winter, but instead is teaching avalanche courses and some downhill.

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## MIke R

yeah good for him....my back country days and avalanche chute skiing days are clearly in my rear view mirror but I dont think I would have been out there in those conditions as they are now when I was doing it .....I dodged one bullet when I was supposed to go heli skiing on a very iffy day conditions wise.....I got a ski class at the last minute, and didn't go, and three of the five died in a slide on Buffalo Mt....a mountain I ironically bought a home at the base of 7 years later....

one really close call is enough

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## BBT

the packs will also give you breathing space if opened after being covered.

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## JEK

Met an extreme skier from Calgary at the WIMCO party. He skis with one of theses

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## Rosemary

The Daily Herald reported an avalanche in Austria badly injuring Prince Friso, son of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.    Skiing with the prince was a childhood friend who had an airpack, and escaped.  Prince Friso did not have an airpack, only a gps finder device.

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