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

## MIke R

doesnt often happen...but it can....lucky man:

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/2...ds%20avalanche

and this too....not so lucky

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/2...pen%20Mountain

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## JoshA

My son was skiing Blue Sky Basin the day before that avalanche and reported a great powder day so there was plenty of new snow on top of whatever base was already there - a good predictor of avalanche danger. I'll be visiting him in a few days. That trail (Lover's Leap) is probably the most avalanche prone one inbounds at Vail because the top usually forms an overhanging cornice. After that first giant step it's very steep for only a short while before flattening into some tight trees. They say the ski patrol controlled that slope beforehand so, despite the new snow, I'm surprised it slid.

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## MIke R

yeah I'm surprised too..I've done Lovers Leap many. many times...its not even that steep relative to others back there and I dont believe its  even a double diamond....single diamond I believe...but I dont know....I dont pay much attention to those signs

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## JoshA

Here's what it looked like in BSB the day before:

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## MIke R

follow up....

no panic and knowing the "swim move" probably saved him...

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/2...20Vail%20slide

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## JoshA

Always a good idea to read the avalanche forecast. Note the high danger everywhere in CO now. Here is the report for  Aspen where a skier died (out of bounds). There's a link on the page for more details on the accident. We'll be in Steamboat soon so I'll be paying attention but I don't expect any problem inbounds there.

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## MIke R

he is famous...he is on Good Morning America this morning

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## LindaP

yes, do be careful out there guys.....I'm nervous with my daughter snowbding every weekend out there, and of course my son....who last weekend went out backcountry, to report on the avavlanche conditions! He will be doing an internship in January at the Co. Avalanche Information Center.......lets hope the risk doesn't increase!!!!!! At least they will be back in icy Ny for Xmas!!!!!!!    Happy Holidays!!!!

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## MIke R

Linda....I worry about my kids too.....I dodged a bullet big time in 92 in Colorado and by all thats holy should have been part of one of the worse avalanche accidents in modern times.....I was ski instructing at Keystone and 6 of us were determined not to get classes that day because we had the heli guy offering to take us to Buffalo Mt for some extreme skiing...our boss hated us all because we were always out all night and rolling into ski school hungover and looking like crap so anytime she could nail us with a morning class...she would..well it was slow that day and everyone got out of a class, but me......so the five others jumped into the helicopter and got whisked away to Buffalo Mt....where a slide killed 3 of the 5 at once......when I got into my car to go home, and heard on the radio there had been a major slide, and there were missing skiers, my hands shook so bad I couldnt drive........just a horrible day....

ironically 15 years later the boss who hated us, and I, became very good friends...she has been called the best toddler ski instructor in America by many publications and she was the one who got my Lena up on skis at age 3.....


we extreme skiers are a crazy bunch......so its a double edged sword when your kids become that...LOL

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## LindaP

whoa, MikeR....thats a scary story....but I guess the St Barths Gods were watching over you that day!!! You were meant for other things. I know its hard not to worry, my daughter seems to worry more than me about her brother, but then again she's out there and hears more than I do(maybe a good thing to be in NY).  But he's got some good training under his skis, so what can you do?  Everyone should be so lucky to love what they do!!!!!!!   Linda

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## kristi0119

I hate to report it but...I just read in the most recent Snow Industry Letter that a 27 year old girl was killed in an inbound avalanche at Snowbird.  Terribly sad!  We actually had 2 avalaches at our local hill this year.  First time ever!  They were small slides that did not result in injuries or damage, thankfully.  They were a function of heavy high-water content man-made snow that set-up on top of a couple inches of fine sugary natural snow - apparently an east coast phenomenon.  Be careful out there!

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## MIke R

yeah I read about the Snowbird accident last week.......when your time is up...its up....if not on the slopes....in your car...live life...take all the appropriate precautions before you venture out to avalanche prone areas...and enjoy the adrenalin rush

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