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OSU ROTC survives cadet avalanche & helps rescue 4 others

A very good account by a member of the party which was caught in an avalanche.

During winter break Army ROTC cadet Emily Self frantically dug people out of the snow after an avalanche overtook her party while skiing in Canada. “You know when you’re caught in a wave in the ocean, tumbling, and you can’t get out of it? That’s what it felt like, but with more pressure,” Self said, recounting the December 2024 experience. Self went skiing with her older brother, a guide and two strangers in the backcountry near Whistler, British Columbia, shortly before Christmas. It was a perfect blue-sky day with a thick blanket of fresh powder — in fact, it was the best snow she’d ever skied in her life.

The group of five started on their third run of the trip, down an area where another group on the mountain had skied earlier that day. The guide went first to clear a path, followed by the other pair of siblings, then Self, with her brother behind her. And then the mountain came crashing down. At the start of their day, the skiers had received a 45-minute crash course in avalanche safety from their guide, who also equipped them with transceivers, probes and shovels. “I kind of freak out and dig myself out, and then I’m like, ‘What do I do now?’” she recalled. “I’m looking around and hoping there’s someone else who can take charge, because I don’t want this responsibility.” She switched her transceiver to “Search” mode so she could pick up the signals of her companions, and started slogging toward the nearest one. “I’m panicking, but I’m like, ‘Might as well put the training they gave us to good use, go back to what they told me,’” she said. “Every skill they taught me that day, I used.”
More ... (Oregon State - OSU Today)

Missoula Officials Warn About Mount Jumbo

There are about dozens of places to snowboard near Missoula, Montana. City but officials issued a reminder that Mount Jumbo isn’t among them. The reminder comes after snowboard tracks were spotted by a local. The majority of the mountain is closed in the wintertime. Missoula Parks and Recreation’s Jeff Gicklhorn said that “at the time that those individuals trespassed avalanche risk was high." The storm that swept in had provided more snowfall than an infamous storm in 2014, which did lead to a catastrophic avalanche.

That 2014 slide tore through the Rattlesnake neighborhood, and killed one woman. It buried several others, and destroyed a home. It was triggered by a snowboarder poaching Mount Jumbo. Dozens of residents and police officers rushed to the scene with shovels and chainsaws. At least one child was buried, and soon later, two more were fond buried alive under the snow.
More ... (Snowboarder)

The Tahoe avalanche battle to keep Highway 50 safe

Billy Newman had two questions on his mind Thursday morning: Would he need to blast the mountain later that day? And if so, when? Snow had begun barreling across parts of Highway 50 the night before. As superintendent of Caltrans’ South Lake Tahoe Maintenance Yard, Newman was responsible for keeping the narrow highway free of snow and safe for drivers.
More ... (SanFrancisco Chronicle)

Avalanche at Mammoth Injures Patrollers during Mitigation

Two Mammoth Mountain Ski Patrol staff were caught in an avalanche on Lincoln Mountain. The slide occurred during avalanche mitigation work, following a significant Sierra snow storm, where approximately 6 feet of snow fell in the last 36 hours. The first patroller was recovered at the scene uninjured; the second patroller was transported to Mammoth Hospital with serious injuries and later flown out of the area for further care. The area was closed to the public at the time of the incident. The entire mountain and lift operations were closed at 12:00 PM for the day.

June Mountain and Kirkwood were closed for at least one day on the 13th due to this storm, and Palisades in the Tahoe area had two small in-bounds avalanches with nobody caught.
More ... (Teton Gravity Research)

Loveland Pass avalanche traps at least one vehicle

An avalanche on Loveland Pass trapped at least one vehicle and closed U.S. 6 in both directions on Friday night, according to the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s officials reported the avalanche at 7:45 p.m. in a post on X and said no injuries have been reported. The highway is closed between Interstate 70 and mile 229, 10 miles east of Keystone Ski Resort, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. Colorado’s mountains are expected to see up to three feet of snow this weekend as winter storm pummels the high country.

According to Colorado State Patrol (CSP), crews responded to the avalanche shortly after 7 p.m. CSP said the avalanche was at approximately milepost 228 and was estimated to be 50 yards wide and four to five feet deep. One vehicle was pushed more than 50 yards and others may also be stuck. No fatalities or injuries have been reported, CSP said.
More ... (KRDO)

Black Diamond Recalls Recon LT Avalanche Transceiver

In conjunction with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Health Canada, Black Diamond Equipment is recalling the Black Diamond Recon LT avalanche transceiver and related avalanche safety sets due to a corrosion issue that may cause it to malfunction. Black Diamond has received six consumer reports on this issue, with no injuries, accidents, or fatalities. Black Diamond is committed to addressing this matter swiftly and proactively.

In some cases, the metal contact of the Recon LT’s switch mechanism may corrode. If this occurs, the device could malfunction or turn off, potentially hindering avalanche rescue efforts and increasing the risk of serious injury or death. Consumers who own the Black Diamond Recon LT should immediately stop using it and follow the recall procedures.