Thinking Right in the Backcountry
Article by Tom Turiano
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Bissell Hazen rides the edge of an avalanche chute off the backsisde of Grand Targhee. Photo: McKoy |
Headed for Cody Shoulder, a group of four skiers pause at Cache Knob and contemplate a traverse under Pucker Face, No Shadows, and Four Shadows—all famous steep faces and chutes of Cody Bowl. The morning is clear, calm, and cold, but near the ridgetops an overnight storm has deposited new, one-foot slabs on a firm base.
Simultaneously, another group of four skiers prepare themselves for a descent of Pucker Face directly above the first group. Both groups see each other and realize the potential danger of the situation. If both groups begin their activities at the same time, the inevitable avalanche from above could strike the group below.
Two off-duty ski patrolmen arrive, observe the situation, and decide to ski a longer but safer route to Cody Shoulder instead of traversing underneath the skiers perched above Pucker Face.
The group above motions and shouts for the group below to begin their traverse. With the assumption that the group above is going to wait, the group below advances with 150 feet of space between members. Three members reach safety at a hump below Four Shadows. While the fourth member is crossing the steep slope below Pucker Face, a snowboarder from the group above cuts a traverse across the top of the face. A cascade of snow 50 feet wide rushes down the mountainside toward the lone skier.
This time, well-directed shouts by observers and good presence of mind on the part of the traversing skier save her life. The four-foot wall of snow pours by, directly in front of her. Other similar scenarios at Pucker Face have ended in disaster.
Though it seems like an attempted Mafia hit, it really was just a simple case of a human error that almost cost a life. The snowboarder should not have cut the top of the slope until all members of the lower group had made it across. Why would the snowboarder do this? Maybe the upper skiers could not see the lone, final skier. Maybe they neglected to take a head count of the skiers who had reached the safe zone. Or, maybe they just weren’t aware of the volatile snow conditions and the consequences of a simple slope cut.
Back at the decision point, the lower group should not have trusted the upper group to make the right moves. Instead, the lower group should have followed the patrolmen’s route into the bottom of Cody Bowl. As the leader of the lower group, I considered this option, but I wanted to take the most efficient route to Cody Shoulder to conserve my clients’ energy for the steeper climbing ahead. When the upper group motioned for us to go across, I considered insisting that they go first. But, seeing a line of other skiers climbing up the ridge to Pucker Face, I nixed that idea. Had I let the upper group descend Pucker Face first, my party would have been directly underneath the face when the new skiers arrived. I thought it was better to accept the invitation to cross and assume that they would protect us.
The lesson: never hang your life on assumptions that depend on the actions or opinions of other people, unless those people are trusted companions or qualified mountain guides. Even in those cases, always communicate your ideas and demand a full assessment of the risks.
The most common mistake people make is basing their entire hazard assessment on information received from the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Hazard and Mountain Weather Forecast. But that phone recording should be only one source of information each backcountry skier uses when choosing the day’s route.
Another similar source is jhsnowobs.org, an online forum where backcountry enthusiasts submit observations.
Again, outside data and opinions are OK, but only when meshed with your own ground-zero observations and gut feelings.
Ironically, while we should avoid assumptions that depend on others, all backcountry skiers eventually learn to depend mostly on their personal assumptions about snow stability. If you are just beginning to venture into the backcountry, try to find a level-headed and experienced partner who can help you interpret your observations and nurture your intuition. Exum Mountain Guides, Jackson Hole Alpine Guides, Jackson Hole Mountain Guides, and Rendezvous Ski Tours each offer reasonably priced courses in snow stability evaluation and opportunities for beginners to shadow the pros. If you have two or three full seasons of backcountry under your belt and are venturing alone or with less-experienced partners into steep terrain, watch out! You are in the high-risk group.
Dig your own snow study pits and perform your own stability tests so that you can begin to acquire a frame of reference for the feedback you receive. Choose routes that avoid avalanche starting zones, paths, and run-outs. Look at each slope that you intend to ski and imagine where the slope might slide, how deep it would go, and where you or a partner might end up if it slid. Consider your chances of surviving such a slide. If you are consistently leading groups, choose your routes and descents extra-conservatively until you have at least a half-dozen full seasons under your belt.
Everyone on the mountain must be aware of other skiers in the vicinity. Your actions could put others in great danger, and their actions could do the same to you. Please respect other skiers on crowded traverses. If a group ahead of you is traversing with 100 feet between party members, please don’t irreverently race through or pile up behind the last person in that group. Respect other skiers who are skiing one-at-a-time down powder faces. Again, refrain from brazen behavior and wait your turn. Cliff jumpers should find sites that are away from standard travel routes such as the Green River traverse.
In addition to honing your snow-stability assumptions, there are many other facets of backcountry safety to explore and master. Most important is that you go at your own pace and trust your own gut.
Thomas Turiano has worked as a ski and climbing guide with Exum Mountain Guides since 1989 and Jackson Hole Alpine Guides since 1999. He is the author of Teton Skiing: A History and Guide and co-author of Jackson Hole Ski Guide. His latest book, Select Peaks of Greater Yellowstone: A Mountaineering History and Guide, is available online at www.SelectPeaks.com.
The Jackson Hole Skier is a free visitors’ guide published annually and distributed at hundreds of locations throughout Jackson Hole, Cody, and other regional communities. To receive a copy in the mail, send $5 to Jackson Hole SKier, P.O. Box 1930, Jackson, Wyoming 83001.
Copyright 2004 by FPI (Focus Productions, Inc)., P.O. Box 1930, Jackson, Wyoming 83001. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publishers.
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