Ski Nation interviews avalanche survivor
by Grace Sherman and Jace Holmes
The snow conditions for the 2020-2021 ski season are among the most dangerous Utah has encountered in over a century. The state experienced an early-season drought, which has ironically created a dangerous avalanche situation. Up until this past storm, 90% of Utah remained in either extreme or exceptional drought. It was a major contributor to the poor snowpack to start 2021.
“When the new snow finally did come, there was this weak layer on the bottom, so all the new snow that comes builds up and pretty soon the weak layer can no longer support itself and it rips out from underneath,” Fred Duberow said. The Utah Avalanche Center has continuously emphasized the danger of “the persistent weak layers of faceted snow at the bottom of the snowpack.”
The avalanche danger on February 17 was EXTREME for all aspects and all elevations. Fred notes that he has never seen it this bad.
So far this year, avalanches have killed 6 people in Utah. The backcountry ski community and the Utah Avalanche Center cross its fingers as the conditions are becoming increasingly more dangerous. In the podcast, Jace Holmes discusses an early season death that killed a skier who ventured outside a resort without proper equipment and knowledge of the snow conditions. Recently, four people were killed in one of the most deadly avalanches Utah has seen in over 30 years. All deaths have occured on Northeast facing steep slopes at high elevation, which is a recipe for disaster.
Fred recalls one day that he was too excited to go skiing to check the avalanche report – a mistake he would never make again.
After skiing a few runs in Emigration Canyon, Fred began to ski his last run when he was caught and carried. “All of the sudden I felt these soft snowballs hitting me in the back of my head. After a couple hundred feet the slide stopped and I was sitting in avalanche debris up to my arm-pits.”
Fred’s skis were swept off during the avalanche, which meant he was not buried as deep as he could have been, but that he was miles in the backcountry and had no ride to the car.
After strapping some “pine-bows” to his feet and making it home to his wife, children and 11 grandchildren, Fred is thankful that he lived to see another day. He urges everybody to not make the same mistake he did and check the avalanche and weather reports before going into the backcountry.
The purpose of this podcast is not to scare people away from backcountry ski-touring, but to provide information about the present conditions and a personal experience that taught an important lesson.
Even the most experienced skiers can make mistakes, but it is important to have basic equipment including a beacon, probe and a shovel and stay up to date on the most recent avalanche, snow and weather conditions. With the dangerous snowpack this year, it is essential to avoid steep northeastern aspects at high elevations. While this knowledge is essential and exponentially reduces the risk of touring, there are always unknown and uncontrollable factors that are worth taking note of.
