After 62 inches of snow over the past 7 days, nothing in this valley is staying put. Today the temperature rocketed up to 40 degrees and the top layer of snow got heavier and heavier on an already unstable snow pack.
As I joked around in the office with Ed and Zach this morning, they each got a simultaneous Search And Rescue page. “Slide on the Headwall, 10 people possibly buried.” It’s hard to adequately describe how those 8 words came crashing down on us. Ed and Zach immediately jumped into their gear and left for the Village where another tragedy seemed to be unfolding. I stayed at the office and watched the Bridger Gondola Web Cam, with Tim via Skype, as Ski Patrol probed the snow for possible victims. Suddenly the camera went black as somebody at the resort realized that hundreds of anxious Jackson eyes were watching the rescue efforts.
The news was incredibly welcome when it came – despite 4 patrollers getting buried, there were no serious injuries. The enormous gondola building wasn’t as lucky. Snow filled the 2nd floor restaurant. This picture was taken by a SAR member on the scene. It’s going to be awhile before skiers feel safe again on the mountain. These last 7 days have been a harsh reminder that despite all the best efforts, it’s impossible to control nature.
By midday we received another unusual avalanche warning: “Rapidly warming temperatures today have greatly increased the avalanche hazard. This rapid increase in temperatures is causing large volumes of snow to release from roofs in urban areas.” Essentially the only safe thing to do in Jackson right now is to just stay inside.
Instead Tim and I got on a plane to fly to Tucson for Brett’s wedding. It’s a joyous break from the snow dramas of Jackson. The 75 degree temperatures forecasted for tomorrow will be a welcome change.
The warning was correct about rapidly warming temperatures causing snow to slide from roofs – by 11 pm last night after what sounded like being in a war zone all evening, we were encased in snow. All around the house was the 3 feet of snow from the roof now piled up like concrete blocks on top of the 3 feet of snow on the ground. No casualties or injuries, even Belle stayed clear of the deck.
The timing of your brother’s wedding in warmer climates was impeccable!
Despite residing in the east I’ve followed the snow conditions at my favorite western resorts since before the internet existed. I have never seen anything like what is going on all over the West this year. One fatality in-bounds from an avalanche per decade is probably the norm but 3 in December at separate resorts is insane. All you readers who are fortunate enough to frequent the pow in WY, UT and the rest of the Intermountain West please be careful and think twice and a third time before venturing OB until conditions change. I dread the day I get one of these reports about someone I know personally.
On a lighter note I notched my first day on skis for 08/09 yesterday. In 3 hours I clocked 18 runs on the 600′ molehill in southern PA where I first learned to ski 30 years ago this year. Considering it had been 71 degrees the day before the 20 yard wide swatch of “frozen granular” on two runs they had open proved quite delightful.
MW