Observation: Public
Observation Details
Name:
Andrew EckelsObservation Date:
February 24, 2023Submitted:
February 25, 2023Zone or Region:
Snoqualmie PassActivity:
Skiing/SnowboardingLocation:
Cache couloirObserved Avalanches
Did you observe any avalanches?
YesAvalanche Type:
Soft SlabSize:
Size 2: Could bury, injure, or kill a personElevation:
4800Aspect:
NEComments:
Hard to see crown from the lake but appeared quite wide and at least a foot deep in placesSigns of Unstable Snow
Observations
Was skinning across snow lake around noon and heard yelling from a solo skier at bottom of cache couloir. Found him with injuries where he couldn’t stand, and found out he had been skinning from the divide on benches above the cache couloir and triggered a slide that swept him over cliffs into the cache.
Our party of 5 split with myself going to the divide to call SAR and the other 4 staying with the skier to keep him warm and assess injuries.
Multiple parties that came upon the scene or found me at the divide helped out by sharing emergency warmth equipment, building a snow wall for the wind (wind chill on the lake was frigid), relaying the message that help was on the way, and assisting the heli team by building a platform for the injured skier to be hoisted by.
Skier was air lifted at about 345 pm and is in stable condition according to the news.
He was swept over up to a 100 foot cliff and likely broke bones in pelvis and back.
Media
