Posted on 03/31/2024 8:31:51 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
Edited on 03/31/2024 9:15:08 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
An avalanche forecaster died in a snowslide he triggered while skiing in eastern Oregon last week, officials said.
Nick Burks, 37, and a friend — both experienced skiers and carrying avalanche air bags and beacons — were backcountry skiing the chute on Gunsight Mountain on Wednesday, near Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort.
(Excerpt) Read more at oregonlive.com ...
Sometimes irony can be mighty ironic.
Yes, avalanches are often triggered on purpose as preventative measures. It sounds like he was out recreational skiing or maybe scouting for avalanche danger areas.
Gotta love wry humor, huh?
I think they mean he triggered it accidentally by skiing. But avalanche professionals frequently trigger them intentionally. Far better to get the risky snow into avalanche before the ski resort opens and it endangers people. There’s a movie about the avalanche at Squaw Valley in the 90s showing the growing avalanche danger, avalanche patrols at work, and how eventually many cornices let go at once killing several people.
AP takes another opportunity to blame on climate change.
Yes. Surprisingly, they didn’t follow that line up with more of the same. But they diverted to skiing becoming more popular.
Maybe skiing is more popular because the bitterly frigid winters are a thing of the past, i.e., becoming more popular because of climate change. They could have gone for a two-fer there.
Bummer. That’s dangerous work.
Where I grew up they had an old howitzer to blast the ski mountain after a big storm to clear avalanche hazards.. if that wasn’t available, ski patrol guys like this would go to the top of the mountain and throw grenades on the slopes.
Notice they had to add their obligatory stab at blaming Climate Change, while adding the extra people in the backcountry.
Fact is, the avalanche problem is no different today than it was 40 years ago.
The problem is more people skiing and snowboarding there they never used to. Plus these newcomers take more risks than in the old days. Just look at the videos they put on Youtube about the extreme risks they take.
Yet, it’s not them, but Climate Change.
Yet we are to believe it’s because to climate change.
Sometimes it’s not enough is right. I did my avalanche rescue course in the infantry, and basically if you’re caught in one it’s game over. Even if you test the snow pack, things can happen.
We use arty in the rockies in AB and BC.
Evidence to the contrary.
“Expert” does not mean infallible.
Died doing what he loved?
Damn shame.
When anyone I know (of the Socialist Democrat Brainwashed BENT) starts going on about ‘Mother Erf’ I tell them I blame my Bunion and Hammer Toe on Climate Change.
Makes about as much sense as any of their ‘arguments.’ ;)
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