Taos Avalanche

[Jerez]

Don't think this has been posted here yet. Sorry if it has …

New York Times Article on Taos. The reporter is former New Mexican who did this piece and then the avalanche happened so it was edited to include. I think they did a good job and it is nice for Taos to get some publicity that is not just about the avalanche. Rather sweet and amazing that the GM went to one of the skier's funerals and was asked to speak at a gathering that day.

I sure hope those rumors aren't true. Somehow, I find it difficult to believe that Taos patrol could be persuaded to open terrain they thought they shouldn't. They have always been conservative, which I appreciate.

Does anyone know if those two skiers accessed the chute via Kachina lift? Not that it matters in this case at all, just curious.

 

[Brock Tice]

Saturday was busy, didn't get a chance to check with patrol.

I did do two related things, though.

One, I tried the new beacon park, it's a nice setup. There's a board with instructions leaning against one of the Lift 7A towers and the control box is there as well.

Two, I heard patrol on the radio announce "we are going to be doing an avalanche drill, this will be a drill", followed by "avalanche reported in What trees, possibly two skiers buried" followed by them scrambling a dog and some patrollers. I'm not up there all day every day but I've never heard them do that on the radio before. I don't know if it's a departure from usual or just a coincidence that I happened to be there a the time.

 

[Brock Tice]

I have emailed the same questions to the provided address.

 

[Brock Tice]

No answer yet.

 

[Mike King]

Disappointing.

 

[Beartown]

They held a memorial service his morning at the top of chair 4.

 

[Brock Tice]

This morning a non medical helicopter came in, followed by a call on the radio to run 4 and 12 early for "specials". This is some BS and not going to help the rumor mill.

Edit: they are claiming the helicopter is training for emergencies. The rest stands.

 

[dbostedo]

This morning a non medical helicopter came in, followed by a call on the radio to run 4 and 12 early for "specials". This is some BS and not going to help the rumor mill.

Edit: they are claiming the helicopter is training for emergencies. The rest stands.

Well they do sunrise tracks for a fee on Sundays. I'm guessing if you're willing to pay enough, you can get that other days too. What is lift 12? Kachina?

 

[Brock Tice]

12 is kachina, yes.

 

[Brock Tice]

Yesterday was the last day of winter operations for 18/19 at TSV. Still no information from the investigation. I did some more searching yesterday and found that the US Forest Service conducted their own investigation. I will see what I can find out about that.

 

[Mike King]

Yesterday was the last day of winter operations for 18/19 at TSV. Still no information from the investigation. I did some more searching yesterday and found that the US Forest Service conducted their own investigation. I will see what I can find out about that.

Sounds like they have no intention of publishing any report. Do you know anyone at one of the Northern NM newspapers? Perhaps an inquiry is in order for some investigative journalism.

 

[tball]

Have there been any rumblings of lawsuits? Unfortunately, that may be the only way we learn any details.

If it were not for the lawsuit filed by Taft Conlin's parents following his death in an inbounds avalanche at Vail we wouldn't know that Vail lied to investigative authorities about what mitigation work was completed:

https://www.denverpost.com/2013/10/...n-wake-of-boys-death-according-to-deposition/

I wouldn't count on the Forest Service to investigate or hold the ski area accountable regardless of the operating agreement. The Forest Service very quickly came out on Vail's side and never did anything later after they learned avalanche mitigation was not performed as they were misled to believe.

 

[Mike King]

I sent an email to the Colorado Sun suggesting a story...

Mike

 

[tball]

I sent an email to the Colorado Sun suggesting a story...

Mike

Great idea.

Making a story possibly more interesting, it looks there is no CAIC report for the Breckenridge inbounds avalanche that caught a bunch of guests on open inbounds terrain last month on Whale's Tail for the second time in five years. There was a CAIC report in 2104 but doesn't seem there will be one this time?

 

[Mike King]

The senior editor at the Sun says they "Yeah, we are LITERALLY in the midst of trying to figure out how to put a bow on our avalanche coverage this season with some kind of investigation." Gave them an angle about where's the information that comes from CAIC investigations of out-of-bounds avalanches...

 

[Brock Tice]

I got a call back from the forest service today, apparently the TSV investigation is/was being done by some third party. The Forest Service had some kind of liaison with that investigation but it sounds like it was cursory. I got a number for their winter sports specialist, I left him a voicemail just now.

 

[Jenny]

Saw this article today - I haven't been keeping up on this thread, so maybe it's was posted/discussed, but I didn't realize there was another avalanche at Taos this year.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/avalanche-survival_n_5cc70cbfe4b0fd8e35bfa83e

 

[pais alto]

Saw this article today - I haven't been keeping up on this thread, so maybe it's was posted/discussed, but I didn't realize there was another avalanche at Taos this year.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/avalanche-survival_n_5cc70cbfe4b0fd8e35bfa83e

That was in the village on an uncontrolled slope, not in the ski area. There have been numerous avys on the slopes around the village and in the adjacent backcountry this season, that one just happened to hit a house.

 

[Jenny]

That was in the village on an uncontrolled slope, not in the ski area. There have been numerous avys on the slopes around the village and in the adjacent backcountry this season, that one just happened to hit a house.

Thanks for the info.

 

[KingGrump]

Here is a screenshot of TSV. The cleared slope is the mine tailings where the avalanche occurred. The house that was affected is on the uphill side of Coyote lane.

That tailings pile is always visible and inviting to anyone riding chair #1. Open slope and powder. What can go wrong?