Avalanche: Red Pine

Returning from a trek to the base of the Pfeifferhorn, the first of two skiers skied off the ridge toward upper Red Pine Lake. The slope surface was hard ice with windfill snow beginning 50 feet below the ridge. The first skier skied down the ice then traversed to skier's left at the beginning of the snow to get to a safe ridgeline that extended perpendicular off the main ridge (common access ridge). The second skier double released on the ice during his descent off the ridge and slid down. He was fine, but the first skier made the mistake of skiing back out onto the snow to access the second skier hiking up and getting his skis. Once the second skier was ready to ski down the remaining icy slope the first skier cut back left to get to the lower sloped ridge and during the traverse the ski cut released the slab approximately 15-20 feet above him. He was carried approximately 150-200 feet down slope. He remained on top of the slide and was unharmed. Again proving that all the warning signs were there, and he (me) should not have traversed out and put himself in that position.