Quick report
On Saturday, 5/22/23, a party of three skiers, skinned up to Hunntington Ravine. The day began sunny, and warm, 45 degrees, with no wind. As the party reached the bowl, a front became visible, cloud cover began to increase over the ridge, and visibility began to steadily drop. After arriving in the bowl, the temperature dropped, and the sun began making only brief, dull, and short appearances. For the most part, the cloud cover was steady and widespread. The party successfully skinned/boot packed up Central to the ice flow, which was frozen with blue ice, and skied their first line. They intended to ski Damnation for their second line. The party hiked past their starting location from skiing Damnation 4/9 and continued upward, intending to start their line below the ice flow, like Central. However, while boot packing up, skier 3, yelled out, "Get over, now," twice. An ice flow had released from Damnation (possibly from the summit, or anywhere along the ice climbing route, release location of the ice flow is unknown). Skier 1, and skier 2, hurtled themselves to looker's left to a large rock and took cover from the ice flow release. Skier 3 got swept and transported 100 yards to their first resting point, the choke (narrowed opening and rock outcropping). Skier 3 did a self assessment, stood up, slipped on the ice flow and debris, and fell another 50 yards where he came to his second resting point in a lower rock outcropping. The event happened in less than a minute, from the time skier 3 yelled to "get over, now" to his 2nd fall and resting place. The largest ice chunk was the approximately the size of a motorcycle or dresser, with Yeti sized cooler ice chunks, and spherical car tire shaped ice chunks, along with jagged seracs, and smaller pieces (think getting hit with bricks for the smaller chunks). Skier 3 was slightly out of the boot pack, and was consistently observing the ice flow at the top of the Damnation ski line. Both Skier 1, and skier 2, were looking down at their boot pack and did not see the ice flow until Skier 3 warned them. Because Skier 3 was slightly looker's right of the boot pack, he knew that he would not make it, to the rock in time. He knew he would get hit, so he dropped into the prone position and shielded himself with his right arm by grabbing the lip of his helmet with his right hand (effectively bracing his C-spine and protecting his skull). He fell in the prone position, feet down. He came to rest in the first choke with his right side facing up the mountain in the prone position. While in the first choke he got pelted with ice flow debris. His right shoulder, right trapezius, right bicep, right forearm, and right hand absorbed the majority of his injuries. Skier 3 only sustained musculoskeletal injuries and was able to ski out the Fire Road, Cut off 7, down the Sherb, and hike down the Tuckerman's Ravine Trail. Skier 3 did not have any altered mental status, or signs of a head injury. After the event the party questioned if they had experienced an avalanche, and instead opted for the definition of an "ice fall" which is defined as, "an avalanche involving the release of a serac or glacial ice." Due to the speed, volume, velocity, and power of the ice fall, the term avalanche also seemed appropriate.
Avalanche
Location: Huntington Ravine, Damnation below the ice flow Aspect: Elevation: Trigger: Natural