Quick report
Shown here is one of our party members losing their edge and experiencing a sliding fall on the White River Glacier Headwall on Mt Hood this past Saturday the 18th. Even if solar aspects are warming up throughout the afternoon in the sun, there can be portions of ruthless icy surfaces that can be deceptive to the eye. Multiple environmental and human factors were involved: - Low temperatures and short daylight hours (solar warming) this time of year - A prolonged high pressure system, with lack of recent snowfall, has caused snow surfaces to be variable and wind hammered. This group got excited about skiing a slope they thought had softened up enough in the late afternoon, only to find an unforgiving surface. The rider was not injured, however this fall could have been much more consequential if there had been hazards below such as rocks, crevasses, or fumaroles. Depending on the exposure, these conditions can easily put a rider or skier in a slide-for-life situation. The Expert Halo heuristic was also involved as this rider was following someone with more experience in the area. Stick to your original group plan and remember that it is possible to make poor decisions late in the day when tired, yet excited to shred. Personally, I chose not to ski on this day and was filming.