By Marianne Holman
Racing down the side of a mountain with blankets of snow crunching beneath the skis, just as the skier carves into the next turn, there is a sudden boom. To the left a cascade of snow falls like a raging waterfall. The skier fights frantically through the waves of white, hoping to survive.
This may seem like a far-fetched account, but last year avalanches killed eight people ? the most since the state started taking records in 1951. This season, four skiers have already been caught in an avalanche, luckily without getting hurt, after they ventured into out?of-bounds areas between Park City Ski Area and The Canyons last weekend.
?People really need to have a good knowledge of the backcountry before they head out there,? said Laura Shaffer, spokeswoman for Snowbird Resort. ?If they don?t have that knowledge, don?t go out there.?
Avalanche victims are almost always recreationists in the backcountry ? snowmobilers, climbers, snowboarders, snowshoers, skiers and hikers ? and snowmobilers lead the list with twice as many fatalities, according to the Utah Avalanche Center Web site. Recreationists are usually responsible for triggering the avalanche.
?In 90 percent of all avalanche accidents, the avalanche is triggered by the victim, or someone in the victim?s party,? the Utah Avalanche Center stated on their Web site. ?Natural avalanches occur because new of windblown snow overloads weak-layers or because of rapid warming, but there?s almost always obvious signs of instability by the time avalanches come down on their own.?
It is difficult to regulate the backcountry for avalanches, but ski resorts do what they can to keep their boundaries safe. In an effort to prevent more accidents from happening, resorts troubleshoot the problem by surveying potential avalanche areas.
?We do a lot of control work,? Shaffer said. ?If there are dangers we put up a sign, ?Danger Closed,? and at that point it becomes illegal to duck under that rope and go there.?
Despite the warnings, some skiers and snowboarders said they don?t take the sign seriously because they sat the terrain is usually better.
Corby Johnson, a snowboarder from Mineral City, Ohio, said she disregards the signs when she sees others go without any consequences.
?I get scared when I see the signs, except for when I see others go down,? said Johnson, a 22-year-old English major. ?If I see other people go down then I go down, that?s when I don?t follow the signs as much.?
But those signs are there for a reason.
?Many people will duck the rope without even thinking about it,? Shaffer said. ?That sign is there for a reason, if there is an avalanche danger don?t go there.?
Although avalanches aren?t predictable, officials from Snowbird Resort said the most important protection skiers have is their knowledge.
?A lot of those accidents happen when skiers, snowboarders, snowmobilers and backcountry skiers are un-educated,? said Laura Shaffer, spokeswoman for Snowbird resort. ? The most important thing is education and preparation.?
For information about avalanche classes taught through the Utah Avalanche Center visit avalanche.org.
What to do if caught in an avalanche:
- Grab a tree. Try grabbing a tree in the first few moments before the avalanche picks up speed.
- Swim. If you miss a tree swim. Swimming hard helps you stay near the top.
- Clear an air space in front of your mouth. Try and clear an air space in front of your mouth to delay carbon dioxide buildup around your mouth.
- Push a hand upward. You may not know which way is up, but visual clues help others find you faster.
- So any actions you take must occur BEFORE it comes to a stop. It''s almost impossible to dig yourself out of an avalanche so take these steps before the snow settles.
All info from the Utah Avalanche Web site, http://www.avalanche.org/~uac/ed-faq.htm