1984 Highlands Bowl Avalanche

[fatport]

Forgive me if this was posted previously, but I'm new here. This is a link to an article about the 1984 Highlands Bowl avalanche that killed three patrolmen. The article is long, but very well written and accurate. I know, because I was there and saw it happen. That's me on the far right in the photo of the helicopter.

Taming the snow beast - Aspen Journalism

34 years ago on March 31, a monumental avalanche wrote a tragic chapter in Aspen history

aspenjournalism.org

 

[ZionPow]

My National Avalanche School Pro 1 class studied this incident as a case study. We also had a discussion with current Highlands patrol concerning how they prevent this with early season boot packing and grid bombing.

 

[Jim Kenney]

Thanks for sharing. I've been only an infrequent visitor to Aspen Highlands, just five visits over the years. First time was 1976 including sleeping in my car in the parking lot, then for a week in 1991 staying in the old cabins at the T-Lazy 7 Ranch. We got 30" of snow in 30 hrs during that visit! If I remember correctly, I first saw the memorial plaque for the three lost patrollers on that 1991 visit. I've also visited Aspen Highlands on three occasions more recently in the 20-teens.

I've skied about 95 ski areas in the US and written reports on many of them. When people ask me what's my favorite, Aspen Highlands is always in the conversation. If you were a member of the Aspen Highlands ski patrol I tip my hat to you. The patrol "shack" at the top of the mtn is probably the coolest in American skiing with incredible views. The hike-to skiing in Highland Bowl is spectacular with a scope that is off the charts compared to most recreational ski terrain. It is also a little bit terrifying in its magnificence.

 

[crgildart]

I was skiing Purgatory spring break that season. I do remember getting some good powder days about that time, probably a few days before that happened.

 

[fatport]

Thanks for sharing. I've been only an infrequent visitor to Aspen Highlands, just five visits over the years. First time was 1976 including sleeping in my car in the parking lot, then for a week in 1991 staying in the old cabins at the T-Lazy 7 Ranch. We got 30" of snow in 30 hrs during that visit! If I remember correctly, I first saw the memorial plaque for the three lost patrollers on that 1991 visit. I've also visited Aspen Highlands on three occasions more recently in the 20-teens.

I've skied about 95 ski areas in the US and written reports on many of them. When people ask me what's my favorite, Aspen Highlands is always in the conversation. If you were a member of the Aspen Highlands ski patrol I tip my hat to you. The patrol "shack" at the top of the mtn is probably the coolest in American skiing with incredible views. The hike-to skiing in Highland Bowl is spectacular with a scope that is off the charts compared to most recreational ski terrain. It is also a little bit terrifying in its magnificence.

I left Aspen in '86 and Colorado in '93. I don't recall if I skied the Highlands after I left, but at the time of the slide the main patrol hut was at the top of Cloud 9, and there was a smaller one on top of the Loges Peak lift, which I believe is where the main patrol hut is now. That's where I was that day of the slide, spotting Kessler, Soddy, and Snyder in the Bowl. They were there and then they weren't. I, along with OJ (Jeff Melahn), had to ski avi rescue toboggans into the bottom of the Bowl and, along with JR and Lembke, start the search. I knew they were dead; nobody survives a slide that. It's not something one forgets.