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Tree Well Story

noobski

Out on the slopes
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Dec 29, 2020
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Midwest
My buddy who is pro level fell into a well five years after a 60" five day storm. No one knew where he went. He used his pole to make space above his head in circles to clear space to breathe. He was 8' feet deep at least. When he finally got air, he climbed out. Took him almost an hour. Everyone had left him not knowing where he was because in trees you often just don't know.

Last year at Alta/Catherine's I was taking the "Easy" way out after during a first tracks bluebird opening Catherines. I missed at turn, went left instead of right and was about to crash into the "top of a pine tree" and realized that tree was probably 20-30 feet tall and all I could see was 5 feet of it. So I just did what I could to stop myself quickly. which was basically falling left. As I stopped after my fall, I was looking for a grip to push up and get out of the drift I was in and realized I could feel nothing under my feet/skis. Just snow over my feet, but nothing under it. I was sitting on the edge of tree well and just simply stopped on the remaining edge of supporting snow. I have no idea how deep the well was. I was already sinking three feet at that point, head and shoulders barely above the snow. I back stroked my way out of it. I'm physically fit and that took a lot of energy to get out of. Maybe 15 minutes. It was horribly exhausting. In hindsight, frightening.

Heck, one day I skied into a groomer drift that I think was 3-4 feet (poor vis couldn't see it when I hit it). I flew forward, My skis got stuck on my fall and I was horizontal facing downward. Just totally jammed into the snow. I could not breathe. Had to pole plant deep to then lift my body out and get my out of the snow. It was only about 3-4 feet of snow.

Pow sounds awesome and it is...but stories like this remind me that we're very fragile when skiing. I'm a dad first and skier second, so I just don't chase deep, unknown, or tree terrain especially alone.

Be safe everyone!
 

Tricia

The Velvet Hammer
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I’m not an easy guy to shake up, but every time I read one of these tree well stories it scares the hell out of me.
Same here.
:(
 

Talisman

Out on the slopes
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Jan 9, 2018
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906
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Gallatin County
She died of blunt force injuries. The tree well didn't have anything to do with that, it was the tree trunk itself. A tragedy either way.
There is no way of knowing exactly what happened but a tree well could have been a contributing factor. Many of the Big Sky glades now have a warning about tree wells that were not there before the accident at Bridger Bowl.
 

Sibhusky

Whitefish, MT
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Oct 26, 2016
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4,806
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Whitefish, MT
There may have been a death here today. Only have sketchy info at this point. Out of bounds in the Gooley Point area.

Possibly only hurt per this, but I heard the coroner was there?

UPDATE: Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino has confirmed with MTN News that one person died as a result of this afternoon's tree well incident near Whitefish Mountain Resort.
 
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PowHog

Getting on the lift
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Joined
Jan 2, 2021
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205
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Eurozone
RIP to those struck by tragedy.

Interestingly I have not heard of tree well fatalities on this side yet, maybe we don't get the amount of snow involved.
 

wiread

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Feb 1, 2021
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There is no way of knowing exactly what happened but a tree well could have been a contributing factor. Many of the Big Sky glades now have a warning about tree wells that were not there before the accident at Bridger Bowl.
She was local to me, and her family. I didn't really press for details, but from those much closer to the situation than I, it sounds as if it may have been a big drop down involved and a factor.

But in the end, just a very sad and tragic story.
 

martyg

Making fresh tracks
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Nov 24, 2017
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2,216
Another tree well story....

Week long heli trip in BC. A fellow guest had to pee. He pulled up to a tree. Pulled out his gentleman parts, started to pee, slid into the tree well. His gentleman parts retracted. He pissed himself inside multiple layers of clothing. We laughed - all week long.

Moral of the story: don't slide into a tree well. Your friends will laugh at you. Embarrassment can be a more potent deterrent than death sometimes.
 

Pete in Idaho

Out on the slopes
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Nov 20, 2015
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1,132
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St. Maries - Northern Idaho
Thanks for the reminders folks.. Never been into well face first but went in feet lst once. Took about 30 min to get out but never was in any dangcer of suffocatding. Lost to boarders one night at Homewood (Tahoe) both died of exposure/hypothermia overnight. Very sad day/night.
 

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