"You just cannot control the whole mountain": 1982 Alpine Meadows avalanche filmmaker speaks on Palisades slide
ALPINE MEADOWS - A deadly avalanche at Palisades Tahoe on Wednesday was a reminder of Tahoe's history with avalanches, including one of the most deadly avalanches in March 1982.
The Alpine Meadows avalanche was documented by filmmakers Jared Drake and Steven Siig. The two, who are locals, produced, wrote, and directed the documentary "Buried: The 1982 Alpine Meadows Avalanche" on Netflix.
"We wanted this story to serve as avalanche awareness, and an introduction to people," said Siig.
Siig said the film is used as training for ski patrols, now, one of the goals of their film. He said it shows not just the first response but the aftermath of an event, like an avalanche of that size.
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Eight people were recovered in the search, and only one survived, Anna Allen, who shares her story of survival in the film. Allen was found after nearly five days trapped fighting through dehydration and frostbite. Allen was found by a search and rescue K9, as outlined in the film.
Lessons learned from 1982 stand out to Siig Wednesday, after learning of the Palisades avalanche.
"You just cannot control the whole mountain, you can't foresee what layer is going to give at what time," said Siig.
He urges skiers and snowboarders to come prepared with tools and the skill set to respond in an avalanche, noting that the moments before ski patrols arrive can be crucial and life-saving moments.