Following Palisades Tahoe avalanche, expert offers ways for resort visitors to stay safe
LAKE TAHOE - One day after an avalanche at Palisades Tahoe killed a Northern California skier and injured another, some are asking whether resort visitors need to take additional precautions to stay safe on the slopes.
Deadly avalanches happen inbounds at resorts but they're rare, according to a ski industry expert. On January 17, 2020, two skiers at Alpine Meadows, which is now part of Palisades Tahoe, were caught in an avalanche, killing one of the skiers. Prior to that, you have to go back to 1982 to see the last time an avalanche led to a fatality at the resort.
"We do not see inbounds avalanches when the resort is open very often," said Michael Reitzell, president of Ski California.
What precautions should skiers and riders take to stay safe?
Despite Wednesday's avalanche, which happened amid heavy snowfall, resort visitors don't need to bring additional avalanche equipment, Reitzell says.
"Our resorts don't expect people to show up with a backpack with a shovel and a probe and a beacon – that's more than what is expected," he said.
While inbounds avalanches are rare, visitors should to take extra steps to protect themselves from different threat on the slopes: getting stuck in deep snow. Fatal incidents have occurred where a skier or snowboarder falls into an area of deep, loose snow, and becomes unable to move. This is commonly referred to as "snow immersion." Since 2001, there have been more snow immersion deaths in California than any other state, according to the California Ski Industry Association.
Reitzell recommends that visitors ski and ride in deep snow with a partner and make sure their partner is always in sight. He also recommends bringing a whistle in case you get stuck and need to alert your partner.
Lastly, Reitzell recommends using a beacon, a device that provides a location in the event of an emergency by sending a radio signal to authorities, even if the skier or rider is buried under snow.
"Something like a beacon can be a good thing, no matter what just to have a locater on the mountain on deep snow days and even most days, actually," he said.
What are resorts doing to keep people safe?
"Our resorts are out there every day following very strict protocols that they've developed gathering data and using industry professionals that have done this for a very long time," he said. "They are out there making sure that they can keep the mountain as safe as possible for the public and they'll be doing that today, tomorrow, when the next storm comes, so guests can feel good about getting back on the mountain today and in the future."
Every skier and rider who goes out on the mountain assumes the inherent risks of the sport. While resorts try their best to keep visitors safe, there's no way of getting around the dangers of skiing
For more information about deep snow safety, you can visit safety.skicalifornia.org.
