It’s time (or too late) for a Public Safety Announcement about deep snow safety. When I moved out to the Pacific Northwest, I learned about something called a tree well. Because of the large pine trees we have around here, snow doesn’t accumulate around the base of trees as quickly as it does on other parts of the hill. Also, normal snow gets packed down by skiers while snow around the base of a tree remains light and fluffy. What you’re left with is a black hole waiting to suck you in and kill you faster than you can ever imagine.
The typical scenario is that a skier falls on a run and slides head first underneath a tree. They fall down into the light powdery snow with their head near the trunk. The more they struggle, the more they become encased in snow and very quickly they suffocate and die.
This was driven home by the recent loss (?) of a Crystal Mountain local. He was an expert skier who didn’t show up at the bottom of a run with friends. Patrol and volunteers have been searching for him for well over a week and have not found him. It’s very likely that he fell into a tree well and won’t be found until the snow melts.
When there is any kind of deep snow, “ski and ride with a friend” is not an optional piece of guidance. Even if you’re with a friend you need to keep a close eye on each other. The last person in any group is always the most vulnerable. A tree well can kill you in a matter of minutes, faster than your friends can climb back up the hill even if they’re lucky enough to see what happened to you. The only real way to be safe is to avoid tree wells entirely. Ski in control and keep a wide berth from the trees.
For more information about tree wells, visit http://www.treewelldeepsnowsafety.com/