A Valentine’s Day inbounds avalanche at Palisades Tahoe was caught on camera by a man skiing in Olympic Lady Bowl near the KT-22 chairlift. The slide occurred at approximately 11am in an area that had been skied all morning:
“The entire face broke and we got pulled 200 feet down the face and I had to unbury two of my buddies.”
The video shows an initial small scale avalanche which picked up steam and turned into a larger avalanche when it reached the cameraman. The cameraman stopped filming when the avalanche reached his position.
In all, four skiers were hit by the slide and two were buried. The skiers managed to unbury themselves and ski patrol along with avalanche dogs quickly arrived on scene to search the debris field for additional victims and established there were no other burials.
Following the avalanche ski patrol put KT-22 on hold. Continue reading below to learn more about avalanche awareness at Palisades Tahoe.
Palisades Tahoe Avalanche Awareness Guidelines:
While snow safety & avalanche mitigation efforts help reduce the risk of avalanches, avalanches and snow slides may occur at ski areas, both inside & outside of the posted boundaries.
Avalanches are an inherent risk of the sport due to the nature of snow & its application on steep, mountainous terrain. Conditions on the mountain change constantly; and avalanches may occur without warning. Always carry an avalanche beacon inbounds after moderate to heavy snowfall. Become educated on how to reduce the risk of injury or death from avalanches through your own actions & awareness.
Visit avalanche.org for further information on the risks and prevention of avalanche-related injuries or death.
