Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Bodies of two skiers found in N'tl Park

My question is: how does this happen and how can it not happen to me?
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Two B.C. backcountry skiers were found dead in a Rocky Mountain park, buried in their sleep by a snow cave they had dug to stay warm, officials say.

The skiers, a 27-year-old woman and 25-year-old man from Kamloops, were experienced in the outdoors and on a 30-day trip in the Wapta Icefields, according to RCMP in Golden.

"Partway on the shoulder on the plateau of Mt. Collie they made camp and dug a snow shelter," said Marc Ledwidge, a Parks Canada spokesman. "It looks like the whole snow shelter caved in and they suffocated."

Ledwidge said it's believed the couple died on Jan. 4, but no one knew they were missing until Jan. 14, when they were due to return from their trip.

Park wardens launched a search for the skiers at first light Wednesday morning after a call reporting they were overdue.

Rescuers found the bodies at about 4 p.m. Wednesday in the snow cave near Mount Collie, close to the border between Yoho and Banff National Parks. A team flew in Thursday morning to retrieve the bodies, but poor weather may hamper attempts for several days, parks officials said.
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Backcountry enthusiasts will sometimes construct snow caves in the winter to protect themselves against the elements.

The Wapta Icefields is a popular area with several shelter huts, according to Parks Canada.

Re: How does this happen?

The snow cave may have collapsed due to a few factors, including snow conditions, poor construction, or heavy snowfall weighting it down.

Re: How can this not happen to you?

Don't get caught out in a storm.

it might have been an avalanche on top of them

30-day trip. no way they were going to be out without a storm.

risk assumed.

I have the same question, and also a similar one: every few years, one reads about people who suffocate in their tents, because enough snow has fallen on and around the tents to make them airtight (I guess). There was a particularly sad tale along that line a few years ago on Rainier, I think, where the recovery team discovered a videorecorder with recordings of the two climbers, on what turned out to be their last night, talking about the great climb that awaited them in the morning. Also I once ran across a plaque in the Thousand-Island Lake area south of Yosemite dedicated to two young men who had died in a similar way. Grim.

So, how does one prevent *that*? Are there specific precautions one can take, or is it just dumb luck, as the two previous posters implied about snow-cave collapses?

B, here is the link to the amazing detective story involving the two climbers for whom a plaque is set up in the Thousand Island area. However, I don't think that was their cause of death, and it was a couple. Or else it was someone else....

http://www.stanford.edu/~galic/rettenbacher/

Ah, yes, different plaque, Ken, but thanks! Yes, I've seen that web page several times (but never encountered the plaque -- guess it's just one more excuse to do a little more hiking, eh?). No, the plaque I ran across, just off the central north shore of Thousand-Island Lake, said:

In early September the restless winds sent
Snow that covered our noble young men's tent
And laid them to sleep in eternal rest
Now they're part of this mountain that will ever be blest.

...at least I think so. It was more than thirty years ago. The plaque gave their names, but all I can remember is that one of them might have been named "Randall H. Gee," though probably not exactly that. I've done just a little detective work on it and so far have come up with nothing. The accident would have been in the early 70s, I think.

Kinda scary. I backpacked in Yoho National Park two summers ago...wonderful, scenic hike. Would be interesting to get some additional information on what happened here.