Tragic avalanche news

Goes to show you that even the pros still slip! Glad he and his partner are okay.

Yes, this is very sad. I had met one of the snowboarders about a year ago, through a friend of mine who was a bicycle messenger.

seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews...17_webhikers05m.html

A couple links on the Denny Creek rescue:
www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7963667 (first post is a survivor/"leader?" narrative)
backpackers.meetup.com/114/calendar/6803238/

Still hoping for good news from Crystal!

I wonder how hard it would be to make emergency snowshoes, and how effective they would be?

It's not something you can legally routinely practice- hacking down limbs and all...

Although I'm not a fan of the show, while I was in the dentist's office, "Man vs Wild" on Discovery channel showed how to make snowshoes from vines or long grass and plyable branches, using two sturdy branches as crossbars for your feet, set back on the snowshoe. The grass obviously is used to bind everything. They actually appeared to work very well...although his camera team probably hooked him up with a pair of 3' Redfeathers while he wasn't being filmed...

Has a specific location been pinned down yet? Bullion? Cement? Silver? Basins...