Slides at Paradise

It would seem to me that the loss of Kirk Reiser to his family would seem even more senseless if others perished in that gully.  I actually skinned up that drainage last year (much later in the season) with a couple of other folks.  It bothered me a lot to see such a young energetic person perish in the very center of an area that many of us all enjoy so much.  I spent some time poking around my computer last night.  I wanted to see what else I could find that would help show folks less familiar to the area the location and deceptive nature of that drainage above the top of that gully.

Here is a picture taken in October of '06 from the Golden Gate Trail down in Edith Basin (a couple of hundred yards south of the red X on Charles' map) looking west into the gully:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2365/2132752606_ccd6f27b4d.jpg?v=0

Then a shot of the area taken from Foss Peak on the Tatoosh (east of Castle) in June of '06.  Subject gully is marked with a red arrow:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2366/2133926006_c79fdb6702.jpg?v=0

Another from Pinnacle/Castle Saddle in August, this time a yellow arrow marks the spot:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2064/2133147683_5d6b546690.jpg?v=0

From these three shots you can see how one coming down Pan Face or the ridge between the face and Edith Basin (the "winter route") might likely tend to follow the natural drainage next to the ridge line along the edge of Edith Basin which leads to the unnamed gully that Kirk Reiser ventured into.

With hopes that Green Trails would not object to the reproduction of their Paradise map for such an educational purpose, I reproduced it here:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2221/2133147303_0c69850d5e.jpg?v=0

If you download the jpg onto your machine so you can zoom in on it (the gully, again is marked with a red arrow) you can see the "winter route" on the ridge headed up to Panorama Point (the red lines are winter ski routes).  Email me if you want higher res copies of any of these images.  What I think really shows up well is how one coming down off of Pan would easily be lulled into the gentle drainage that dumps you right into this gully.  Add some precip, low visibility, a momentary lapse of attention, and... it can happen so quick and so easy.

I cannot recall ever meeting someone in the mountains that I found offensive; there seems to be something about the mountains that makes folks congenial and friendly.  So I suspect I would have liked Kirk Reiser.  Were I in his place I would certainly want my memory to be used to, among other things, to prevent others from suffering the same misfortune as I.  I would hope he might agree.

On all the maps I have I cannot find a name for this gully.  Thus, I think from this point on I will refer to it as "Rieser's Couloir" to help remind myself and others of the deceptive nature of the terrain above this gully.  I hope his family will not object.

Ten feet deep--that's longer than my avalanche probe.

Regarding safe(r) routes between Paradise and Panorama Point, I would avoid Edith Creek basin altogether. I think passing west of Alta Vista would generally be the best policy when there's any question about avalanche conditions. Don't go into Edith Creek Basin at all.

Actually Lowell, when I was 18 or so, I was buried near there on a day when there was probably 50 people or more that had gone up pan point. We decided to skin up near Alta Vista to avoid them (the summer route) and were buried. The snow was not especially deep, not even boot top skinning. The slab was probably 1-2ft and was plenty to be very scary. On top of that it swept us into a terrain trap. This was especially disturbing because, as you know, I spent every winter skiing up there since I was 5 without so much of an issue and in every condition possible. This taught me not to shut my brain off when in familiar areas. 


you can see the ridge that leads to glacier vista behind. Many of you will recognize it.

BTW, in all my years skiing at Muir, i've never seen a slab on the main chute up Pan Point. That doesn't mean it doesn't slide. I'm sure it does.  

I think Gary Gyngve's post says it all "ten feet deep". transceiver or no transceiver, it probably would have made no difference in this case.

You have to go back to what one can do concerning avalanches:

Planning and prep, safe routefinding, and group management/safe travel rules. The timing was poor unfortunately, but beyond that, risk management didn't happen here, quite likely because of poor visibility. Consequences of an avalanche in that gully or in a number of the other features in Edith Creek more or less trumped safe travel rules and rescue techniques.

Actually Lowell, when I was 18 or so, I was buried near there on a day when there was probably 50 people or more that had gone up pan point. We decided to skin up near Alta Vista to avoid them (the summer route) and were buried.

Hi Jason,

Is the incident you're describing shown in your photo? If so, I don't think we're talking about the same place. Your picture is taken near the SW foot of Panorama Point. Descending from this point, you can choose to go SE into Edith Creek Basin or you can go SW around Alta Vista. I was recommending the latter route, below where your picture is taken.

It sounds like the choice you made was between the SW "ridge" of Panorama (the "winter route") and the WSW slope of Panorama (the "summer route"). Is that correct? That's higher than I was talking about. When I mentioned Alta Vista I was referring to the 5940ft bump labeled on the topo map. That's below where your picture was taken.

BTW, in all my years skiing at Muir, i've never seen a slab on the main chute up Pan Point. That doesn't mean it doesn't slide. I'm sure it does.

Mike McNerthney (brother of Pat and Dan McNerthney) died on that slope on Dec. 31, 1977.

Lowell-

The place in the photo is the same as the incident I'm describing. It was just below pan right where you'd ski down to the Nisqually Glacier and cross over and go up to hazard or turn up and go toward pan point on the trail where it is cliffy and blown out of the rock somewhat. Not really a great place to ski up. It is the same way i skied down during the silver skis reinactment.

BTW, I think I know the place you are talking about now.

That's unfortunate about Mike.

When my brother and I were up there several years ago, there was a guy that was buried. I think he posted on here or another board like cascadeclimbers about it. They were skiing a chute down toward edith below pan along a creek. He was dug out by his partner after several minutes. My brother and I climbed out of the same chute they skied after finding it too scary (I'm pretty sure they were right behind us, but this is only a guess. Plus, I'm assuming it was the same place from reading their story, and it could very well not be). My point is, it is always a wonder to see how close of a margin life changing decisions can be.