Does any one know if it was icy as well or just a bad white out?
I'm assuming they were descending, and it was the "Sunshine route" ?
I suspect that we are all waiting to learn about the circumstances of the accident. More information will probably be available in the coming days. The only account that I have seen is
this post on Cascade Climbers
"The subject was skiing up Snowdome in a group of five. As they got near the top of Snowdome, weather clouds came in and reduced visibility. Snowdome looks like a triangular moraine in that it is wide at the base and narrow at the top. The top of the dome also gets a little steeper on the climbers right. In the low vis, the subject traversed, (out of sight of the others) a little more to the right than normal, unaware of the opening exposure to the Coe Glacier and the slightly steeper incline. At the top of the dome, when the subject failed to appear, the remainder of the party began a search. It appears that he fell while still skining upwards."
This incident serves to remind us of the inherent dangers associated with the sport that we love. I personally have struggled to reconcile my drive to push my limits in the mountains with my sense of responsibility to my young family. That this has happened to Bob challenges my thinking (delusion) that if I can check my ego, I can avoid serious injury. The Mon didn't sport an aggressive, egotistical vibe at all. His was a style of pure enjoyment mitigated only by concessions for safety. I believe that he was the only partner that I have skied with who used a PLB. As Itchy reminded me, he was an Eagle Scout.
