I am also glad to hear that all in your party are alive and relatively speaking fortunate that nothing worse happened.
I think it is great that you, Marcus, are willing to share some of what you learned from this event. I think to a degree TAY can have the effect of pushing some skiers and boarders to do more really than their experience would suggest as individuals learn about the next great thrill in the backcountry. And sharing trip reports is sometimes just fluff. So, it is great when something of such value is presented as an opportunity for some of the less experienced among us to learn in a way that really comes home and to serve as an important reminder for the more experienced that it can happen anytime we let our guard down.
Fortunately, I think there is a tendency when one does report an incident for the audience to be not judgemental, but rather to just listen and learn.
I think Fresh's reference to Tremper's analogy is a valuable addition to this thread. I know from my own experience that I've had a couple of close calls that fit the Tremper model well.
I sometimes think about Tremper's confidence vs time graph in these situations. One's confidence in avalanche terrain gradually rises over time with periodic crashes when something bad happens. An avalanche ride, serious injury, death of a friend, etc. I know in my own avy career I have made a few mistakes, had a close call or two, and probably gotten lucky. But I haven't taken a ride or been injured. I know that's no guarantee it won't happen in the future though.
Nordique's posting of the map should help those who don't know Phantom Slide. The press described it as south facing when in reality it is just slightly south of west facing. Phantom slide was created by a large avalanche in 1990 and is just opposite the main Alpental parking lot.
