Danny Zimmermann avalanche accident summary 3-5-11

The long awaited report on the fatality avalanche on 3-5-2011 on Mt. Cashmere is out on NWAC
www.nwac.us/media/uploads/documents/acci...20Summary_3-5-11.pdf
I think there is a lot for all of us to learn in this report.  Here in the PNW we get used to dealing with new snow instabilities and think a lot less about persistent weak layers in our snow climate.  We worry about wind loaded slopes, not wind scoured ones.
Thanks Chris, for completing the report, we really appreciate it, and thanks to the entire Leavenworth community for all the love and support over the last month and a half!
RIP Danny

Thanks Chris and Mike.

Man, that report is difficult to read. It must have been even more difficult to write. You have my thanks and my deepest condolences.

Thanks for the report Mike -- that was really hard to read. So sorry for the loss of another in our community. I'm sure the family and friends are coming together to help each other cope with such a tragic accident.

Hard read

Deep sympathy to family and friends

Even though I have known most of these details for about a month this is still very sobering. My sympathies to all involved.

Sad and sobering indeed. I was struck by how relatively benign looking the trigger point was. Somehow based on the initial reports, I had envisioned that this was started in a steep couloir above timberline. Thanks for the write-up, it is helpful to see the entire analysis.