Tunnel Creek - the TAKE AWAY

RonL- I hear you. At the end of the day, we are each responsible for our own actions. And yet we are of course influenced by others, including by group dynamic. We can't know whether the outcome would have been any different if that crew had discussed descent options and plan before dropping onto that fateful slope (which some in the party chose to avoid, apparently a bit surprised that the others went that way). And even the "safe" route that a few took crossed the path of a few slides, and it's not at all clear that more discussion earlier would have kept the crew off that side of the mountain altogether. All I can know here is how I'd like the dynamic to be in my own groups. There is wisdom in a crowd, and yet it can lay dormant beneath more primal matters. I hope to always benefit from that wisdom while touring - at least I can try my best.

Great points all.

I might add one thing we are all skipping over is a culture of open debate. The NYT piece was so well written is easy to forget that it is journalism and other cultures and other places would not write such a piece.

I was buried in an incident in a certain country up north. 5 out of our party of 6 were caught in the avi, but amazingly no injuries or deaths. One was buried for 12 minutes and miraculously survived. The (non-profit) sponsoring organization and the guide had NO interest in making anything about the avalanche public. I had to repeatedly pester the guide to even get him to file a report with the CAA, which he didn't do for 3 weeks.

Airing dirty laundry and hashing things out is a valuable cultural trait.

...There is wisdom in a crowd, and yet it can lay dormant beneath more primal matters. I hope to always benefit from that wisdom while touring - at least I can try my best.

Yeah, great point, Jim.
A lifetime or two ago someone in workgroup I was working with said "One person is seldom smarter than 'The Group'", and, of course he was spot on. I have recalled and used this quote many times over the years since then. I think the value of a ski posse freely collaborating on a ski tour is an elegant example of that quote in action.

The perils of group dynamics and ego where the two takeaways personally. If there was to be an analytic addendum to the story's reporting, I'd propose that groupthink would be an apt subject given it's applications to everyday life. History both civic and commercial is rife with examples of disastrous cases of groupthink, which could be a lesson to anyone, not just backcountry skiers.

That said, the NYT was wise not to go in that direction, perhaps, because having the topic be backcountry skiing makes it a very poor subject for a general audience to relate to. A general audience will always say: you just shouldn't go at all, ever.

The piece about the resort employee (snowboarder) who bailed was the ego lesson for me. It's very hard in a group to be the one who voices concern when everyone is either quiet or gung-ho. Finding good touring partners is difficult, so when things seem like a good fit, there's additional pressure to go along with a situation you're not completely comfortable with or not speak up to avoid being "that guy." I always try to tell myself to not be afraid to be the wimp. It's supposed to be fun. Like everyone else has said, I don't always do a good enough job with pulling the plug, but discussions like this help.

Social/peer pressure is a bear.

The article really drove home the importance of making good decisions as a group and the weight of what a single bad decision can be. As someone who's been unfortunate enough to pull a friend's limp, lifeless body from beneath the snow and go through the days of utter sorrow, sleepless nights of grief, celebrations of life, the horror of a funeral for a young man who left us far too soon, interviews w/ the press and heartwrenching conversations with friends, family members and loved ones it really hurts every time I read about another tragedy in the backcountry, esp. those which seem so entirely avoidable and unnecessary. I'm not saying that the accident that took away my friend was unavoidable - the warning signs were there and we failed to heed them - nor was the accident that killed Chris, Johnny and Jim Jack. But there's a certain degree of selfishness present in the current mindset of the powder-chasing community ("no friends on a powder day", "I get to drop first", etc.) which really needs to be addressed and the NYT article does a fair job stabbing at that.

Just last weekend I triggered a small windslab just on the other side of the ropes in the Steven's sidecountry. After the initial scare, my emotions changed from fear to anger. I was angry at myself for pushing it when I knew the conditions were favorable for small, human-triggered slides. Angry that I let my guard down and put myself into a position where I could've ruined the rest of my season. Angry that I hadn't thought of how my actions would impact others - both those who would've had to rescue me if I were injured and those who would've been in a state of panic upon hearing about the incident. It's events like these which make me re-consider my approach to riding in the backcountry. But that's buried deeper and deeper in the back of my mind with every surfy, faceshot-inducing powder turn. And that's what really scares me...

The piece about the resort employee (snowboarder) who bailed was the ego lesson for me. It's very hard in a group to be the one who voices concern when everyone is either quiet or gung-ho.

Social/peer pressure is a bear.

The article below always sticks in the back of my mind as the ultimate case of breaking with groupthink

www.peterhillary.com/article-everest-is-mighty-we-are-fragile/