Tunnel Creek - the TAKE AWAY

X2, and why I credited the snowboarder.

"One person is seldom smarter than 'The Group'"----applies if there is an open, honest discussion within the group about the decision being made. If there is no discussion, then the "group" has not collectively made a decision and this results in the problem frequently labelled as "group dynamics".

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.

great comment andyski--and everyone else too! I don't think it's necessary to choose between groupthink and individualism. Groupthink can lead to glorious--and disastrous results, just like individual choices. Personally I prefer to meet each situation with an open mind so that all the factors--which are never quite the same--can be appraised and responded to, rather than following a rule that most likely will never cover the complexities of each situation.
Even if we go with groupthink, in the end it's still a choice, an individual choice (lifes burden and glory; often called freedom...).

Indeed. And the individual's decisions can be clouded by input from the group. Yes, at the end of the day, each person makes their own choice and is responsible for their own actions. And there are some patterns in "groupthink" that we can clue into. E.g. read up on heurstic traps and watch for them in our you and your crew is behaving out there. And be willing to speak up with the contrary voice, even if that's going to be seen as putting a damper on the fun. Support others who do so when they do it. Be willing to go your own way if it comes to that. These are among my own takeaways from this as well as from several other incidents I've read about.

If I let my self ski in large groups like that I can see how it could happen to me (For numerous reasons I seldom ski in groups larger than three or four - part of that is just my personality but another part of it is that I don't like the way big groups make (or more accurately don't make) decisions).

It seems to me once you are in a dynamic like that of the Tunnel Creek accident it isn't very realistic to change the group's momentum - to essentially be the wet rag.

That is why for me it is important to carefully select your ski partners for similar risk tolerance and with an eye towards the ability to communicate with one another. That communication has to begin in the planning phase of an outdoor adventure because once a plan is hatched it is much harder to stop old 'mo.

Short take-away: Beware of being thought an expert.

Another article I found interesting is "Nature's Feedback: Why are so many of the best skiers dying?" by Matt Hansen in the December 2012 issue of Powder magazine. The article talks a lot about changes in skiing culture in the past few years. The following quote from Mike Douglas struck me:

[size=10pt]"If I look back, in the 1990s, we never used to get out in a heli the first day after a storm," says Douglas. "We were building a jump somewhere to wait for the snow to settle. It's not like that anymore. Things are getting chased down minutes or hours after a storm breaks. That's part of our whole society. Everything has to move faster, has to grow. And it's a pretty destructive cycle."[/size]

(A few more notes about the article can be found here .)