Avalanche kills person near Mount Baker ski area

Thanks Jason - that FB description spoke of skiing out from "Herman Saddle" , getting injured below, and making their way back from there, which is what confused me. Your description and sketch seems more consistent with what eyewitnesses in parking lot shared in terms of locations.

if anything I'm not more confused than ever by the various descriptions, as the run down from Herman Saddle and the Mazama Bowl access notch is nowhere near nor in view of the parking lot (at least the features we've always used those names for) or what folks here have described as the Widowmaker run.

I'm totally confused by this as well. Unless there's another "Herman saddle"? I await the NWAC report.

So sad for his family and especially his young kids.

The Canadian Avalanche Association Journal (I think in a 2012 or 2013 issue) has descriptions of the terrific prediction difficulty and massive destructive potential of glide slab avalanches from the director of the avalanche control program in Terrace, BC. From an etiologic standpoint, glide slab seems to have relevance to this tragic accident though I certainly may be off the mark.

media.nwac.us.s3.amazonaws.com/media/fil...fatality_1-24-16.pdf

Full Accident report. Injuries were not due to burial, but trauma. Both victims sustained head injuries. I am curious to know if either victim had helmets on during the incident.