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Mount Rainier National Park (WA)
Skier Dies In Avalanche
S.Q., 54, of Burien, Washington, died in an avalanche on Saturday, February 24th, in the rugged Mount Rainier backcountry adjacent to the Crystal Mountain ski area. S.Q. and his partner ducked under the boundary ropes near High Campbell Chair for a final run of the day shortly after 2:00 p.m. During the descent, S.Q. was caught in an avalanche. His friend watched him ride along on top of the sliding snow for several seconds before disappearing from view. Both skiers were wearing avalanche beacons, which transmit a signal to help searchers. Ski patrol members from Crystal Mountain and a ranger from Mount Rainier responded and began a search. They located S.Q.'s lifeless body on the surface of the avalanche debris and evacuated the body to Highway 410. S.Q. had 15 years of skiing experience and had skied the area many times. He was at Crystal Mountain with his wife and two teenage children for the weekend. The avalanche forecast for Saturday afternoon was for high avalanche danger above 4,000 feet. Crystal Mountain had received more than 60 inches of snow in the past six days. [Submitted by Lee Taylor, Public Affairs Officer]
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Grand Teton National Park (WY)
Snowboarder Rescued From Backcountry
Rangers, county SAR personnel and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort ski patrol staff rescued a backcountry snowboarder late on the afternoon of February 28th after he became stranded on a cliff in Granite Canyon. T.C., 27, from the United Kingdom but currently living in Norway, entered the park's backcountry from the resort with three companions, intending to snowboard out-of-bounds from the resort. T.C. became stranded on a cliff in the Northwest Passage area and was unable to climb back up or continue boarding down. T.C. was in voice contact with his companions, who descended into Endless Couloir, and their conversation caught the attention of an off-duty ski patroller who was in the vicinity at the time. The ski patrolman used his cell phone to call for assistance. Three Jackson Hole Mountain Resort ski patrollers picked up a rope and technical gear at their rescue cache before skiing to the Northwest Passage area. One patrolman was lowered down to T.C.'s position, placed a climbing harness on him, then lowered T.C. over the short cliff to a point where he could safely traverse back into Endless Couloir. The rope was then tied off and the patrolman rappelled off the same point. The traverse out of Granite Canyon back to Teton Village is relatively flat with a few uphill sections. Exiting the canyon with a tired snowboarder in unconsolidated snow — and the increased exposure time spent crossing run out zones of several avalanche paths — prompted the decision to use the Teton County contract helicopter to expedite the final stage of T.C.'s rescue. Additional factors taken into consideration for using a helicopter evacuation included the lateness of the day, approaching weather, and considerable avalanche danger. Rangers were able to use the same helicopter landing zone in Granite Canyon that had been packed down for the rescue of an avalanche victim on the previous Sunday. T.C. and his companions were unaware of avalanche conditions in Granite Canyon, were not carrying any avalanche gear with them, and were unfamiliar with the area and the complex avalanche terrain in which they intended to snowboard. They were also unprepared for the relatively flat trail that skiers traverse to return to Teton Village as they exit the Granite Canyon area. [Submitted by Jackie Skaggs, Public Affairs Officer]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
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Saguaro National Park (AZ)
GS-0341-9/11 Administrative Officer
Saguaro National Park has issued a vacancy announcement for a GS-0341-9/11 administrative officer. The announcement number is SOAR-07-17 (MP); it opened on February 27th and will close on March 20th. For a copy of the announcement, including duties and information on qualifications and evaluation, click on "More Information" below. The AO is duty stationed at park headquarters in the Rincon Mountain District in Tucson, Arizona, a metropolitan area of over 1,000,000. All urban services are readily available within the metro area. Daytime temperatures range from 100+ degrees in the summer to 20 to 70 degrees in the winter. Cooler temperatures are expected at higher elevations. Contact Susan Early at 520-733-5104 for information.
[Submitted by Susan M. Early, Chief of Administration]
More Information...
Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found on the left side of the front page of InsideNPS. All reports should be submitted via email to Bill Halainen at Delaware Water Gap NRA, with a copy to your regional office and a copy to Dennis Burnett in Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO.
Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.