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His Job Was Forecasting Avalanches. He Died in One

Nick Burks, 37, triggered snowslide on Oregon's Gunsight Mountain while skiing with a friend

(Newser) - An avalanche forecaster died in a snowslide he triggered while skiing in eastern Oregon last week, officials said. Nick Burks, 37, and a friend—both experienced and carrying avalanche airbags and beacons—were backcountry skiing the chute on Gunsight Mountain on Wednesday, near Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort. Burks' friend skied...

Skier, 20, Dies After Falling 600 Feet Off Mount Washington

Madison Saltsburg had been backcountry skiing in icy Tuckerman Ravine in New Hampshire

(Newser) - The steep bowl at Tuckerman Ravine on New Hampshire's Mount Washington has long made it a favorite spot for expert skiers and snowboarders who are seeking adventure beyond the comparative safety of the state's ski areas. But hard and icy conditions on Saturday turned the bowl deadly, reports...

These Experts Warn of a 'House of Cards' on the Slopes

The AP explains how a weak bottom layer creates life-threatening conditions

(Newser) - Avalanche safety specialists say their job has become more difficult in recent years as climate change brings extreme weather, and surging numbers of skiers, snowboarders, and snowmobilers visit backcountry areas since the COVID-19 pandemic. More people means more chances to trigger fatal avalanches, despite technological advances in safety equipment, explains...

23 Lost Skiers, Snowboarders Needed Rescue in Vermont

Officials in Killington saved them after they got lost in frigid temperatures

(Newser) - Twenty-three skiers and snowboarders had to be rescued in frigid temperatures on Saturday after becoming lost in the backcountry in Killington, Vermont, police said. After a call came in around 2:30pm local time, search and rescue crews hiked, snowshoed, and used skis with skins to travel about 5 miles...

One of Nation's Oldest Ski Spots Has a 'Difficult' Update

New Hampshire's Black Mountain won't open this season, due to 'circumstances beyond our control'

(Newser) - One of North America's very first skiing destinations will be shuttered for the first time in nearly 90 years. Outside reports that the Black Mountain Ski Area, located in Jackson, New Hampshire, won't be operating during the upcoming winter season, according to the Fichera family, which has owned...

NPS Worker Dies While Skiing in Denali

Witness says Eric Walter triggered avalanche in Alaska preserve

(Newser) - A National Park Service staffer died last week in Denali National Park & Preserve, in an avalanche he himself may have triggered. In a Friday statement cited by CBS News , the NPS reports that Eric Walter was killed Thursday while taking part in some backcountry skiing on a "north-facing...

2 Skiers Killed in Late Colorado Avalanches

Recent storms have made conditions more dangerous

(Newser) - It's been a deadly few days for snow sports in Colorado, with two people dead in separate late-winter avalanches. The AP notes that recent storms have raised the risks of avalanches and takes a look at the incidents:
  • A skier was killed Sunday in a large avalanche in
...

There's a Big Problem With Apple's Automatic 911 Calls

Call centers are overwhelmed with calls triggered when there is no emergency

(Newser) - Emergency call centers in various states that have been inundated with false calls and officials are pointing the finger at a single culprit: Apple. Since 2018, Apple devices have been able to detect when a user suffers a hard fall . If a fall is detected, the device buzzes and sends...

Hilaree Nelson Given a Sherpa Cremation

The ski mountaineer died in a Sept. 26 fall

(Newser) - Hilaree Nelson died on Sept. 26 after falling thousands of feet when a small avalanche struck as she skied down the 26,781-foot Manaslu in Nepal. On Sunday, she received a traditional funeral at a Sherpa cremation ground in that country. The AP reports family, friends, mountaineers, and government officials...

China Loves This Olympian. America Has Mixed Feelings

18-year-old Eileen Gu, born and raised in US, will compete for China as its best chance for gold

(Newser) - Eileen Gu "is, without debate, the most dominant woman in freeskiing," per ESPN . The 18-year-old San Francisco native is therefore the favorite to win gold in big air, halfpipe, and slopestyle freestyle skiing events at the Beijing Olympics. But if she does, those medals won't be counted...

They Skied, Rappeled Down 'Death Slabs' for a Half Dome First

Jason Torlano, Zach Milligan seem to be first ones to ski entire 4.8K feet from peak to Yosemite Valley

(Newser) - Two skiers navigated a thin layer of snow with no margin for error down the precipitous shoulder of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park and alternately skied and rappelled back to the valley floor in an unusually daring feat, per the AP . Jason Torlano, 45, and Zach Milligan, 40, completed...

Avalanche Devastates Colorado Community

Eagle County mourns 3 'friends and leaders'

(Newser) - Three backcountry skiers are dead after a Monday avalanche in Colorado's San Juan Mountains, a loss particularly felt in Eagle County. All three men served in local government in some way. Andy Jensen was mayor pro tempore of the Eagle Town Council, Adam Palmer was the county's sustainable...

Skier Escapes Bear by Ditching Backpack
Skier Being
Chased by Bear
Pulls Off 'Pretty
Cool Move'
in case you missed it

Skier Being Chased by Bear Pulls Off 'Pretty Cool Move'

Tense incident took place in Romania

(Newser) - Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see? In this case, what the brown bear saw was a skier trying to outmaneuver it down a ski slope in Romania. Per the New York Daily News , the frightening incident took place Saturday at the Predeal mountain resort, where an unlucky tourist...

At Ski Resort, Untouched Food Trays Were a Clue

Hundreds of British skiers fled Swiss facility despite quarantine

(Newser) - Hundreds of British skiers appear to have ignored orders to quarantine at a Swiss ski resort and instead snuck out at night for home, reports Reuters . The unusual situation unfolded at the Swiss resort of Verbier, where more than 420 British guests were staying before Christmas, per the BBC . By...

Avalanches Could Get Worse Soon, Colorado Warns

Three skiers have been killed since Friday

(Newser) - The deaths of three people in two Colorado avalanches since Friday have experts warning those headed to the mountainous backcountry to be careful and pay attention to forecasts. A rescue team on Sunday recovered the bodies of two skiers caught in an avalanche a day earlier near Ophir Pass in...

After Avalanche in Swiss Alps, a Happy Ending
Crews Find Skiers
Hit by Avalanche

Crews Find Skiers Hit by Avalanche

A half-dozen were buried in snow in Swiss Alps, but there were no fatalities

(Newser) - An avalanche in the Swiss Alps left six people buried in the snow Thursday. They either managed to get themselves out or were rescued, CNN reports, and two of them were flown to a hospital with minor injuries. A search crew that included 25 skiers and three helicopters scoured a...

He Conquered Peaks Worldwide, Met an 'Unreal' Fate

Davo Karnicar, first to fully ski down Mount Everest nonstop, is killed in tree-cutting mishap

(Newser) - In 1995, Davo Karnicar became the first person to successfully ski down Nepal's Annapurna from the top, the lead-in to a more high-profile descent he'd complete five years later: He became the first person to ski nonstop from the summit of Mount Everest to base camp. He went...

Athletic Engagement: Olympic Skier to Wed NHL Star

Lindsey Vonn is engaged to New Jersey Devils' PK Subban

(Newser) - Tiger who ? Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn has been dating New Jersey Devils star PK Subban since early last year, and now the couple is "taking things to the next level," per People , which confirms they are engaged. Although rumors of a romantic relationship got their jump-start...

A Year After Daughter's Death, New Joy for Bode, Morgan Miller

They're expecting identical twin boys after their little girl drowned

(Newser) - "We carry Emmy with us every day. ... Keeping her a part of our family has really made this journey a little bit easier for our family," says Morgan Miller more than a year after the drowning death of her 19-month-old daughter with husband Bode Miller. And now that...

They Fled the Tent to Their Deaths. Now, a Search for Why

Russia to reinvestigate the Dyatlov Pass Incident

(Newser) - On January 23, 1959, 10 students set off on a skiing trip in Russia's Ural Mountains. One became sick and bowed out. The other nine didn't make it out alive, and though their bodies were recovered, the mystery of how they met their end has persisted for 60...

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