Memorial at Leavenworth Ski Hill Wednesday, Feb. 22, 6-7 p.m.
Memorial at Leavenworth Ski Hill for Stevens Pass avalanche victims
Wednesday, Feb. 22, 6-7 p.m.
Bring a headlamp to participate in a torchlight ski down the big hill at 6:45 p.m. to honor Chris Rudolph, Jim Jack and Johnny Brennan
The public is welcome. No ski pass or trail ticket is required. Wednesday is Family Night at the Ski Hill. The lodge and rope tows will be open for normal operations until 6 p.m.
http://www.skileavenworth.com/about/news/feb-22nd-memorial-johnny-chris-jim
About avalanche airbags
Steve Wagner, the CEO of ABS Airbags, which the lone survivor of the Stevens Pass avalanche was wearing at the time of the accident, says he is sickened by the tragedies in the Cascades last weekend.
“I’m sick and tired of losing friends; but it’s just the reality of being in the ocean, the mountains…it really sucks,” he said.
Wagner said that avalanche airbags are not a new technology, as reported in some media. ABS, he said, was started in 1985.
“It’s really an old technology that has been refined,” Wagner said, estimating that the ABS Twinbag has saved about 300 people since its inception and since 1991 the company has had a 97 percent survivor rate.
“It’s all about saving the lives of people and having them come home to their friends and family,” Wagner added.
He said that anybody who is on a slope in the backcountry of about 30 degrees or more should be wearing an avalanche air bag. “They should first take an avalanche awareness course, carry a beacon probe and shovel and learn how to use the air bag.”
(Editor’s Note: Seattle’s Second Ascent in the Ballard neighborhood will be carrying ABS avalanche bags on their retail floor soon. Plan to spend between $800-$1,000.)
The accident Feb. 19, 2012
Our deepest sympathies go out to the four skiers who died over the weekend at Stevens Pass and Snoqualmie Summit from deadly avalanches.
Sadly, Chris Rudolph, the marketing director at Stevens Pass, was among those killed.
We enjoyed working with Chris for many years. Always upbeat and full of energy and creative ideas, Chris created great opportunities for Stevens and was a rising star in the ski industry. Our staff at Outdoors NW will truly miss him, his positive outlook and his trademark baseball cap. We extend our deepest sympathies to Chris’ friends and family as well as those of Jim Jack and John Brenan — who were with Chris on the mountain at Stevens — and Karl Milanoski of Seattle who was swept off a cliff by an avalanche near Alpental, one of four resorts at The Summit at Snoqualmie.
http://www.saminfo.com/about/index.php?tid=5149
http://today.seattletimes.com/2012/02/snowboarder-killed-in-alpental-avalanche-was-devoted-father/
NW Avalanche Center:
>> Click image above or here to visit ABS-Airbag.com
If you like this post, you might also enjoy:
Features Home Recent Articles Snowsports The OutdoorsNW Blog
