Valentines at Mt. Baker

I'm a 38-year-old Mt. Baker snowboarder from Bellingham, WA. who learned how to do it back East while living in NYC, and now appreciating being back in the deep pow! We have had a record snowfall in '99, the basis of my story...

Valentine's Day 1999 at Mt. Baker was an awesome day, sun out (which is rare), not windy, lots of snow. This was all following a couple of weeks of heavy snowfall, and it was the first sunny day I could recall in months.

"I watched, frozen, as an entire side of a mountain fell — a mile square and 20 feet deep. I watched a snowboarder literally wiped off the face of the earth, my heart sank, I knew..."

As you ride up chair #8, to your left are the awesome backcountry bowls and deep powder that beckon and tempt you all day. I was having a great day by myself. I had been noticing a natural wave above a hugely dense overhang of snow all day, right above "Rumble Gulley," which is aptly named I might add. A caravan of boarders and skiers were hiking under this cornice all morning, heading to the fresh and unlined. As I prepared to get off the chair I decided to go take a closer look at this snow wave that looked like a smooth sand dune and deviated from my normal path, destiny can change in a moment, just by a simple decision.

I rode under the chair to the area boundry and stopped and sat on the other side of the gulley, to look at the wave and "ride it in my mind." The second my ass hit the snow I heard this low crunching sound which then turned to the most thunderous sound I have ever heard. I watched, frozen, as an entire side of a mountain fell — a mile square and 20 feet deep. I watched a snowboarder literally wiped off the face of the earth, my heart sank, I knew. What seemed like eternity was over in seconds. The next stage was me, being hit by a hurricane of snow and ice, about 60 mph, if not more! I couldn't see. I was the deer in the headlights, nowhere to move to! I thought in my mind, 'I'm gonna die, inbounds!' I heard the rumble continue and the earth under me move. This was the most powerful event I have witnessed in my life. The cloud blew over and dissipated. I was "above" snow, and breathing, thank God! Boulder-sized chunks of snow filled the entire gulley, and stopped 75 yards from me, and a few others in my area also.

The community effort on the hill began to search for survivors, unfortunately, none would be found this day. Two people lost their lives, and I was unfortunately there to witness one human being's last moment of life. I will never forget it as long as I live! One thing I learned this day is be informed of avalanche conditions and learn survival skills before you venture into uncharted territory. The out of bounds rules changed at Baker forever because of this incident, for better or worse.

Ride on brothers & sisters!

— AL III, Mountain Zone Pubster