AAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! NO-NO-NO-NO-NO-NO-NO-NO-!!! This is why I never backcountry skied.
EDIT: even though this was within boundaries, it was still the fear that kept me mostly on somewhat groomed/cleared slopes.
They found both those guys right away, and it still seemed like forever just digging out their heads. Yoinks!

*promote the *fear of being buried alive

Promoting this video and sending it back into the queue for one more try; last queued Thursday, March 19th, 2015 12:29pm PDT - promote requested by newtboy.

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So as a relative newcomer* to the backcountry, here's my $0.02:

They were incredibly lucky.

Going into a gully like that after a snow storm is a "terrain trap" where even a small slide can accumulate very deep snow. Getting buried under 2-3m is bad, but 10m+? Unless you have the world snow shoveling champion team in your party, you're dead.

Good on them for carrying shovels and probes, but where were their transceivers? The article states that the victim had his transceiver with him but the others didn't. A single transceiver is about as useful as a prick in a nunnery.

The only reason that guy is alive is he managed to stick his ski pole above the snow. Without that, by the time they find him, they're not rescuing him, they're recovering the body.

Most importantly, they knew it was a sketchy line and they went anyway (and altogether.... jesus.... spread the fuck out... no-one gonna rescue you if you're all buried).

Right there, that's the fatal mistake. I know guys who have hiked for 6 hours to get to a run, looked at it and turned back. If you're not sure, don't go. Even if it means climbing back out.

So to sum up:
unsure about conditions: don't go
the entire party doesn't have a shovel/probe/transceiver each: don't go
if you absolutely have to go: one at a time and aim for a safe spot

/sermon

I'm being a bit of a prick on this. It's really easy to criticise, but I've been there and I know that powder fever takes hold. But *nature hates you and wants to kill you. Keep that in mind.

* I've been side-country riding for a few years, but started splitboarding last year.

Adding video to channels (Nature) - requested by ChaosEngine.

I don't remember the McGuyver episode being this way exactly...