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VOLUME 27, NO. 1 • OCTOBER 2008 2007/08 Season Roundup In This Issue From the President. 2 From the Editor . 2 Metamorphism . 2 Mailbag . 3 AAA News. 4 What’s New . 5 Crown Profiles LaChapelle Library Move . 9 John Montagne In Memoriam . 10 Turnagain Pass Avalanche . 27 April 7, 2008 NAC 2006/07 Season Roundup Forest Service National Avalanche Center . 16 Dear Lynne, Crested Butte Avalanche Center . 16 Here is a CD of a skier-triggered avalanche that Mt Shasta Avalanche Center . 17 happened up here in Alaska in mid-February on Sunburst Idaho Panhandle National Forest Avalanche Center . 17 Mountain up at Turnagain Pass. We thought you might Thebe Sierra Avalanche Center - Tahoe National Forest . 18 interested in including it in a future issue of Payette Avalanche Center . 18 . Avalanche Review Bridger-Teton National Forest Avalanche Center . 18 The sheer size of the slide and the fact that the Sawtooth National Forest Avalanche Center . 19 victim survived without injury is amazing by itself, Northwest Montana - Glacier Country Avalanche Center . 20 but we were also able to assemble quite a collection West Central Montana Avalanche Center . 21 of photos of the avalanche in motion due to the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center . 21 number of people out playing that day who witnessed Southeast Alaska Avalanche Center. 21 the slide. Our very own Matt Murphy happened to be up Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center . 21 there on Sunburst the day of the accident and was the Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center . 22 first person to locate Ian’s signal and pinpoint his Northern New Mexico Avalanche Center . 22 location. The weather stayed bluebird for a couple Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center . 22 days after the slide, so Matt, Nancy Pfieffer, and I Colorado Avalanche Information Center . 23 were able to go investigate and take some photos. The Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center . 23 photo of Nancy holding a probe in front of a 10 ft. Utah Avalanche Center - Wasatch . 24 Photos by Lisa Portune, CNFAIC high section of the quarter-mile wide crown face is Utah Avalanche Center - Manti-La Sal . 25 especially humbling. See Turnagain Pass Utah Avalanche Center - Logan . 26 Thanks for such a great publication! on page 27 for more photos & information I had a fantasy of drawing one of Lisa Portune about this event. those spider-web diagrams with Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center Montagne’s name in the middle with lines branching outward to each person he significantly influenced in The Avalanche Review the avalanche field, and then outward P.O. Box 2831 Pagosa Springs, CO 81147 again to each person they influenced, and so on. But I realized that the paper would need to be the size of a football field to contain all the names. —Bruce Tremper John Montagne In Memoriam, p11 u PAGE 2 THE AVALANCHE REVIEW VOL. 27, NO. 1, OCTOBER 2008 THE from the president The last time I wrote, my theme was about anticipating providers and all members. Also check our current home REVIEW and managing change. A flurry of changes have taken page and calendar for any AAA events or let us know place. Sadly, we’ve lost yet another of the great US about your regional professional seminars and we’ll post avalanche pioneers – John Montagne. John was not only a OCTOBER 2008 • VOL. 27 • NUMBER 1 the dates, place, links, and contact info. great avalanche professional, researcher, and mentor, but The Education Committee held a special meeting after The Avalanche Review is published each fall through spring by as Karl Birkeland has written, “John was an exemplary last April’s Governing Board meeting and is continuing its the American Avalanche Association, Inc., a non-profit corpora- human being.” We will all miss him. work on guidelines, AVPRO programs and scholarships, tion. The Avalanche Review welcomes the submission of articles, You’ll also read in this issue about the wonderful and increasing opportunities for professional continuing photographs and illustrations. collaboration that took place over the summer to move, education. AIARE’s instructor training and professional- archive, and catalogue Ed LaChapelle’s library and records. Please send submissions to: development programs provide some excellent models, Lynne Wolfe –– Editor Once the cataloging is completed, these papers will be and we are pleased to have their participation on the PO Box 1135 accessible in Silverton with special thanks to the Center Driggs, Idaho 83422 Education Committee. Ben Pritchett of AIARE and Ron tel: (208) 709-4073 for Snow and Avalanche Studies and Ed’s son, David Matous of AAI have joined the education committee; a [email protected] LaChapelle, a resident of Silverton, CO. special thank you for all their help. AAA has been busy behind the scenes to create a unified We’ve had the summer election; even-numbered years Advertising: Production: US avalanche presence on the web. Working together Jazz Russell Fall Line Design mean a vote on section and affiliate member representatives. 370 N 110 E 76 N Main, Suite 208 with www.avalanche.org and the FS National Avalanche Special recognition and thanks go to departing Section Reps Driggs, ID 83422 Driggs, ID 83422 Center, we are updating avalanche.org to provide a simple Fay Johnson and Evan Woods, and a generous welcome tel: (208) 354-2524 tel/fax: (208) 354-6500 and clear pathway to avalanche information for both goes to the new ones, Scott Savage and Patty Morrison. fax: (208) 354-6500 [email protected] [email protected] professional and recreational interests. Special thanks go We also have a new secretary – Mike Bartholow will take to Chris Lundy for helping to coordinate the project as our over from Andy Gleason while Andy tries to keep up Business and Subscription Office: new IT committee chair. Phase One should be implemented Mark Mueller –– AAA Executive Director with his youngsters Charlie and Maddie. Andy, thanks P.O.Box 2831 early this coming winter with additional improvements for your years of incredible note-taking and valuable Pagosa Springs, CO 81147 planned for the near future. We are also developing an e- insight. Another round of thanks goes to all those who tel: (970) 946-0822 / fax: (970) 731-2486 directory for AAA members, which will ultimately replace [email protected] continue to serve the American Avalanche Association the hard-copy directory mailed out each year. and our membership. Important, please help us out with updating your As we all ready ourselves for another unique winter information! Check www.avalanche.org and the AAA and get ready for another incredible ISSW, I hope you booth at ISSW, as we will be asking for submission of the can grab a few more glorious autumn days. most current contact information from all avalanche course —Janet Kellam, Ketchum, Idaho R Executive Director ..........................Mark Mueller from the editor AAA Officers *President ......................................Janet Kellam As I put final touches on TAR 27/1, I am struck by a to Mike O’Leary, the Homer avalanche forecaster who, *Vice President ..............................Doug Richmond *Secretary ......................................Mike Bartholow common thread between the two themes of this issue: sadly, is the newest addition to the AAA’s list of avalanche *Treasurer ......................................Bill Glude National Avalanche Center season summaries and a workers killed while working. We’ll also have another Committee Chairs many-faceted memorial to John Montagne. look at multiple burials, snowmobile statistics, and the Awards .........................................Halsted Morris For most of the avalanche centers whose summaries appear impressive terrain of the Snettisham avalanche cycle near Data ............................................Dan Judd Education ....................................Sarah Carpenter, Brad Sawtell here (starting on page 16), the activism of Friends groups Juneau. Looking even further ahead, the February issue will Ethics ..........................................Lel Tone stands out as key to their successes. Their communities focus on terrain mapping and GIS technology with a liberal Membership .................................Stuart Thompson value their contributions enough to donate time, money, sprinkling of new ideas, techniques, and technologies from Research .....................................H.P. Marshall Search & Rescue .........................Dale Atkins and energy. The centers keep us thinking, making smart ISSW, CSAW, and other ongoing investigations. Ski Area .......................................Bill Williamson decisions and paying attention in avalanche terrain. In other AAA news, the mentorship project is alive and well. Standards Awareness ..................Craig Sterbenz What’s notable in reading about the distinctive life of Doc We’ve connected a number of aspirant avalanche workers *Publications ................................Blase Reardon Montagne (see page 10) was his ability to build community with advisers in their prospective fields. We have a library of Publications Committee Editor ...........................................Lynne Wolfe around him, to make people “bigger than they were.” Doc relevant articles to use as references, soon to be posted on the Editor Emeritus ............................Steve Conger was a mentor who, as Bruce Tremper recalls, inspired those updated AAA and avalanche.org Web sites. The education Editor Emeritus ............................Sue Ferguson around