On February 1st, 2014 my dad and close friend were caught in a small slab avalanche in Ralph's Slide area just outside the Rendezvous Bowl at Jackson Hole Resort. They were swept over a 70-80ft cliff and were not buried upon landing. My dad broke his fibula in two places and a pilon fracture in his ankle; Jerry walked away with a few bruises. My dad was evacuated by helicopter and the rest of us skied out.
Despite our nearly 40 years of combined experience patrolling and ongoing avalanche training, we made some very poor decisions that compounded on top of one another very quickly. Our biggest mistake was route finding - we were unfamiliar with the area and though we thought we knew where we were going we ended up in a very dangerous area with very difficult extrication after just a few short turns. We also did not approach the mountain with the respect it deserved. "Side-country" is backcountry and we did not approach it as such. We were on vacation, powder-frenzied, and just not thinking. Please keep your head out there and stay vigilant; we are lucky to be alive.
We are extremely grateful for the professionalism and care of Jackson Hole Ski Patrol, Teton Mountain Rescue and St. John's Medical Center.
Avalanche occurs at 3m30s, followed by the emergency phone call and self-rescue. I included a voice over of my reflection written that evening at 16m
