Avalanche on the Shuksan Arm

Summary: Snowboarder caught, buried-still missing and presumed dead

Location: Mt Baker Wilderness, just east of Mt Baker Ski area on Shuksan
Arm (just below area that more recent accident occurred on 2/14/99)
Elevation and aspect: 4700 ft (1737m), E aspect; vertical fall ~2-300 ft
Size: SS-AS-2 (snowboarder)
Weather: Heavy snow, strong winds, very poor visibility
Preliminary Accident Narrative:
Snowboarder went under ropes marking ski area boundary and presumably
boarded off relatively small but steep (~35-45 degrees) east facing roll
that feeds into a large gully. This gully (Rumble Gully) acts as a funnel
for larger slides that normally release from a much larger N-NE facing bowl
about 800 vertical above, and it also marks a lower bench area that
accumulates significant debris. The boarder presumably released a 1-2 ft
wind slab that swept him into the lower bench and gully induced terrain trap
about 2-300 ft vertical below, apparently burying him quite deeply. When
friends of the snowboarder reported him overdue at base, the ski patrol was
dispatched. Upon arrival, the patrol saw faint evidence of a slab release
when arriving near scene, although there were sketchy reports about exactly
where the snowboarderleft the ski area boundary. Strong winds, heavy snow
and poor visibility hampered both the search and any visual evidence about
the extent or size of the avalanche. Additionally, the gully and likely
burial area posed an extreme and unacceptable high danger to would-be
rescuers, as it was threatened by a possible release of very large
avalanches from the highly unstable and steep ridgeline above. Upon
conducting avalanche control of the nearby area, a much larger slide
(approximately 8-10 ft fracture) released and re-covered the likely burial
area with a very deep deposit. Subsequent probing failed to locate the
apparent victim, and the search was called off after continuing heavy
snowfall and strong winds created an increasing danger for rescuers. Later
efforts with dog teams also failed to locate the apparent victim.
Ancillary information-Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center (NWAC) had
issued an avalanche warning for high danger for the Washington Cascades
above 4000 feet on Monday, 1/18/99, due to a combination of heavy snowfall
and high winds, and singled out northeast exposure slopes.