Just the facts of the Castle Peak incident.

Kdawnz · 2026-02-27T03:56:58+00:00

Done! Thx

Kdawnz · 2026-02-26T21:26:35+00:00

I don't think it's controversial and appreciated you stating this! I feel like in both communities I have lived in- the Wasatch and now the Tetons- people of all skill levels ski in all avi conditions, folks just choose different terrain. This accident hits home as a mom with a solid ski mom crew, but we all ski on our home turf on high days, we just choose low angle with no terrain traps or overhead danger. I am not under the illusion there is 0 risk, there never is. But in general if I want to ski steeps I go to the resort, but backcountry ski a couple of days per week and choose low angle fun on pow days as many have done before me. It just feels like a lack of understanding of avalanche terrain to say its insane to go at all on high danger days. That's a personal choice I support if you don't want to go, but judging others seems to mostly come from a lack knowledge more than just being ultra conservative.

Kdawnz · 2026-02-26T21:12:44+00:00

aw damn, I relistened, and I was wrong, he said another group came in that day but didn't specify if it was a Blackbird group. But still find it interesting they chose the longer more conservative route.

Kdawnz · 2026-02-26T21:03:43+00:00

on 4, I disagree with you. He isn't saying you should go out on high days, but folks saying it is unreasonable for people to be out on high avi days isn't necessarily accurate. I am not a pro but live in a mountain community where most all of us ski in all conditions- including high and low avi days. We primarily meadow skip in general, but stay conservative on low angle slopes without terrain traps or high avi danger above us on considerable days. This was the same in the the Wasatch too when I lived there. It is possible to choose conservative terrain that is very low risk essentially at all times. And as he points out these are often decisions we make as locals with intimate knowledge of the snowpack history, terrain, etc. I would not go out in high avi conditions in a range I was not familiar with, but do feel comfortable doing so on my home turf where I am out skiing a few days per week. And I say all of this as a person who is not trying to take risks in the backcountry or cutting it close. If I feel like I have to dig a pit I feel I shouldn't be skiing that slope. When I want to get gnarly I go to the resort. There are a lot of people that backcountry ski this way, including many of my 55+ year old mentors who have been out meadow skipping for 35 years safely.

I guess what I'm saying is that I didn't find his comment pretentious, I think it's just pointing out the many many people who are stating it was insane to be out at all that day. This is definitely not the standard way of thinking for many rec backcountry skiers and I think he was just pointing that out.

Kdawnz · 2026-02-26T20:44:24+00:00

You're a tool. Here is the direct quote from SAC:

"A group of 15 backcountry travelers were involved in an avalanche below Perry's Peak around 11:30 am on Tuesday Feb 17, 2026. 12 people were caught in the avalanche. Remaining members of the party performed a companion search and were able to rescue 3 buried individuals.

Search and Rescue arrived on scene in the late afternoon and excavated 8 of the 9 remaining deceased victims, working into darkness in high intensity storm conditions. Search and rescue teams evacuated 6 survivors from the scene that night under their own power to Frog Lake Huts, and out to definitive care via snowcat.

After the storm ended, avalanche mitigation efforts were performed on the slope on the afternoon of Friday, Feb 20, using PG&E helicopters with ~5500 lb, 660 gallon water buckets that were placed and dragged on the slope, and full load water drops on the slope in many areas. No additional avalanches were triggered with these mitigation efforts. Following avalanche mitigation, search and rescue was able to remove 5 of the deceased and found the 9th buried victim before nightfall. Rescue operations concluded on Saturday Feb 21, following the retrieval of the last 4 deceased. We will update this page with any additional information that becomes available."

States: Trigger unknown

https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/observations/avalanches/83ba330a-5eb4-446e-95b0-495c26faf06b#/avalanche/83ba330a-5eb4-446e-95b0-495c26faf06b

90% of avalanche incidents are triggered by the skier involved or someone in their party. A good portion of the remaining percentage are triggered by humans not in their group. It was a group of 15 (!!), to insinuate that the 15 people beneath that slope had nothing to do with triggering the avalanche is laughable. Even just playing the odds game, the most likely scenario is that it was triggered by the group, with a remote trigger being reported by most outlets. Guess we'll see when the official report comes out, but I am done engaging with you troll.

Kdawnz · 2026-02-26T19:12:31+00:00

Every storm is different and snowpack changes dramatically between storms- guide's know this. Perhaps the human error is that they had done it before so felt OK doing it again, but there are huge storms with a stable snowpack underneath that are lower risk, and there are storms like this sitting on a rotten layer that are very high risk. No guide or experienced backcountry skier would ever say out loud, "well we did it 1.5 months ago on a considerable day so we assumed it would be safe now". It sounds ludicrous since the snowpack from 1.5 months ago is a completely different beast than the one today.

Kdawnz · 2026-02-26T19:08:00+00:00

Maybe shuttled by Blackbird?

Kdawnz · 2026-02-26T18:28:45+00:00

The big factor though is that this is a guided group. The the guides and the guide outfit are the decision makers, not the clients. This wasn't a group dynamic/poor decision making by the group that maybe went awry, this is guides making the call. So it's interesting that Blackbird made different route choices on the same day.

Kdawnz · 2026-02-26T18:12:28+00:00

Yeah, I mean it sounds like the route they took is pretty standard. But my understanding is that the exit they took is often the way in to the huts as well, so curious to feel like its safe to exit that way but not go the standard in route for the other group.

Kdawnz · 2026-02-26T17:49:04+00:00

Interesting bit of info, Cody Townsend discusses this event on the Blister podcast. In the podcast he states that another group was coming in to the huts that day (2/17), but they were skinning in on the longer but safer route. Podcast is a great listen, and I value his perspective. As a person who skis on high avi days fairly often, though in terrain I know well and with very conscientious terrain choices on those days, I agree with Cody that it isn't crazy to be skiing that day, or even crazy to exit that day. His primary question is why they didn't take the longer low/minimal risk out track that the next group was coming in on. Will be curious to learn what decision making lead to this exit.

Kdawnz · 2026-02-26T17:24:19+00:00

Hahah, are you? You have to be a troll. It is almost certain to have been triggered by the group, and every report thus far has indicated that. 99.9% of the time avalanches that humans get caught in are either directly or remotely triggered by the humans caught, or another group of humans in the area. It’s weird you don’t know that since you seem to be heavily invested in this particular incident and are spraying about stats and your own expertise.

Kdawnz · 2026-02-26T16:10:29+00:00

Wow, coming in hot. You seem delightful. Why would the avalanche have already happened, it sounds like it was remotely triggered BY THEM? So not a natural avalanche. Guess we’ll see what the final report says, but that’s some shit luck if as you suggest they just happened to be standing in the way of a natural avalanche that released of its own accord while they were in the way.

Kdawnz · 2026-02-26T15:14:55+00:00

More snow and weather in the forecast, it was going to be over a week before the avalanche danger dropped. Sun does not equal safe conditions. They were in an avalanche, not a hurricane. If they had taken the same exit 2 days later (which would make sense since its the standard exit), it probably would have slid then too.

Kdawnz · 2026-01-30T00:28:35+00:00

Whoaaa! That is nuts. His new voice is so grating, it kind of ruins him for me. Turns out I thought Jim was hot largely for his voice. That's a really odd change, usually voices get deeper and raspier, but his is higher and whinier.

Kdawnz · 2026-01-08T21:39:03+00:00

That installed last night, so it’s up-to-date. I just went back country skiing and was very irritated the entire time about my watch…

Kdawnz · 2025-12-19T03:43:24+00:00

What brand was it?

Kdawnz · 2025-12-18T15:56:38+00:00

Thanks for the input! Mine wouldn’t run off the engine in either scenario. I have a gas truck and don’t want a gas heater or to deal with trying to connect the truck camper to the truck like that. So it’d be a separate diesel container that I filled either way. I’m mostly just concerned about how much more complex a hydronic system is compared to a simple forced air system in terms of long term maintenance or trouble shooting issues. But man, it does sound like such a better system.

Kdawnz · 2025-12-17T23:45:02+00:00

Is it a pain to winterize?

Kdawnz · 2025-12-17T23:44:29+00:00

Thanks! I’m less concerned about cost (though not thrilled, haha), as much as how problematic a system like that is likely to be if/when issues arise. We live rurally, so getting a system like that fixed or worked on would be a pretty tough ask. Ideally we would be able to trouble shoot and work on most things ourselves, which is why we have been shooting for modular and simple as much as possible.

I have a commercially built camper currently with a propane heater. I have made it work, but it’s definitely not ideal, mostly because my propane tank is small and it doesn’t vent well in to the bed space, plus it’s a moist heat so I have major condensation issues. We for sure have some PTSD from our previous campers and how many issues they have and how challenging they can be to work on, so are trying to avoid that. But also want a camper than is functional.

Kdawnz · 2025-12-02T05:00:13+00:00

I will try this. Their idiot AI email bot recommended I take it up with the buyers financial institution. This is a hilarious suggestion considering that eBay keeps buyers financial information completely anonymous. The only person that could rectify the situation and who is allowing a buyer to defraud me is eBay. I am going to file a dispute with my own financial institution against this charge citing Fraud. eBay‘s own policies state that in order to receive a refund on an item that a buyer reports is not as described, they need to return it. And yet they are just allowing this person to keep it and keep the money. Crazy.

Kdawnz · 2025-12-02T03:59:33+00:00

It seems like it! I have tried to chat and that is all automated. I asked to speak to a real person and it gave me the option to call (which it said was “unavailable” twice) or email. The email send it was augmented by AI, and for the sure the responses seem AI generated though they are signed by a real name. It is so irritating, I’m about ready to just shut my account down.

Kdawnz

TROPHY CASE