Members of Stowe Mountain Rescue are cautioning backcountry skiers not to rely on online info after they rescued a skier who got caught in a dangerous situation Monday.
According to a Stowe Mountain Rescue Facebook post, crews rescued a skier near Smuggler’s Notch in Vermont on Monday, February 2. The skier was reportedly going after a route he had seen on a map online.
A map of backcountry ski lines in the Stowe area was reportedly published on social media last winter. At the time, members of Stowe Mountain Rescue asked that it be taken down because they were concerned about an increase in backcountry rescues because of it. They said the map seemed like a well-intentioned gesture that could backfire because a little backcountry information would not give the full picture of the terrain.
Rescue crews said the skier on Monday did not know the terrain well and took a wrong chute.
“It could have cost him his life,” stated the Facebook post.
The skier reportedly found himself above an icy cliff band and had no option but to climb 700 vertical feet back up the gulley. Rescuers said his climb was dangerous, exhausting, and time-consuming, and he lost a ski and a pole in the process.
Once he had regained the ridge, he was still facing a long trek that rescuers said he was utterly unprepared for, in terms of both time and equipment.
Rescuers were able to intersect his route and delivered snowshoes, food, water, warm gloves, and a ride down the mountain after dark by snowcat courtesy of Stowe Mountain Resort.
Members of Stowe Mountain Rescue said they believe the only way to learn backcountry ski lines is to go with someone who knows the terrain. They said skiers should learn where to go firsthand, from a guide if necessary.
“The terrain in Smugglers Notch is way too dangerous to risk route-finding mistakes,” stated the post.
They recommend that when skiing in the backcountry, always have a ski buddy and a plan B in mind. Consider where your exit route will be and how long it will take if you can’t achieve your intended route.
