For the second time in lower than a 12 months, a pair of ski patrollers at Mammoth Mountain have been caught in an avalanche after a serious snowstorm.
At about 7:30 a.m. Friday, earlier than the resort opened, the 2 had been performing “avalanche mitigation work” when an sudden slide occurred on Lincoln Mountain, in accordance with Joani Lynch, vice chairman for advertising and gross sales.
The pair had been rescued and instantly taken to Mammoth Hospital, Lynch mentioned. “One patroller sustained severe accidents and is being transported out of the realm for additional care,” she mentioned. “The second patroller is being evaluated with attainable damaged bones.”
The ski space, which has acquired over 5 toes of snow since Christmas Eve, will stay closed for the remainder of the day, she mentioned.
Lincoln Mountain, identified for its steep slopes, was the positioning of a deadly accident in February when one other pair of ski patrollers, who had been attempting to clear snow from runs generally known as “the avy chutes,” obtained caught in a sudden slide.
One of many patrollers escaped with out severe damage however the different, Claire Murphy, 25, was transported to a hospital in Reno. Every week later, the resort confirmed she had died.
That accident occurred after a serious storm that dumped about 6 toes of snow on the resort in 36 hours.
This week’s “Christmas miracle” storm has been a godsend for the California ski trade. Many resorts had been struggling to stay open as a result of paltry precipitation to this point this 12 months.
As of final Friday, the state had solely 12% of the snow that’s regular for this time of 12 months, and solely 3% of what water managers hope for in a mean 12 months, in accordance with the California Division of Water Assets.
Now, the issue for resorts throughout the Sierra is safely managing the a number of toes of snow that fell on them in current days.
That’s significantly necessary because the week between Christmas and New Yr’s Day is historically the busiest week of the ski season, with hundreds flocking to the slopes.
