AVALANCHE, INEXPERIENCE Wyoming, Tetons On April 25, Tim
AVALANCHE, INEXPERIENCE W yom ing, Tetons O n A pril 25, T im D rew (24) an d Je rry Lucas (22) signed out at Park H ead q u a rters to clim b the G rand T eto n by th e E ast R idge R oute. T h e clim bers were friends, working at the T arghee R esort on th e west side of the T eto n R ange. D rew was the more experienced of the tw o clim bers and had m ade an unsuccessful assault on the East R idge earlier this w inter. T he night of the 25th was spent at the base of the E ast Ridge in a tent. T h e ir light packs, on the day of th e ascent, indicated th a t they did not p lan to bivouac on the clim b, b u t intended to re tu rn th a t sam e day. T he next m orning the p air clim bed the first 2,000 feet of the ridge and, from their tracks, it appears th a t they traversed from the right side of the ridge to the left on the snow slope un d er the M olar T ooth, the first prom inent rock tow er on the ridge. At this tim e, it was probably betw een 10 a.m . and noon on the 26th. T h eir tracks were visible up the ridge to this point, b u t ended in avalanche debris ju s t below the M o lar Tooth. T hey were caught in a wet snow avalanche an d were carried to their deaths, 1,200 feet below, over the southeast side of the m ountain. (Source: R alp h T ingey, G ran d Teton N ational Park)
Analysis W et spring avalanches are visible over m uch of th e m ountain. A pparently the two were unroped at this point. T h eir tracks indicate th at they h ad been breaking th ro u g h w arm, wet, soft snow w hich is very prone to avalanche at this tim e of year. H ere at the base of the M olar T ooth, they were ap p aren tly caught, unroped, in a wet slide on the steep snow slope. T his was ap p aren tly caused by the clim bers them selves who were probably very close together. T hey w ere carried dow n the slope about 200 feet and th en down a steep south-facing chim ney-gully an o th er 1,000 feet, com ing to rest ab o u t 20 feet a p art near the top of the north side of the Black Dike C ouloir on the southeast side of the G ran d T eton. Lucas h ad h ad some experience rock clim bing in K entucky a nd N orth C arolina, but neither clim ber had m uch experience w ith snow or w ith avalanches. (Source: R alph Tingey, G ra n d T eto n N ational Park)
Analysis W et spring avalanches are visible over m uch of th e m ountain. A pparently the two were unroped at this point. T h eir tracks indicate th at they h ad been breaking th ro u g h w arm, wet, soft snow w hich is very prone to avalanche at this tim e of year. H ere at the base of the M olar T ooth, they were ap p aren tly caught, unroped, in a wet slide on the steep snow slope. T his was ap p aren tly caused by the clim bers them selves who were probably very close together. T hey w ere carried dow n the slope about 200 feet and th en down a steep south-facing chim ney-gully an o th er 1,000 feet, com ing to rest ab o u t 20 feet a p art near the top of the north side of the Black Dike C ouloir on the southeast side of the G ran d T eton. Lucas h ad h ad some experience rock clim bing in K entucky a nd N orth C arolina, but neither clim ber had m uch experience w ith snow or w ith avalanches. (Source: R alph Tingey, G ra n d T eto n N ational Park)
