Fatality from falling in spruce traps

[SAR-EMT40]

As far as a Spruce trap I got caught in one of those one time by accident. I was wearing snowshoes and one plunged under the snow and was acting like the barb on a hook. It was impossible to pull out. Luckily my nephew was there. I think I would have been able to get out by myself but not without destroying the snowshoe binding. If I wouldn't have been able to destroy the binding to get my foot out it would have been real bad because I fell in such a way that I had no mechanical advantage to get myself out. I was laid over backwards at the knee with my other leg above the snow laying on my back. Looked humorous as hell I'm sure. But I really couldn't move to escape. Like I said, if I wouldn't have been able to break the binding and was alone it could have gotten ugly.

Keith

 

[una_dogger]

...And I don't see how someone could fall head first when hiking. It is such a slow going when the snow is deep.

Falling in then tipping backwards, this has happened to me in soft deep snow and its very scary when your snowshoes are stuck in the branches and your body is sliding backwards and down behind them.

A sobering story and a good reminder, Craig, thanks for posting.

 

[Chip]

Falling in then tipping backwards, this has happened to me in soft deep snow.

Hell Yeah. This has happened to me on "dry land".

A sobering story and a good reminder, Craig, thanks for posting.

Ditto. Snow traps kill.

 

[una_dogger]

Hell Yeah. This has happened to me on "dry land".

Chip busts a move...

 

[Jason Berard]

A friend and fellow member here fell into a spruce trap on a bushwack last winter, and while falling, was nearly impaled on a sharp stick sticking up out of the snow. Since he didn't want to be turned into a kabob, he grabbed the stick to twist it out of his way. But he moved, not the stick, and ended up with a seriously sprained mcl, I believe, which he snowshoed 5 miles out to the road on!

 

[marty]

A friend and fellow member here fell into a spruce trap on a bushwack last winter, and while falling, was nearly impaled on a sharp stick sticking up out of the snow. Since he didn't want to be turned into a kabob, he grabbed the stick to twist it out of his way. But he moved, not the stick, and ended up with a seriously sprained mcl, I believe, which he snowshoed 5 miles out to the road on!

Hmm. I wonder who that poor fool was?

Yes, it was a category II MCL tear (sprain). Took 6-8 weeks to heal to the point where I was comfortable to hike.



Marty

 

[mirabela]

I'm, like, ready to just sit on the couch all winter now

Seriously, though, this is a sobering conversation.

 

[Mongoose]

I feel into a spruce trap on Moosilauke a few years ago. I was hiking near treeline up the Beaver Brook trail and following the people in front of me. They had gone off trail, but I hadn't realized it at the time. They were hiking over the frozen crust of snow that was on top of the small trees. For some reason they made it over the crust but I broke through. I was up to my chest in snow, although below the crust was mostly light snow and air. I had to break through the crust about 5 ft to get to the densely packed trail. Then I threw pack onto the trail and climbed up. Getting out wasn't too bad, but I wasn't wearing snowshoes at the time. I rarely wear snowshoes because of maneuverability reasons like that.

 

[DougPaul]

Getting out wasn't too bad, but I wasn't wearing snowshoes at the time. I rarely wear snowshoes because of maneuverability reasons like that.

Of course, you would have been less likely to have fallen in if you were wearing snowshoes...

I have also BC skied over spots where a snowshoer just behind me fell in.

Doug

 

[RoySwkr]

However, tree wells are generally the more dangerous, due to the relatively solid walls and the depth. Snow falls in after the person, and the head down person can easily suffocate. Those most at risk are snowboarders, because they do not have independent feet, which makes escape more difficult.

I would question this, one of the most dangerous issues is when your snowshoes get tangled in the branches which doesn't happen with a tree well. One defense is to use snowshoe bindings that come off if you wiggle or twist your foot in case you can't reach them with a hand, but they can be a pain otherwise

A few years ago I fell head down on the surface going steeply downhill when my snowshoe caught in a buried branch. Usually I just roll out of it but in this case the snowshoe was stuck. Of course I was wearing a heavy pack and with the steep angle I couldn't just sit up, and being on the downhill end of the day I was tired. I don't remember quite how I got out of it, but before I did I definitely felt the dizziness coming on and felt scared which didn't help

 

[erugs]

I was hiking Cannon a few years back when Cathy fell into a deep spruce trap. A gallant young man happened to be nearby and came to her assistance, as Fatima and I were just standing there chuckling. We laughed harder as she inadvertently pulled him into the hole with her! What's the proper technique again for getting oneself out of a hole?

 

[David Metsky]

What's the proper technique again for getting oneself out of a hole?

Pulling someone else into the hole and climbing out on their shoulders.

 

[DougPaul]

I would question this, one of the most dangerous issues is when your snowshoes get tangled in the branches which doesn't happen with a tree well. One defense is to use snowshoe bindings that come off if you wiggle or twist your foot in case you can't reach them with a hand, but they can be a pain otherwise

This may be more of an issue when skiing--the skis can hang up on/near the surface and you can be left hanging from them. Perhaps another reason to use release bindings? (Actually, I don't know if one has much hope in causing a release in such a situation.)

Doug

 

[expat]

found this link

I found a link to a site that discusses this in depth:

http://www.treewelldeepsnowsafety.com

I fell into a spruce trap once with snowshoes and a full pack while trying to find the trail. The top of the snow was a couple inches above my head. Others in the group helped by taking my pack. After that I was able to drag snow down and stand on it to the point that I was then able to crawl out onto firmer snow unassisted.

 

[michaelb]

Ski and snowboard bindings and boots are much more restrictive and tight. I have release ski bindings, but I doubt I could just pull my foot out. Skis are also really long and free at the ankle, they flop around so getting any leverage would be very hard; snowboarders are locked in as well. Snowshoe bindings are much looser: I would not trust my snowshoe bindings to hold me at all if upside down; conversely, they would then be much easier then to pull out of, break the binding, or pull my foot out of the boot even, then the skis.

So if I had to be trapped in a spruce trap, I would much rather have snowshoes on (the small MSRs preferably) then the skis. But I would much rather not be there in the first place too.

 

[DougPaul]

Ski and snowboard bindings and boots are much more restrictive and tight. I have release ski bindings, but I doubt I could just pull my foot out. Skis are also really long and free at the ankle, they flop around so getting any leverage would be very hard; snowboarders are locked in as well. Snowshoe bindings are much looser: I would not trust my snowshoe bindings to hold me at all if upside down; conversely, they would then be much easier then to pull out of, break the binding, or pull my foot out of the boot even, then the skis.

Depends on the kind of ski--AT would be locked at the heel; XC, BC, and Tele would be loose.

I don't really know how a release binding would react in such a situation--I was just theorizing that it might offer an escape.

Related experience:
I had hoped that I would pull out of my 3-pin bindings before my leg broke. I was wrong... (Not a spruce trap/tree well accident--a blowdown jumped out and grabbed my ski tip.)

Doug

 

[J.Dub]

Chip busts a move...

More like "Chip busts his a$$..."

I only wish my PnS digital camera didn't have such bad shutter lag, as I was really hoping to get the shot about a second-and-a-half earlier, when Chip was upside down with his head between the two bow seats and his legs sticking up in the air. This shot is after Paul help Chip partially right himself.

(FWIW, I think his wife gunned the throttle on purpose when she saw him a bit unstable getting in... )

 

[Chip]

(FWIW, I think his wife gunned the throttle on purpose when she saw him a bit unstable getting in... )

I was actually yelling at her to "GO GO GO" as the chop from the storm was bouncing the bow off the cliff ledge at that point...so I have no one but myself to blame...and Karma...because I was yelling at my wife !

 

[KayakDan]

Two years ago I tried to climb Waumbek after a nearly 3-foot snowstorm the day before made the ridge between Waumbek & Starr King 6+ feet deep with higher drifts. I fell into a spruce trap all the way up to my neck. I was with a group and I asked them to hold off on helping me out because I wanted to see if I could get out on my own.

I absolutely could not get out despite about fifteen minutes of trying as hard as possible. I couldn't even reach down to remove my snowshoes. The whole incident freaked me out a bit and now I refuse to hike in deep snow conditions in the winter solo.

Strange coincidence. I fell into a spruce trap several years ago in the same area. Snow was just about to the top of the chimney that year. I walked down toward Waumbek,and stepped off the trail to use the facilities,carrying my avalanche shovel to do some excavating. I fell through the snow,in over my head,and ended up about a foot off the ground,hanging by the shovel which had stuck in the top of the hole.
Hmm..let go of the shovel or not? I dropped to the ground and after some prodding with a branch,the shovel fell in. The next fifteen minutes were spent digging my way out. Fortunate for me,no backpack,no snowshoes,but I had that shovel!

 

[Seeker]

I feel into a micro tree well last weekend BC skiing in northern VT. My ski tip dove into the snow, and I went down headfirst into a small well. I got a throat full of snow and came up sputtering and a little freaked as it took a bit to clear my mouth of snow. Then I was turtled and nestled with my pack up against this small tree. Had to remove my pack and skis to right myself. Silly but a real reminder that we need to be careful even out here. More snow and a bigger tree, and I would have had a harder time of it.

The tree wells they get out West scare the $%*&^ out of me.