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Sep 22, 2022 · The Alpine Meadows ski patrol in 1982 (Photo: Lanny Johnson) A lawsuit followed—the ski area was sued by several of the victims’ families for wrongful death—but in 1985, after several days of deliberation in a courtroom, a jury found the Alpine Meadows ski patrol non-negligent in their hazard forecasts and avalanche control procedures ...
- Avalanche – A Worthy Foe
- The Perfect Storm
- 10 Seconds That Changed Everything
- A Community of Heroes
- Survival at Its Finest
- The Aftermath
During World War I, battles engaged on the snowy slopes of the Italian Alps between Italian and Austrian armies. Both armies would attack their foes with artillery shots into the hills above, creating large avalanches that would bury their opponent. It’s estimated that 40,000 soldiers were killed by avalanche during the war, including 10,000 over j...
Beginning on March 25, 1982, a late-winter storm began dropping heavy amounts of snow on the Sierra. In a time before complex snow measuring lasers and webcams, storms were measured the old fashion way using a large stick jammed into the snowpack. Throughout that particular week, the snow accumulation was about 1-2 inches per hour, or about 3 to 4 ...
The workers who reported to work that day continued their tasks with enthusiasm. The most die-hard mountain lovers lived for this type of storm, with dreams of riding bluebird powder days in the near future. The avalanche team worked furiously to relieve the dangerous snowpack on the slopes, with a team heading over the Squaw Valley (now Palisades ...
After the avalanche settled in its final resting place, calls on the radio began pleading for all hands on deck for a rescue mission. Anyone working that wasn’t buried in the snow immediately began digging for survivors. The first rescue missions began in the parking lot, where Smith, along with three visitors staying at a nearby condos were buried...
Hours after the avalanche hit the building on March 31, 22-year-old lift operator Anna Conrad awoke in a dark, coffin-sized hole amidst the wreckage. In a case of extreme luck, a set of lockers had fallen over her and landed on a bench in the hallway, creating a perfect space where she wasn’t crushed by the snow. Her head was pounding in pain and s...
How does one recover from one of the most deadly avalanches in U.S. history? The community mourned its fallen brethren by reopening the ski resort for spring skiing. Because, of course, that’s what the victims would have wanted. The families of David Hahn, Bud Nelson and Laura Nelson sued Alpine Meadows for negligence in their deaths. After a gruel...
On this episode of Talking NorCal, we dive deep into the deadly avalanche of March 31, 1982 at Alpine Meadows that killed 7 people. Zach is joined by filmmak...
- 75 min
- 978
- Talking NorCal
Mar 31, 1982 · The spring storm that built into the fatal slide began on March 27. By 7 a.m. on March 31, nearly 90 inches of snow had fallen on top of an already-large, 87-inch base at Alpine Meadows. Despite the storm's intensity, each day the ski patrol had completed control routes, combating the avalanche dangers with hand charges.
Dec 7, 2021 · 9. On March 31, 1982, a large avalanche hit Alpine Meadows, burying the main lodge and parking lot in 20 feet of snow and killing 7 people. The tragedy is a story that pervades the mind of every local, especially those that live in near the North Lake Tahoe community. Now, nearly 40 years after the avalanche, a new documentary is telling the ...
Nov 8, 2023 · The victims of the tragedy included tourists and employees of Alpine Meadows Ski Resort. Steven Siig and Jared Drake’s documentary film ‘Buried: The 1982 Alpine Meadows Avalanche’ sheds light on these deaths using the recollections of the other employees who worked in the resort at the time and then-ski patrol officers. Due to the intense ...
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An avalanche at a California ski resort on the morning of 17th January killed one skier and fatally injured another, authorities said.The avalanche occurred ...
