This last weekend, on Saturday June 5th, a large avalanche on Mt. Rainier caught eleven climbers.  Ten were recovered alive and one climber is still missing.

Very dangerous snow conditions were recorded and announced to the public prior to and following this deadly avalanche that could have easily claimed the lives of all involved.  Certainly the decisions to travel upward into unstable snow conditions should be questioned as warnings were posted and shared with many of those involved in this avalanche.

A lack of avalanche rescue equipment was another factor in this avalanche that was only luckily mitigated due to immediate rescue response by a sufficiently large group of skilled climbers.

Read more about the events leading up to and following this avalanche in the Tacoma News Tribune and another article that includes video from a climber caught in the slide.  Check-out some post-accident snowpack data gathered by searchers on the lower flanks of Mt. Rainier. The Boulder Daily Camera has posted an article on Mark Wedeven, a former CU student who was killed in the avalanche. 

Our sincere condolences go out to the friends and family of Mark Wedeven who lost his life in this avalanche.