[Solohikerman]

http://www.kiro7.com/news/local/teen-killed-in-fall-at-rattlesnake-ledge/710320403

[RichP]

I was just reading this. Sad to see it happen again.

[Yana]

:-(

[JimK]

Another bad day. We met SAR going in while we were coming out the NF Teanaway. A rescue & recoveries.

[RichP]

A confusing almost SAR situation on McClellan Butte too. https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip_report.2018-03-03.2590641216

[rubywrangler]

Re: JimK's comment above, this was just posted on the Kittitas Co Sheriff facebook page: Kittitas County Press Release Sheriff Avalanche claims the lives of two snowmobilers in Kittitas County. Kittitas County, WA - 03/03/2018 - Of the four men swept in the avalanche, one made it out with minor injuries, one was air lifted with serious injuries, and two died on the mountain. Members of the Kittitas County Search & Rescue responded to the area North of Esmeralda Peak shortly before noon today in response to an avalanche. Due to the remoteness of the area, 20 miles North East of Cle Elum and above 4,600 feet elevation, communication was very difficult. Witnesses described one serious injury and two missing. Aided by other snowmobilers in the area all of the victims were located. With the assistance of Yakima County SAR, King County and Chelan County Aircrews, all of the victims have been recovered from the mountain. Sheriff Deputies in the field have reported the following; Deceased: 27 year old Zach Roundtree of Bonney Lake, full burial Deceased: 41 year old James Larson of Buckley, full burial Injured: 26 year old Kyle Ottwell of Bonney Lake, full burial, air-lifted to Harborview Injured: 27 year old Ryan Journey of Bonney Lake, partial burial, self-extricated, minor injuries Per Undersheriff Myers, "On behalf of the Sheriff's Office, there are just no words that will answer all the questions the friends and family have about why their loved ones were taken. Only patience, time and support will lessen that pain. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and we hope that some level of peace comes soon. The avalanche danger in many areas is still high, please be aware of the risks, as this marks the fifth avalanche death in the past 7 days." Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us ###

[Navy salad]

Coincidentally, I was up there today and heard the news from the top as some other teenager was advised to back away from the ledge. There was a lot of snow for the last half mile or so going up, with lots of the tennis shoe-clad hikers slipping around, but not all that much snow on the ledge itself, (but enough that you could slip if you weren't watching and stepped on a snow patch). There was a local TV broadcasting van parked with cameras pointed up at the ledge down below. A bit unnerving to learn someone had died in the same area I was standing on this same day!

[Just_Some_Hiker]

Two people also died in tree wells over on Mt. Bachelor this weekend. It's been a bad couple of weeks for mountain recreation in the PNW.

[zephyr]

[SwitchbackFisher]

As terrible as this is I hope lots of eyes see it as a reminder to be safe. We love outdoor recreation but it's not worth it to die wait a few months till conditions improve, plenty of lower options to get outside still

[jdk610]

McClellan Butte slide (not my footage, I wasn't there): https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf4PY5RhxVI/

[RichP]

[Bernardo]

They rode it down and walked out?!

[Windstorm]

[Backpacker Joe]