Wright Peak Avalanche Survivor Tells His Story
I don’t remember any pain when the avalanche struck me. The sensation is best described as almost instant acceleration in a river of wet cement. I was suddenly surrounded by this flowing snow bank. I have no idea how fast it was moving and I don’t remember much aside from the dark, the fear, and the thought that I had to try to stay on top of it somehow. I don’t think I tumbled, and maybe my skis helped to stabilize me. [Although, I’ve been told after that it’s better for the bindings to release because the skis can actually pull you under.] I was strangely cognizant of my surroundings and as I realized I couldn’t stop myself or get out, I tried to keep the area in front of my face clear. I remember the thought crossing my mind that I was most likely going to die, but it was brief and fleeting. Almost like an irrelevant thought that my mind didn’t have time for or was unwilling to process.
Ian Measeck (Glens Falls, New York) and Jamie McNeill (Vergennes, Vermont) survived a potentially fatal avalanche on Angel Slide, Wright Peak on February 27th. Read Measeck first had account over at Adirondack Almanack:
http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2010/03/wright-peak-avalance-survivor-tells...