On the slopes: Watch out for deep tree wells after fresh snow

The snow is back and with it some fine chances to get out in the trees where the powder will be deep for a couple of days. Did that last weekend with visiting Nick here from Minneapolis celebrating my birthday - ole 82. Hadn't been to Diamond Peak recently so thought to give it a try. Beautiful day, lots of sun and like many of the mountain resorts such as Heavenly, which we visited later, the runs were practically deserted. At Heavenly, cannons could have been shot down Dipper without injuring anyone.

As usual, the accent at Heavenly was on downhill driving and at one point we got off in the trees off the Olympic run, where there was fresh powder. All was well until I cut it a little fine around a tree well - a deep one around a thick trunk. As I cut close to the edge of the tree hole I felt my outside ski start to slip into the hole. Luckily, I was able to pull it up and keep on cruising.

Later I decided to do a little checking and found that earlier this month a skier at Mammoth Mountain had slipped into a tree hole and suffocated. She was buried under snow a few feet off the trail; she had been skiing with her husband but had lost contact for a brief moment and went in head-first into the deep snow.

The NW Avalanche Institute keeps track of such deaths and reported that 65 percent of non-avalanche snow immersion deaths come from tree wells or holes. Paul Baugher, director of the institute, said they happen after deep snowfalls, which can put a thin layer of snow over the holes. And it's after fresh snowfalls that most skiers and riders get out in the untracked snow.

One local skier out of bounds at Kirkwood took a sudden fall when he hit a unexpected tree hole. Result: dislocated shoulder and no more skiing this season.

Some tips for skiing off-piste after a snow storm:

• Always ski with a partner when exploring snow falls.

• Stay on groomed trails, which is tough to do if you are an experienced back country skier or rider. The point of back country sporting is to get off the well-traveled trails.

• If your partner is stuck in a tree well, don't waste time seeking help. Don't get caught in the hole yourself - use a pole. Extend a pole and try to pull the victim out. If you've got an avalanche shovel, use it to dig the trapped person out.

In tests in Canada and the United States it was found that 90 percent of volunteers in tree holes could not free themselves. The rims of the tree holes are fragile and give way easily when rescuers try to get close to stranded skiers or riders.

Snowsporters may went to remember that spring skiing can be great fun but there are things to keep I mind. The snow is crusted in the morning and corn snow appears as the snow warms up. You need to ski spring snow much like powder: skis parallel at all times, weight firmly forward with shins pressing against the boot tongues, hands well out in front.

And, oh yes, don't forget the sun block and wine for sipping when the lifts stop spinning.

• Contact Sam Bauman at sambauman@att.net.