Zuaro Cheats Death in the San Juans.....
I think you all know Eric Zuaro from Colby. An avid sculpter, blacksmith, & tele-skier who now lives in Southern Colorado near Telluride. Two weeks ago while skiing the BC, the face he dropped into rippped out, carrying him over 1600 feet of 40+ degree terrain, littered with cliffs and jagged volcanic rocks. I got the full story through a friend of a friend that actually resuced Zuaro. The rescuer was an Alaskan TGR tail guide that saved 6 victims from slides in Alaska last year, so you couldn't ask for anyone better to dig you out! Eric is lucky to be alive. Apparently he broke some bones, three ribs, collapsed a lung, and had to be intubated upon Heli arrival. He is currently recovering and we wish him the best.
Upon further analysis, Zuaro should have never been skiing this terrain in the first place. It had snowed 2 feet in the previous 72 hours, winds were blowing 20-40 knots for 72 hours prior to the ski, the slope was leeward facing, and the start of the run was a convex rollover into mandatory no-fall terrain. I think we can all learn from this. Stay safe in the Backcountry! Good luck Zuaro!
The face that Zuaro Rag-dolled over:
The Life-flight taking Zuaro to the Hospital:
Upon further analysis, Zuaro should have never been skiing this terrain in the first place. It had snowed 2 feet in the previous 72 hours, winds were blowing 20-40 knots for 72 hours prior to the ski, the slope was leeward facing, and the start of the run was a convex rollover into mandatory no-fall terrain. I think we can all learn from this. Stay safe in the Backcountry! Good luck Zuaro!
The face that Zuaro Rag-dolled over:
The Life-flight taking Zuaro to the Hospital:
posted by TKsports! at 11:31 AM
1 Comments:
If any of you subscribe to Backcountry, make sure to read the March issue's Avy Story, it was extremely intense. If you don't subscribe, pick the issue up, I think it is one of their better issues with lots of coverage on skiing chutes.
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