Avalanche, near Copper - from Summit Daily News

[Pat Donnelly]

SUMMIT COUNTY - Mike McFarland said he immediately went into "focus mode" when he realized he had triggered an avalanche in the Sky Chutes east of Copper Mountain on Wednesday.

"I thought it was terrifying, but at the same time you have to exercise a certain amount of concentration to make sure you try to get out," McFarland said Thursday.

McFarland moved with the slide for about 50 feet before he was able to self-arrest with his ski pole, while the snow continued to pass around him.

McFarland, Edward Haupt - both Copper Mountain ski instructors - and McFarland's brother, Chad, ducked a rope at the Breckenridge Ski Resort, between the top of Peaks 7 and 8, to get on the west side of the Tenmile Range and gain access to the chutes, which are located on the backside of Peak 6.

The group began its descent into the K chute about 1 p.m.

McFarland had no idea that the decision he made directly after the slide would launch a full-scale rescue operation.

He called the Copper Ski Patrol as soon as they all realized everyone was safe and told the patrol the they were fine, just above halfway down the mountain and would call back the moment they were on the ground.

About 20 minutes later, the skiers weren't off the mountain yet, but McFarland was growing concerned that patrollers would call search and rescue because they hadn't heard back from the group.

So, he called patrol back and said they were already down the mountain, although they were still about 400 feet above the valley floor.

In retrospect, McFarland said the decision to say they were out when they weren't was probably a mistake, but they wanted to make sure rescuers weren't deployed.

Unbeknownst to the skiers, rescuers had already been summoned. While looking at the slide area through a telescope, patrollers noticed a second slide in the Y chute and didn't see tracks coming out.

McFarland said they were about a half mile from the second slide and had no idea it had slid.

"I think what it boils down to is the people we contacted at ski patrol have an obligation to contact search and rescue," McFarland said.

Conditions were too dangerous for a ground crew to ascend the chutes from the base area in Copper's Corn parking lot, so a Flight for Life helicopter crew began scouring the area for any sign of the skiers.

McFarland said, at this point, the group was confused as to why a helicopter was flying overhead when they had notified the ski patrol that they were safe.

"We didn't understand why they were prolonging it ... It was one of those things when we thought we had communicated perfectly and thought everything was fine," he said.

They stayed in a cluster of trees near the base of the mountain for about an hour, while deciding the next move to make.

"You gotta put yourself in my shoes. I know we've ducked a rope. I know there's media down there waiting to get in my face. It basically boiled down to embarrassment."

Finally, they decided to "face the music" and come out of the woods into the parking lot, where TV cameras, sheriff's deputies and dozens of rescuers were waiting.

The three skiers were ticketed by the Sheriff's Office for violating the Skier Safety Act because of their decision to duck a rope at Breckenridge. The violation is punishable by up to a $300 fine.

"I'm very, very sorry to Breckenridge Ski Area for cutting their rope," McFarland said. "Also, I'm very, very sorry for the search and rescue people who had to come out and look for us."

The Breckenridge Ski Patrol also worked on the search and rescue. A team of four had hiked to the K chute. On the way back, they followed the tracks of the three skiers to the point where they had ducked the ropeline.

Nicole Formosa can be reached at (970) 668-3998, ext. 229, or at nformosa@summitdaily.com

[skatha]

Lessons...

1. Ski patrol-like any other search and rescue team- is going to find you if you called-even if you decided to go to Denny's. It's their job

2. You can and will be fined for dodging out of bounds markers. They are placed there so you don't have to call ski patrol later.

3. People who dodge out of bounds markers can be subject to fines-and possibly the whole cost of the rescue effort-helicopters aren't cheap. Here on the Gulf coast, the US Coast guard will launch an all out search for you if you are lost-and happily give you a $10,000 bill if they feel you were in trouble because of your poor seamanship....