SIERRA AVALANCHE

On Wednesday, February 1, an avalanche occurred in the Blacksmith Creek drainage near Twin Lakes out of Bridgeport, injuring one and claiming the life of 31 year-old Mammoth local Johanna Carlsson.

The party of three, all experienced back country skiers with the proper equipment, were also Mammoth Mountain Ski Patrollers. Carlsson, CJ Pearson and Josh Feinberg, were in the seldom-visited Blacksmith drainage on route to the north face of Mt Walt. The group was traversing an east-facing, roughly 35 degree slope at 9,600 ft. when they approached a suspicious aspect a few hundred feet from the top of the slope. Feinberg led through while Carlsson and Pearson stood by in a safe area. The slope avalanched and triggered another “sympathetic” slab that released above Pearson and Carlsson.

Pearson managed to hold onto a tree as the avalanche strained through numerous obstacles, carrying with it Carlsson and Feinberg. When it stopped some 800 vertical feet below, Carlsson was not buried, but had sustained multiple life-threatening injuries including a broken back, femur, and head injuries. Feinberg, however, was completely buried by the slide.

Pearson reacted quickly. He began a beacon search for Feinberg, who he located about 200 feet from Carlsson. Pearson dug him out, administered CPR, and successfully resuscitated him. Recognizing the severity of Carlsson’s injuries and with Feinberg apparently stable, Pearson rushed out to get help. His call came in to Mono County SAR around 12:00 noon.

At 2:30 p.m., Pearson and the first team of SAR responders headed back into the canyon to assist in the evacuation of the two victims.

A Blackhawk helicopter thudded onto the scene at 4:30 p.m., located the incident and made the first of two visits to the site. By 5:30 p.m., the helicopter had Carlsson on board and headed directly to a medical center in Fresno that specializes in spinal injuries. The helicopter left the canyon silent, with a light rain falling. Despite the fast reaction from her skiing partners and the efforts of SAR, she would not recover from her injuries.

The teams of SAR personnel, Pearson and Feinberg both left the scene under their own power, though Feinberg had lost some ski equipment during the avalanche. He was later treated at Mammoth Hospital.

The most recent avalanche advisory from the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center had been posted on Tues, Jan 31. The danger rating for that day was listed as “moderate,” with additional warnings about wind-loaded slopes and varying conditions across the forecast area, as well as an expiration time of Wednesday morning. Recorded temperatures on Wednesday morning varied tremendously. At sunrise in Mammoth it was below freezing, but in the Bridgeport Valley it was 46 degrees. Other travelers in the Twin Lakes area Wednesday noted some isolated natural avalanche activity related to warming, but no slab activity.