Rubble Creek Accident by lulu

lulululu

http://www.clubtread.com/sforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=25836

I wish to provide my account of this accident as it involved our group during our Easter weekend trip to Sphinx (Burton) Hut and part Neve trip to the Shark’s fin. This trip had been in the planning for some time and saw some success until the end when the tragedy occurred. We have already been receiving much support but it is my wish today that I ask for your objective thoughts and discussion in order that all of us can learn from the lessons of this tragedy. The culmination of various events resulted in the loss of our good friend.
Please understand that at this time, I cannot disclose any names (including that of our friend in this report) until such time that the RCMP have notified his next of kin.

On Friday March 21st 2008, our original group of nine people Proceeded up the Garibaldi Lake trail and travelled across the Lake to the Sphinx Bay (VOC Burton) Hut where we stayed for two nights. It was our intention to travel to the Shark’s Fin via Sentinel Bay on Saturday March 22nd and return to the Hut which was our base camp.

On the Saturday our group under mixed sun and cloud conditions proceeded to Sentinel Bay and glacier. Travel to the Shark’s Fin required trail breaking through fresh snow. The avalanche danger was rated as considerable to high for Saturday night but our route during the day maintained a safe approach and crevasses were not evident along the route. We made our objective and all of us returned to the hut by 5:30pm. There were no occurrences and we really enjoyed this part of the trip. On Saturday Night we shared the hut with a party of two skiers from Garibaldi Lake trail and two from a six person Neve Traverse group (Four of which stayed in the Sentinel Bay Hut).

On Sunday morning March 23rd we crossed the lake under reduced visibility and heavy snow and agreed to meet up at the Ranger Station. Trail breaking was required again. The two traverse skiers left before us. We arrived and met up at the Ranger Station at 11:00am. We broke into two groups as was planned in the morning because one of the members had to return early. After a brief rest this first group of 3 members left for the bottom. Just after around 11:45 the remainder of our group including myself left and stayed together while travelling to the 6.0km junction. Our Friend took a slightly different route around the barrier viewpoint and met up with the first of our second group members two minutes after the junction. After the Junction, we felt comfortable to descend at our own pace and I preferred to stay with the slower group members. We saw our friend again who was waiting for us at around the 4 km point and was having some nourishment. We talked for a little bit and said he would go ahead while we rested.

At around 1:15 the first group of 3 members descended faster but went off trail at 2.5km junction by following the skiers’ tracks out to the Barrier/Rubble Creek debris area. Two of these skiers returned and advised our members not to continue as it was unsafe to cross the river. At 1:55pm it took the first group of 3 approximately 47 minutes to return to the junction and then another 53 minutes to reach the trailhead at 3:35pm. They were delayed as a result of going off trail.

The fastest member from the second group arrived at the trailhead at 3:00pm. He then saw the arrival of four skiers and noticed them waiting for the other two skiers who arrived later due to going off trail. Shortly after, all skiers left the trailhead. The first arriving member was surprised to see our the first group of 3 arrive unexpectedly late at 3:35pm. They talked for about 10 minutes and the first group left for the parking lot to head home for previous commitments. This left a total of six remaining in our group including our friend. It is thought that our friend reached the 2.5km junction shortly after the first group left that point and also exited the trail possibly at the junction and continued down along the creek. It is assumed by search and rescue that he first crossed the creek farther up then continued down along the creek.

At 3:54pm the first arriving member at the trailhead vaguely observed our friend on the opposite side of Rubble Creek from his position at the trailhead notice board. He then shouted at our friend who was standing on the rocks in his snowshoes but did not get a response. He shouted a couple of times but instead received a response from myself when the rest of us arrived just one minute later at 3:55pm. We spoke with our first arriving member about our progress for approximately 5 minutes and he also mentioned and pointed towards the direction where he was shouting to our friend across the creek. We came out to the road and noticed that our friend was no longer there. We observed snowshoe footprints coming from the creek and continuing parallel and then up to the road. We felt our friend had gone on ahead to the parking area so we all continued down the road.

On the way to the parking area we didn’t see him or catch up to him so I whistled several times and got no response. We were wondering where he was and immediately rushed back to the vehicles to check if he was there and he was not. We immediately organized a group of 3 members including myself to return to the trailhead with emergency supplies including lamps, rope, ice axes and first aid kits etc. Two members stayed with the vehicle. En-route to the trailhead, I called a friend by cell phone to advise that we may need assistance and he advised to contact Whistler RCMP due to the timing of the circumstances. Along the road we checked the creek side and surrounding areas but could not find him. Down by the creek at the trailhead we looked at the original prints which came from the creek edge and then along the creek and up to the road. Through closer observation, we observed that the snowshoe prints coming from the creek were old prints and turned out to be two sets of prints instead of our friend’s prints.

The weather had deteriorated for quite a while and we now felt that something happened to our friend. We contacted Whistler RCMP through 911 as suggested at 5:45pm and I contacted my friend in Vancouver who also placed a call to them to provide additional information.

We met the first search and rescue person upon return to our vehicle after becoming wet and cold during our initial search and remained at the scene until the early morning of March 24th. During that time we assisted the team with additional information including advising them that our friend’s avalanche beacon may still be turned on. This helped to decrease the search area. We also assisted them in doing a search of the area around highway 99 and Rubble Creek Bridge. We returned to Squamish for two hours at 4:30am and remained at Tim Horton’s until daybreak 7:00am and then returned to the search area and remained for the afternoon; subsequently leaving for the Whistler RCMP detachment. Our friend was found that morning a couple of hours later after launching the morning search.

I wish to thank the RCMP, Squamish Search and Rescue, and all my group members who both remained at or returned to the search area and helped us through this tragic time and to Coroner Jan MacFayden and Victim support services who were very kind to us. I also want to thank some friends from our CROSSNA Club who came from Vancouver to give us support. Thank you to my friend Paul for your additional support through the night.

To you my friend, our friend,
I’m missing you and I’m feeling you and I cherish you more and more. I know that it wasn’t easy for you to reach the trailhead but you made it our friend…………
We are all missing you

This picture indicates the off – trail track from the 2.5km junction by one of our first group members. The yellow is the off –trail part; the blue line is the standard trail from junction to trailhead and the green line is the lower switchbacks.



A donation fund is being arranged to assist the surviving family members in coming to Canada and completing formal arrangements. Thank you for your kindness and support. We will provide registered transfer account information in the near future. Any donations right now may be forwarded to the following:
Wenjun Lao
5935 Mayview Circle,
Burnaby, V5E4B7

英子

因为lulu 已经很辛苦，也很悲伤，为方便大家阅读，我来帮忙翻译成中文。有不对之处，请lulu 和与此同行的队友指正。不清楚之处，请参照原文。

*****************Lulu 的帖子翻译**************************************
对于发生在复活节长周末的trip[Sphinx (Burton) Hut和部分Neve trip到Shark’s fin]中的事故，我希望能尽我的一点儿绵薄之力告诉大家事情的经过。

这次trip 已经计划了一段时间，并且一路也很成功，直到最后一刻灾难发生了。我们已经收到很多的支持，但是今天我希望大家的讨论就事论事， 这样我们才能从灾难中吸取教训。各种因素最后导致我们失去了我们的好朋友- 小来。

[英子注：因为lulu把这个报告贴到了另一个hiking 网站上，所以她指出不能透露遇难者和队友的姓名。这里的朋友都知道是谁，所以在下面的翻译中我直接写出姓名]

3月21日周五，我们一组9个人一起沿着Garibaldi Lake 的trail 一直走到湖边，然后穿越湖面到达对面的Sphinx Bay (VOC Burton) 的小木屋，并在那里住了两个晚上。 我们原本就计划3月22日周六经Sentinel Bay 到 山顶的Shark’s Fin， 然后再回到小木屋。

周六早上，天气还算晴朗，但也有不少云，我们一起去了Sentinel Bay 和冰川。走到Shark’s Fin一路都要自己开路。 周六晚上雪崩的预报是considerable to high，不过我们走的是一条比较安全的路线，一路上并没有看到冰川裂缝。我们达到了预定的目的并在晚上5：30返回了小木屋。一路没有任何危险发生，我们都很enjoy 这段路程。

周六晚上，我们和另外两组hiking 的队伍一起住在小木屋里。一组两人是从Garibaldi Lake trail滑雪上来的；另一组是六个走Neve Traverse 中的两个（其余四人住在另一个Sentinel Bay 小木屋里）。

三月23日周日早上，在能见度不太好的情况下穿越厚厚积雪的湖面向回返，大家同意在湖边的Ranger Station集合。因为山上风大和下雪，来时候的脚印都没有了，又要重新开路。

有两个滑雪的比我们先走。11：00am我们全部到达Ranger Station的集合地点。根据早上的计划我们从这里分成了两组：因为有一个队友需要早点返回，所以第一组3 个人稍事休息后就先离开了。

11:45 剩下的所有队友包括我自己一起沿trail 向回返，一直走到6公里处的岔口处。

在6公里前的那个barrier 的viewpoint附近，小来走得和大家稍微有一点儿不同，并且在离6公里处的岔口2分钟处遇到第二组的第一个人。

过了这个岔口后，我们觉得下面的路剩下的路很容易标识很清楚,可以个人按自己的速度走，我觉得我走在最后和走得比较慢得一起比较好。在4公里标志处附近，我们看到小来在那里等我们，并在吃东西。我们聊了一下后，他说让我们休息会儿，他想在前面先走。

1:15时，第一组的走得很快，已经到了2.5公里的标志处。不过在那里他们跟着滑雪的痕迹离开了trail, 走到了Barrier/Rubble Creek 和谷底。途中遇到有俩个滑雪的向回返并建议他们也不要向前走了，因为前面看上出过河有危险。

1：55pm, 第一组的三个人用了大概47分钟又返回到2。5公里处，然后继续沿trail 前行，53分钟后到达trailhead （夏天的停车场）， 这时是下午3：35。因为中间off trail，他们耽搁了一些时间。（英子注：据马不停蹄讲：在2。5公里下去后又返回来，总共耽搁了大概1.5小时）

第二组中走的最快的队友在3：00pm就到了trailhead。 然后他看到4个滑雪的也到了那里，并看到他们在那里等另两个因off trail 晚到的同伴。很快，几个滑雪的全部离开了。

这个队友很吃惊得看到第一组的三个人3：35才到trailhead。他们在那里交谈了大概10分钟，然后第一组的就离开继续向冬天停车的地方走，按原计划早回温哥华。

还剩下6个人包括小来还在继续。据猜测小来第一组离开2.5公里处不久就到了那里，并沿着也脚印走到河谷里，而且继续向下走。据搜救队的断定，小来穿过了小溪，并继续向下走。

3：45时，第一个到达trailhead的队友站在布告牌处隐约看见小来在小溪对面。他看到小来穿着雪鞋站在水边的岩石上，他冲着小来喊了几次，但小来似乎没听见。他又喊小来时，我们正好赶到了，当时是3:55pm。

我们站在那聊了一会儿，大约5分钟。队友也告诉了并指给我们他好像看到小来的方向。我们走到路上后没看到小来，看了看雪地，有一些雪鞋的脚印从小溪那里过来并继续沿着路向下走了。我们以为是小来走在我们前面了，所以我们也继续沿着路走

在回停车的地方的路上，因为我们没有看到小来或追上他，我吹了几次哨子，但没听到什么。路上我们还在猜他到底在哪并加快速度走回到停车处，但是发现他不在那里。

我们马上组了一个包括我在内的3个人的小组，带着头灯，绳子，冰斧和first aid 等急救设备又回到trailhead。 另两个人等在车旁边。

我们回到trailhead之后，我用手机打电话给一朋友告诉他我们可能需要帮助，根据当时的情况他建议我们和Whistler RCMP 联系。

沿着路寻找，我们找了小溪的这边以及附近的地方，但没有发现他。从trailhead下到小溪，我们看了看以前的看到的脚印是从小溪边上，沿着小溪然后回到了路上。近处观看后，我们发现那串雪鞋的印记是旧的，而且是应该是两次的，并不是小来的。

天气已经开始变坏，我们觉得情况不妙。在5：45pm时我们给Whistler的 RCMP 打了911。同时我也给温哥华的朋友打了电话，他随后也给RCMP 又提供了一些信息。

经过最初的寻找后，我们又湿又冷，回到汽车旁边后遇到第一个到达的搜寻队员。我们一直在现场直到第二天早上。我们一直试图帮助并提供了一些其他的信息，包括提醒他们小来的防雪崩的接受器可能还开着。这个信息缩小了搜寻范围。我们也帮着在99 hwy和Rubble Creek桥附近搜寻。 直到早上4：30am, 我们才离开现场回到Squamish。 在Tim Horton’s 待了大概俩个小时，天亮后7点又回到了现场。一直到下午，然后去了Whistler RCMP 警察局（英子注：接受灾难后心理咨询帮助）。小来在早上第二天的搜索开始后一两个小时后被发现。

我想谢谢RCMP, Squamish 搜救队，和所有一直等在现场及回到温哥华又返回到现场的队友，还有帮助我们渡过灾难时刻的Jan MacFayden （检验官）和遇难着支持小组的成员（及义工)。我还想谢谢那些北美户外俱乐部的朋友，谢谢你们从温哥华赶过来支持我们。谢谢我的另一位朋友Paul ，谢谢他给我的在寒冷夜里的额外的支持。

小来：我很想念你，我还能感觉到你并会永远记住你。我知道对你来说并不是很容易回到trailhead，但是你做到了。。。
我们都很想念你。

下面的图片上标出了那段错路- 是第一组的朋友的GPS 记录。黄线是off –trail那段，蓝线是从2.5 公里junction 到 trailhead。 绿线是那段盘山路。

[英子注：下面的图加了一点到停车场的部分和一些标示]

游园惊梦

Lulu, I admire your braveness and openess to write down these details above. It's tough for everybody especially for the group members involved in this tragedy.

Although there're and there will be words from another side, I believe you've done your best, just like the RCMP said after the tragedy happened.

We'll try the best to help and support Xiao Lai's family, and we'll trust and support you in the same time!

靓女

....

JQK

不谈具体的情况，我只想说一下看问题的角度问题。

现在回过头来看，是有很多的“如果”可以改变这个结果。但事实是你不可能预知结果，当各种选择摆在面前时，你还是不可能总选择“正确”的--这个正确只是相对于现在这个结果而言，但其后果可能会更坏。一个不太恰当的比喻：买彩票号码，你在两个号码间犹豫，结果你选了“错”的那个，你也不能因此后悔不已，“如果怎么怎么的”，因为结果出来之前是没有“对”和“错”的。

Point:几位同行的Hi友不必陷于太多“如果”的自责。

虎行北美

我想补充说明一点，Lulu在去年10月中就开始为这次活动座准备，并联系Canda West Mountain School于去年11月1日晚举办一次相关讲座Garibaldi Neve Infomation Session，为活动做了充分的准备。

相关链接如下：
https://www.crossna.org/forum.php?mod=redirect&ptid=5315

tanyan

lulu, don't be too guilty, you have already done what you could.I understand you. and I thank you for persuading me from jioning your long tough hiking.

马不停蹄

第一组走OFF Trail的前后经过

非常钦佩LULU的勇气，非常理解她承受的压力。 我想在这里把我们第一组三人走错路的前后经过写一下: 因为一位伙伴原计划下午 5PM 回到 Vancouver, LULU前一天已经计划好，我们三人第二天先行下山。
第二天（也就是事发那天） 因为早上雪很大，要重新开路，所以大家还是一起走湖面那段，过了湖，在小木屋稍许休息，我就和另外两名队友先行出发了。一路上，我的两名队友体力好，速度快， 我的鞋邦有点硬（两脚腕  前一天就磨破皮了），只能勉强跟着， 有时候我就耍点小聪明，走一点捷径（在雪上滑行一段）感觉很爽。

我们11点离开小木屋， 一路不休息，只两小时就到了距parking lot  2.5KM处. 2.5 KM 处标记很明显, 我们都知道向右转是正确的路. 但是可以看到向左不远处 就出了林子是河床了, 地面上有很多滑雪者的痕迹. 急于回家的队友问我们要不要试一下没走过的路, 认为从雪上走下去可能是捷径, 有了之前走捷径的经历,我也认为可以试试. 我说: “It’s your decision” . 我们就起 OFF Trail 了,没走一会就出了树林, 视野很开阔,景色很好,地上至少有 6,7 条滑雪者的痕迹, 我们都很高兴选择了这条”阳光大路”. 于是停下来休息,摄影 大概有十分钟. 然后接着向下走, 过了一会发现脚下的雪很湿,而且有的地方陷的很深, 我们感觉开始不爽, 又走了一会儿, 看见两个女孩子拿着滑雪板向上走,走在前面的队友问了一下. 她们说下面去不了停车场, 过河比较危险,所以往回走.

这时我很沮丧, 我们白走了半个小时, 回头看着那么陡的雪坡真不想往回爬了. 我马上打开GPS(下山时没用,关了), 发现我们离正确的路只偏了不到 100M,我建议横穿过去., 另两位认为不安全,一人先往回走了. 我很不情愿的向回爬, 当时真的很累, 水也快没了, 我想我们这么一折腾大部队有可能已经超过我们了, 我就边走边向林子里喊,吹哨,希望得到回应,好横穿过去, 并不断的劝与我同行的另一个伙伴横穿. 但她也很坚定,认为不安全,原路返回最好,我一个人也不太敢自己走, 只好一边心里报怨一边向上爬.

我们终于用了一个小时回到了 2.5KM处. 我想真倒霉,又多爬了一座山,耽搁了一个半小时,大部队肯定已经走到前面了.  但在沿正确的路向回走了一会,我发现原路返回是对的, 要想横穿非常困难. 我又庆幸跟两位队友走是对的了. 好不容易走到停车场,发现只有一个大部队的队友. 我又挺自豪的,想我们走的太快了.等了一会还不见其它人,我们就按原计划先回去了.

通过这次自己走错路的经历我有几点教训:
1.一定不能 OFF Trail, 沿 Trail 走是hiking, OFF Trail  就是探险了.
2.走错路最好的办法是原路返回, 不能错上加错.
3.最好两三个人一起走,不能自己独行, 有事好商量, 这次如果我一个人走的话,估计也会…., 现在回想起来,我十分感谢我的两个队友.
4.最好每人都有对讲机, 走错后我就后悔没有对讲机,和大部队联系不上.


附图是非常有欺骗性的" 阳光大道"

驰骋万里

对遇难的小来表示哀悼！

ALEXYIM

謝謝馬虎的分享, 直得借鏡.

虎行北美

马虎，你们遇到的两滑雪西人应该就是他们这组的：

转自ClubTread:

Originally posted by superskiaholic
[br]mazeGirl,
First, you have my deepest condolensces and I'm truly sorry this happened. I was one of the 7 Neve Traverse skiers leaving at about the same time (one of the 5 that camped on the lake Saturday night). I don't have much to add to your detailed account, but I do have a bit of info from our perspective that might help bring closure.

Our combined group of 7 Neve traversers left the cooking shelter for the parking lot just as your group started to arrive in the morning. At the start of the switchback descent, there were 2 or 3 ski tracks in the fresh snow ahead of us that must have come from Taylor Meadows. At the 2.5 km point, at least one of the tracks that had laid the trail went down to the creek. After a bit of momentary separation and not knowing each other's plans, it turns out 3 members of group dropped down to the creek while 2 stayed on the trail (including myself) and 2 hadn't arrived at that point yet. (Note that they dropped down to the creek quasi-intentionally; they knew the trail did not go down to the creek.. they were just up for a little more adventure and wanted to see if the open areas beside the creek would allow for more snow coverage and better skiing). The two of us that stayed on the trail left the area when we visually confirmed that there were at least 3 well-equipped members down at the creek. I'm guessing 15 minutes later the 2 remaining members of our group arrived at that switchback and, seeing that most tracks went down to the creek, figured we all went that way and followed suit.

Eventually the 5 people in the creek gully got stopped by some unpassable terrain. To the best of my knowledge, 1 person scrambled a bluff to get out of the gully, 2 others backtracked a bit and then made a very technical skin to get out, and the last 2 chose the saner option and skinned all the way back to where they entered the creek gully (aka the 2.5km point). These are the two that warned your group not to continue down the creek.

So like I said, not a lot of useful information, but a little bit from our perspective explaining why so many tracks led down into the creekbed. Again, I was horrified to learn about what happened and I hope the family and friends are comforted in their mourning.

I'm open to trying to answer questions if you have any.

Peter

jerrybj

I do not believe my eyes when reading these. Nothing could be worse.

I do not think I had ever met him before. Still, I like to help anything I could do. I will be back Beijing by 4/1 and fly back Seattle by 4/8. Pls tell me if I can do anything for his family when I am in China.

马赛克

lulululu
Rubble Creek Accident by lulu..........

just call it "incident",not "accident"

在调查结果公布之前，是“意外”还是“事故”还有待认定。且称之为“事件”

马不停蹄

Just found this one posted by Lulu last month:

掉入冰水里之后应采取措施的视频
https://www.crossna.org/forum.php?mod=redirect&ptid=5963

clearwater

得知小来去世,深感悲痛.祝小来一路走好.
希望小来的亲友节哀顺变,保重身体.

clearwater

建议同去的队友能够积极接受心理治疗/咨询, 早日解除心理阴影.
节哀顺便

weihu

非常震惊与难过，lulu你们没有任何过失，
马虎说得对,绝对不能 off trail.期待着五月回来后参加lulu们的活动。

andrewl

lulu我记得我以前和你讨论过这样的问题，事情发生了，不要自己承受全部的压力，我们都知道你对hiking的热爱，一切都回好的~我会支持你的~

dgt23

小来是我在上海一起工作的好友,他性格乐天,世间罕见,本来说好了回上海见面的,可一直没有音训,今天才偶然得知这一噩耗,太伤心了!谁有小来的照片请发给我留念,谢谢:dgt23@163.com