hmm, let me please restate my theoretical question
excluding all those speeding, drunk, blind, unskilled, lost, fog-bound, or testosterone-fueled skiers or boarders who fall into a hole, could there be some innocent skiers who pass too close to the edge of a visible tree hole or a roof/snow bridge over a hidden tree hole and therefore cave it in? Their eventual upside down or tangled condition may not always be the clue to what happened in the first microsecond. And, if there was a cave-in under them, it would not be so obvious when they are found because it is under them rather than on top of them. Is this possible? Are there enough tree hole survivors or SAR reports to answer this? Just shooting the breeze here.
The Mammoth incident sort of proves the point doesn't it? These were knowledgeable ski patrol people who got close to the edge of a known (steam) hole and the edge caved in. Is that right?
Disclaimer: I am an intermediate skier with Western experience only on groomed trails at Vail and Mammoth.
Harvey
