More on bole holes from today's Fresno Bee:
Deep pits around trees pose deadly risk on ski slopes.
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Even tree wells that form around relatively small trees can be deadly. The red fir that Shelby fell into is about 20 feet tall and its trunk 8 inches in circumference with plenty of low-hanging branches heavily loaded with snow, China Peak director of mountain operations Rich Bailey said. Much of that snow likely fell on top of Shelby when he tumbled through the branches. "It surprised me when I saw it," Bailey said. "But even a tree that small can swallow you up, cover you with snow and no one would know a thing unless they saw you fall in.""
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Two experiments conducted in the U.S. and Canada in which volunteers were placed upside down in a tree well found that 90% could not extricate themselves, according to the website www.treewelldeepsnowsafety.com."
