Alpenglow Ski Mountaineering History Project

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Lowell Skoog - Clippings, Avalanche

I've reviewed only selected clippings before World War II. More work is needed on this file.

1910s

Wenatchee Daily World, Jan 14, 1913 - "Snowslide Buried 50 To 60 Men"

"The rumor which filtered through here from the mountains on Monday that a disastrous slide on Sunday [Jan. 12] had killed between 40 and 60 laborers at the summit of the Cascades, was confirmed by railroad men today although little information is obtainable." The slide was said to be 1000 feet long, burying the snow sheds nearly 200 feet deep. The story, however, did not hold up. The 1/15/13 paper acknowledges "very contradictory reports" from the summit. "No confirmation is given of the deaths in the big slide of Sunday and published in the Daily World yesterday." The 1/10/13 Leavenworth Echo reported, "There have been rumors every day, and reports of fifty or one hundred men being covered by slides. All of these rumors have been proven untrue." The 1/17/13 Leavenworth Echo seems to set the record straight: "The loss of life thus far has been eight men, three of whom died from injuries received from the blowing up of the rotary, and six buried in the slide of about ten days ago [Jan. 7]." So, apparently no fatalities resulted from the 1/12/13 slide.

1920s

Seattle P-I, May 15, 1922 - "Snowslide Buries Eight Seattle Mountaineers"

On May 14, 1922, seventy-five members of the Seattle Mountaineers started up the eastern slope of McClellan's Butte from a camp at the base of the peak. About 700 feet below the summit a snowslide hit the party. Mrs. J.T. Hazard was swept 400 feet down the mountainside, receiveing a serious cut on the chin and numerous bruises. Seven other climbers were also caught, but were carried a lesser distance and escaped injury. After being given first aid, Mrs. Hazard was able to walk to the Milwaukee train station to return to Seattle.

1930s

Tacoma News Tribune, Mar 27, 1936 - "One Killed, Two Hurt In Narada Avalanche"

On March 26, 1936, after a storm dropped 18 inches of new snow, Jack Northrop, Gordon Proctor and Forbes Wilson started down from Paradise intending to drive to Longmire. Finding the road blocked they decided to ski down the hill. Just below Narada Falls a steep slope above the road avalanched, burying all three men. Ranger William Butler and his wife followed the skiers and discovered their plight when the found their tracks disappearing in the snow slide. They hastily summoned help. After digging for two hours, rescuers found Proctor, semi-conscious, buried under the snow. He was rushed to the Narada Falls ranger cabin where he recovered. Less than an hour later, Northrop was found. First aid crews worked for two hours to revive him, without success. Fifteen minutes later Wilson was found. He was unconscious, but recovered.

1980s

Bellingham Herald, Jul 23, 1989 - Barrett, Eldon, "Guide recalls Mt Baker tragedy"

This article includes recollections of Chet Ullin, 72, who was an assistant guide of the 20th annual Western Washington College of Education climb of Mt Baker when twenty-five party members were caught in an avalanche on the Roman Wall. He said the avalanche, on July 22, 1939, was totally unexpected. "The snow felt of the same density as it always has at this point, which has a southwest exposure and lies in the sun all day." Ullin was near the head of the party, half-way up the Roman Wall, when he suddenly felt himself sliding. "Then we were gaining momentum and it was as if we were all riders on a huge sled that had been anchored on a mountain slope by a rope and someone had cut the rope." Every member of the party was caught in the avalanche. Some, like Ullin, were able to swim out of it. Ullin said it was fortunate that the climbers were not roped together or all would have been lost. The avalanche swept down the slope and piled into a crevasse at the bottom. Ullin, who had brought along his summer skis, zipped down the avalanche chute looking for the missing. The survivors found the body of Alice James, 22, before descending the mountain for the night. During a week of searching, the body of Julius Dornblut, 30, was found. Four others, Beulah Lindbergh, 22, Vene Fisher, 25, Hope Weitman, 25, and Maynard Howatt, 22, were never found. Weitman and Howatt were engaged to be married in the fall.

A sidebar mentions that Chet Ullin lost his son Gary in 1974, when an avalanche buried him during the joint Russian-American climb of Mount Lenin in the Soviet Union. I also have clippings about the Mt Baker avalanche from the Seattle Times, 7-23-39 and 7-24-39, for reference.

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