For Robert J Bauer
Thank You for introducing me to Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons of Utah
"Steep and Deep"
Bobaloo and the Blue Leader
Boom! The report of the seventy-five millimeter recoilless rifle echoed through Big Cottonwood Canyon in the Wasatch National Forest of Utah. Bobaloo looked across the expanse of the slope of Evergreen to Mount Millicent where the Blue Leader and Brighton Ski Patrol were performing avalanche work. A giant slab of snow fractured and cascaded down across Lone Pine sending snow and debris all along the big scree slope. He flexed his hand against the cold, reached into his pack and removed a one half -kilogram charge of DHP plastic explosive.
Tightly gripping the pull start igniter, he jerked his hand and tossed the charge into the hillside. Wumph! A muffled explosion created a twenty- foot crater in the snow. He skied over to the hole and examined the edges of the hole closely and gazed across the fall line of the slope. There were no cracks or large fractures apparent. Three and one half feet of light powder had fallen overnight. It was resting on a sunbaked base of granular crystals that resembled little ball bearings, and was extremely unstable. Bobaloo reached down to his chest and picked up the radio hanging from its sling.
“Brighton two, this is Brighton three.”
“Go ahead three,” Patrick the blue leader answered.
“I’ve just finished bombing Evergreen and it appears stable.”
“Roger that Bobaloo, I’ll meet you at the big rock below the dead tree where Sol bright cuts into Brighton.”
“Ok,” Bobaloo grinned.
He slipped his pack over his parka and his grin widened. The ivory crystal shimmered and sparkled in the spring sunshine, a waiting silvery silken sea of chowder. Reaching down, he fastened the heelpieces of his mountaineering bindings to his boots on his powder skis. The traversing and climbing had ended. It was time to jump into the steep chute and waiting powder in front of him. He dropped in quickly and cut across the top of the slope at an angle, dragging his downhill pole. Nothing moved. Reaching forward with his pole to plant it, he felt it disappear into a bottomless sea of white. He quickly made his first turn around the pole. He followed rapidly with the second, and then third as his speed increased rapidly. The hillside fell away faster and faster and the slope grew steeper and steeper. A large plume of snow arose and splashed into his face at every turn. He howled in sheer delight. He had traveled several hundred yards down the chute avoiding the jagged rocks that lined the narrow path at every precarious turn. It leveled slightly and opened into a large meadow lined by pines. The boulder appeared one hundred yards away.
Suddenly there was a wet stinging against his neck and Bobaloo heard a loud hissing sound. He strained and struggled to make the boulder. Snow erupted around him as an avalanche exploded from the mouth of the chute spilling into the meadow. Trees snapped all around him as snow pushed him down the hill. He dove behind the boulder as a giant wall of snow broke over the top and roared over him. The morning sunshine disappeared.
Kodi Do stopped at the edge of the meadow; large chunks of rubble blocked the path. She raised her head and sniffed for the scentof man. The muscles of the big German Shepherd’s chest strained against the blue harness that held her avalanche beacons. The trained avalanche rescue dog leapt over fallen trees and around debris searching for him. She stopped by several large rocks that had been pushed up by the slide. Kodi Do caught the scent of man and bound to an object sticking from the snow. The dog stuck its nose into Bobaloo’s wet Sherpa hat and goggles. She raised her head and barked sharply and loudly several times. The blue leader skied to a stop above the meadow. When he saw Kodi Do searching the area, he picked up his radio.
“Brighton one, this is Brighton two.”
“Go ahead, blue leader,” the radio crackled, “I’m on Evergreen above Sol bright. There’s been an avalanche and I believe Bobaloo is buried.”
“I copy two; will send assistance, one clear.”
The blue leader turned to Kodi Do.
“What did you find girl?”
The dog barked loudly and ran down the hill. She stopped by an object and began barking again. Patrick skied carefully down to where the dog stood and removed his skis. He could see Bobaloo’s ski goggles.
Bobaloo listened to the pounding of his heart in his chest his breath came slowly and agonizingly. He had managed to clear a two- foot area in front of his face and chest as he had fallen, to form a small cavern. The snow had settled into a concrete coffin all around his lower body. His leg throbbed with pain he suspected it was broken. He tried to breathe slowly, knowing that soon he would exhaust his air supply.
Kodi Do dug frantically at the base of the boulder. Patrick pulled the pack from his back and laid it in front of him. He removed his rescue shovel and telescoped the handle out until it snapped in place. Carefully, he began digging beside the dog.
Bobaloo slowly stopped breathing and drifted into unconsciousness. His small cavern was brightly illuminated by the sunlight streaming in as Patrick gently cleared the snow from around his face. He performed a chin lift on Bobaloo and cleared his airway. Bobaloo choked and gasped in a large breath of air. The blue leader grabbed his radio.
“Brighton two, to Brighton one, I’ve found him. He’s alive! Bobaloo’s alive! We'll need a Life Flight as soon as you can.”