Remembering Kip Rand and Nick Burks

10 years ago on March 8th, 2016, Kip Rand passed away after a cornice broke under his feet on Chief Joseph Mountain. Kip had recently started a new job as the Executive Director of the Wallowa Avalanche Center. Anyone who was ever lucky enough to meet Kip knew of his incredible smile and laugh. With a passion for teaching others about snow and avalanches, Kip was poised to steer the WAC towards increased safety messaging and outreach. One of Kip’s pastimes was baking delicious chocolate chip cookies, which he often carried as snacks while backcountry skiing. When the avalanche danger reached HIGH, Kip would remind everyone that it was a good day to stay home and bake cookies. Kip’s legacy has continued through the Kip Rand Memorial Scholarship, which has allowed many individuals the opportunity to participate in a free Avalanche Class taught by the WAC. Kip your spirit remains alive in the mountains of NE OR, and everyone you touched with your love of the mountains.

(Kip Rand, with his infectious smile. We miss you, buddy.)

Nick Burks

After spending nearly 20 years ski patrolling at Mt Hood Meadows, Nick started a new chapter in NE OR. His first season working in the Wallowas as an AIARE Instructor and Ski Guide, Nick continued to work at Meadows part-time. He purchased a home in Wallowa, which was soon hammered by baseball-sized hail, requiring a new roof, windows, and siding. With grit and determination, Nick rebuilt and restored his house. Like Kip, Nick took on a Forecaster Position for the WAC and worked tirelessly to collect observations and provide safety messaging to the public. He embraced the local motorized community with open arms and began teaching Moto Specific AIARE Courses. Nick’s legacy has continued with the Nick Burks Memorial Scholarship for local snowmobilers.

(Nick Burks, we think of you often. We miss you, buddy.)

Words from the Director:

March 6 and 8th will forever carry significant meaning and sadness for our community and me. Losing someone you cared deeply about and spent many quality days in the mountains with is incredibly hard. Both Nick and Kip were close friends and colleagues. While conducting the avalanche investigation of Nick’s accident, forecasters Michael Hatch, Kelly McNeil, and I were climbing to the summit of Gunsight Mountain. Collectively, we’ve spent many days in Angell Basin and the surrounding terrain features. As we were nearing the summit, two mountain goats emerged. Believe what you want, but our feeling was that these two goats represented Nick and Kip. Whether you had the fortune of meeting these two fine gentlemen or not, we ask you to take a moment and remember these fine humans.

Victor McNeil

Photo taken 2/26. Above Pine Lakes, Southern Wallowas

Persistent Slabs:

For those who follow along with our avalanche forecasts, you should have noticed we added a new avalanche problem this past weekend. We recommend reading our Blog Post to learn more about Persistent Slabs. “A persistent slab is a dangerous, often unpredictable avalanche problem occurring when a cohesive layer of snow (slab) sits upon a persistent weak layer (such as surface hoar, depth hoar, or facets). Unlike storm slabs, these can persist for weeks or months, triggering remotely or long after storms.” (CAIC)

As forecasters, we often talk about surface instabilities and snowpack instabilities.  Storm and wind slabs would be two avalanche problems that would go in the surface instability category.  Persistent slabs are snowpack instabilities, where weak snow grains are buried and remain potentially dangerous for extended periods.

Currently, we have more than one weak layer in the snowpack we are tracking.  These weak layers don’t exist at all elevations or aspects, which means you need to read the avalanche forecast and use terrain to limit your exposure.  One of the scariest parts about dealing with a Persistent Slab is, as the name suggests, it can persist and remain dangerous for a long time, and as humans, we are impatient.

Please do your homework, read our forecasts, read observations, know the aspect and elevation of the terrain you’re recreating in, and use conservative route selection and decision-making.

Valentine’s Buried Surface Hoar found 3/9 Southern Wallowas 7,800 feet, North Aspect (Photo: Sarah Jakober)

Valentine’s Buried Surface Hoar found 3/7 Southern Wallowas 7,500 feet, Southwest Aspect (Photo: Victor McNeil)

SW Aspect 7,500 feet. ECTP19 down 2.5 feet

Valentine’s Buried Surface Hoar found 3/7 Southern Wallowas 7,700 feet, North Aspect (Photo: Victor McNeil)

North Aspect 7,600 feet CT28Sudden Planar