possible to drown in snow?

I was hiking through 3+ ft of fresh powder in my boots to fetch a pair
of gloves I had lost uphill. I wondered, if there was 7 ft of fresh
snow, would it be possible to sink below the surface while hiking in
boots and drown? Or is there a limit to how deep you can sink in fresh
snow because eventually, your boots will compress enough snow (before
you're in over your head) to support your weight?

I was hiking through 3+ ft of fresh powder in my boots to fetch a pair
of gloves I had lost uphill. I wondered, if there was 7 ft of fresh
snow, would it be possible to sink below the surface while hiking in
boots and drown? Or is there a limit to how deep you can sink in fresh
snow because eventually, your boots will compress enough snow (before
you're in over your head) to support your weight?

If the snow is light enough, you can sink a LONG way. And it would be
pretty hard to get out. So yeah, you could drown in it.



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Mike T wrote:

I was hiking through 3+ ft of fresh powder in my boots to fetch a pair
of gloves I had lost uphill. I wondered, if there was 7 ft of fresh
snow, would it be possible to sink below the surface while hiking in
boots and drown? Or is there a limit to how deep you can sink in fresh
snow because eventually, your boots will compress enough snow (before
you're in over your head) to support your weight?

If the snow is light enough, you can sink a LONG way. And it would be
pretty hard to get out. So yeah, you could drown in it.

An example is the tree well phenomana. People fall into tree wells, can't
get out and die.


--
Before Heading to the Hills Head to The Wisconsin Skier:
http://www.wi-ski.com/

Mike T wrote:

I was hiking through 3+ ft of fresh powder in my boots to fetch a pair
of gloves I had lost uphill. I wondered, if there was 7 ft of fresh
snow, would it be possible to sink below the surface while hiking in
boots and drown? Or is there a limit to how deep you can sink in fresh
snow because eventually, your boots will compress enough snow (before
you're in over your head) to support your weight?


If the snow is light enough, you can sink a LONG way. And it would be
pretty hard to get out. So yeah, you could drown in it.

Yes, it is not only possible to drown in snow, but it happens several
times a season. Imagine going in head first with large flat object(s)
attached to your feet making it difficult to turn yourself upright. I
read somewhere that asphixiation is the #1 cause of death for
snowboarders, mostly related to falling in a tree well. (Note: I'm too
lazy to look up a cite this PM and will gladly accept a factual
correction if one is offered)

Asphixiation is the usual cause of death for those who perish in an
avalanche, but that's not really what the OP is getting at. A tree well
crash is more like the scenario envisioned. Simply hiking and going in
feet first would be highly unusual, but I suppose theoretically
possible, especially if the hiker gets disoriented and can't figure out
which way is up.


//Walt

P.S. I'll spare Bob the tree well crash picture this time.

"Bucky" wrote in message
oups.com...
I was hiking through 3+ ft of fresh powder in my boots to fetch a pair
of gloves I had lost uphill. I wondered, if there was 7 ft of fresh
snow, would it be possible to sink below the surface while hiking in
boots and drown? Or is there a limit to how deep you can sink in fresh
snow because eventually, your boots will compress enough snow (before
you're in over your head) to support your weight?


Tree wells can be nasty, where the branches prevent settling and packing of
the snow around the base of a tree. While cat skiing, we had a guy pop a ski
off, lose control and go head first at the base of a tree. As he struggled
he fell farther down (like quicksand). We had to dig him out and he snorted
alot of snow. People can and do die in them

In article .com,
Bucky wrote:
I was hiking through 3+ ft of fresh powder in my boots to fetch a pair
of gloves I had lost uphill. I wondered, if there was 7 ft of fresh
snow, would it be possible to sink below the surface while hiking in
boots and drown? Or is there a limit to how deep you can sink in fresh
snow because eventually, your boots will compress enough snow (before
you're in over your head) to support your weight?

You don't drown in snow. You suffocate.
--
According to John Perry Barlow, "Jeff Davis is a truly gifted trouble-maker."

"Bucky" wrote in message
oups.com...
I was hiking through 3+ ft of fresh powder in my boots to fetch a pair
of gloves I had lost uphill. I wondered, if there was 7 ft of fresh
snow, would it be possible to sink below the surface while hiking in
boots and drown? Or is there a limit to how deep you can sink in fresh
snow because eventually, your boots will compress enough snow (before
you're in over your head) to support your weight?

One time I was skiing in about 2.5' of fresh, really light powder on Mount
Baker. I went into the trees on quite a steep hill, and I flipped. Fell head
first , with my skis on. Being on the hill the snow acted much deeper, and
it was a real struggle to work myself out. I was breathing like nuts and
thought I was going to suffocate. I thought I was a goner. :-)

JvD wrote:
"Bucky" wrote in message
oups.com...

I was hiking through 3+ ft of fresh powder in my boots to fetch a pair
of gloves I had lost uphill. I wondered, if there was 7 ft of fresh
snow, would it be possible to sink below the surface while hiking in
boots and drown? Or is there a limit to how deep you can sink in fresh
snow because eventually, your boots will compress enough snow (before
you're in over your head) to support your weight?


One time I was skiing in about 2.5' of fresh, really light powder on Mount
Baker. I went into the trees on quite a steep hill, and I flipped. Fell head
first , with my skis on. Being on the hill the snow acted much deeper, and
it was a real struggle to work myself out. I was breathing like nuts and
thought I was going to suffocate. I thought I was a goner. :-)



I think a rebreather will be on my shopping list for next season.

I have once experienced really light fluffy snow
that I could imagine sinking a long way into.

I and wanted to cut across between two pistes
(boring reason missed out). There was a small deciduous
wood (50 yards across) in the way and I skied into it.
I was barely moving and sank into the powder
up to my chest at times. It was unbelievably light and fluffy,
even with the snow up to my chest I was able to keep moving.
This was just as well:-)

Even though the group I was with were only a few yards away
it could easily have gone wrong. Still it was fun.

wrote in message
oups.com...
I have once experienced really light fluffy snow
that I could imagine sinking a long way into.

I and wanted to cut across between two pistes
(boring reason missed out). There was a small deciduous
wood (50 yards across) in the way and I skied into it.
I was barely moving and sank into the powder
up to my chest at times. It was unbelievably light and fluffy,
even with the snow up to my chest I was able to keep moving.
This was just as well:-)

Even though the group I was with were only a few yards away
it could easily have gone wrong. Still it was fun.


I did something similar to this at Meadows on Mt. Hood. I was skiing with
two friends and didn't see them turn and I followed two boarders. I stopped
and heard my friends call to me, there was about 50 yards between me and
them. So I headed towards them in un tracked snow not knowing it was so
deep. As I got about 20 yards into this open area I realized that my poles
wasn't hitting ground or any thing and I fell. The snow was about 5' deep I
began to wonder how I was going to get out of this situation. My skis up on
top of the snow and me deep down in the snow. I used me pole to get one of
my skis off so I was able to stand on one leg with other still on top of the
snow. I was really beginning to worry that I would have to dig my way to
them. I struggled there for about 15 minutes trying to get back on top of
the snow I did finally make it back up using my poles down in the snow.
Lucky for me I had a lot of flexibility, I fell back down maybe three or
four times trying to get the one ski back on. when I go it back on and was
standing I just slide the skis across the snow almost like a cross country
skier. I was exhausted when I finally got to my friends and they laughed at
me for being so stupid. I normally ski in the east and we never get that
much snow that you would sink so deep so that situation was new to me.

Later that same day fog set so thick you couldn't see a thing and the
goggles I was wearing that made it even worse. At the top of one run I
couldn't see thing so I went to stop and fell. I had vertigo and didn't
know up from down, whether I was moving or not. I began to panic knowing
there was a 10' drop into some rocks not being able to see and thinking I
was still sliding. I am kicking and flopping around like a fish out of
water in all that movement my goggle got knocked off and I then noticed I
wasn't moving at all. Again my friends had a real good laugh wondering what
the hell I was doing. When I told them what had happened they were a little
more understanding but still thought it was very funny watching me bouncing
around. We went down to the lodge to buy some clear goggles and I threw out
those other goggles, I wasn't going to go through that again.

All in all that was still a great day.

JQ
Dancing on the edge