Survivor recalls avalanche 'horror story'

SEATTLE -- When the snow broke loose, a group of expert skiers watched in horror as a large avalanche swept their friends down a steep slope and they turned on their emergency beacons to search for signs of life.

Powder Magazine senior editor John Stifter, who witnessed the slide that killed three of his companions Sunday, said one person survived by bear-hugging a tree and holding on as the snow barreled over him. Another skier who was caught in the slide, Elyse Saugstad, was saved when she deployed an air bag designed to keep her afloat.

"It's an absolute horror story," Stifter said yesterday.

Once an avalanche has you in its grips, experts say, the chances of surviving are slim.

"The snow doesn't really care how experienced you are. It's not keeping track of experience level," said Mark Moore, an avalanche meteorologist and director of the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center, which warned of extreme avalanche danger for today.

Stifter identified the victims as Jim Jack, a head judge for the Freeskiing World Tour; Stevens Pass marketing director Chris Rudolph; and Johnny Brenan, a Leavenworth contractor.

The Freeskiing World Tour and Utah's Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort scheduled a gathering at the resort yesterday to remember Jack, described as smart and influential in the ski industry.

The skiers had strayed beyond the boundaries of the Stevens Pass Ski resort, 90 miles northeast of Seattle, during a season of heightened avalanche dangers.