What were you thinking!?

By: Eric Knoff

Impulse Decision Making: A contributor to avalanche accidents?

Impulse decision making may lead backcountry travelers into harm’s way. When riding in the backcountry, one bad decision can offset multiple good ones. Looking at avalanche accidents through this lens, a question arises: Were the decisions that contributed to an avalanche accident made with thought and measurable information, or were they made impulsively?

In avalanche accidents, it’s well documented that the victim or victim’s party often observed red flags such as new snow and wind, cracking/collapsing of the snowpack, or recent avalanche activity prior to triggering an avalanche. If obvious clues of instability are present, especially for those educated in avalanches, why are decisions made to proceed in avalanche terrain?

Impulse decision making may have led to a fatal avalanche accident that occurred outside the Yellowstone Club near Big Sky, Montana in January 2016. This incident involved a party made up of Montana State snow science graduate students and two Yellowstone Club Patrollers. The incident occurred when a member of the party deviated from the original plan of skiing a low angle ridge and jumped a 10 foot cornice onto a 38 degree slope. The slope fractured on buried depth hoar, carrying the skier though a group of trees, and killing him due to trauma.

Was the decision to jump the cornice onto a steep slope made thoughtfully, or was it made impulsively? Evidence suggests that the skier had intention to ski the safe line during the group discussion, but acted on impulse which led to the fatal mistake.

We are all susceptible to impulse decision making. I can recall a personal impulse decision in the backcountry that resulted in a close call. My partner and I were standing on a steep rollover that appeared to be wind loaded. I watched my partner avoid the steep rollover and ski poor conditions down a safe, lower angle slope. Instead of following my partner, I made a spur-of-the moment decision, jumped into the wind loaded zone, saw cracks shoot all around me and was quickly caught in the avalanche. Fortunately, I was not buried or injured and skied out of the debris. This incident easily could have ended worse than it did.

Fresh snow and the freedom to make our own decisions are two dominant reasons we venture into the backcountry. These factors also have a substantial influence on impulse decision making. The power and temptations of the backcountry can make us act impulsively, sometimes with dire consequences.

When someone gets hurt or killed in an avalanche as the result of a spur-of- moment decision, all good decisions previously made are moot. Controlling impulse decision making in a dynamic environment such as the backcountry is difficult but not impossible. Gordon Graham, a risk management professional, found that many accidents occur during High Risk/Low Frequency events or in avalanche terms – Low Probability/High Consequence.

Gordon Graham breaks the Low Probability/High Consequence category into two subcategories – Discretionary time and Non-Discretionary time. During a trip to the backcountry, very few decisions need to be made in the spur-of-the moment. We almost always have the discretionary time to dig a snowpit, observe our surroundings, communicate with our partners and make educated, thoughtful decisions. This can help reduce risk exposure during Low Probability/High Consequence events.

We know however, that unplanned events such as avalanches take place in the backcountry. Nobody wants to be caught in an avalanche, yet hundreds of people get caught every year, resulting in numerous fatalities. If we have the discretionary time to make educated decisions in the backcountry, why do so many people get caught and killed? Is it because of acting impulsively and not taking the time to make educated decisions?

Good decisions require gathering available information. Many times I planned to ski in avalanche terrain, but turned around due to unstable results in stability tests or clues of instability such as cracking and collapsing. Taking the time to process this information and fully discuss it with your partners is critically important.

Once you turn the corner and act impulsively your only safety net is luck, which does not ensure a long and safe career in the backcountry. Communication with your partners and conscious observations of your surroundings are good ways to mitigate impulsive actions. Digging a snowpit is also a great way to slow down, communicate, and base your decisions on actual data. The action of digging and doing a stability test helps us to avoid impulse decision making.

Next time you venture into avalanche terrain, ask yourself: Have I taken the discretionary time to make an informed decision or is my next decision impulsive? Just asking that question might help eliminate impulsive actions and reduce the potential for a hazardous situation.