29-year-old Kip Rand, Coordinator of Wallowa Avalanche Center & Teacher of Avalanche Survival Killed in Avalanche in Wallowa Mountains Yesterday

29-year-old Kip Rand from Joseph, OR died in an avalanche in the Wallowa mountains of eastern OR yesterday.  He died of his injuries before rescuers could reach him.

According to the Wallowa County Sheriff, Kip was the coordinator of the Wallowa Avalanche Center in northeast Oregon.

Details are fuzzy at this point, but here is what we know:

• The deceased was skiing with another man who escaped the avalanche.
• Search and rescue teams will be recovering the body today.
• Some backcountry skiers reached the surviving skier and escorted him to safety yesterday.

“If it wasn’t for the backcountry skiers it would be a lot harder for search and rescue to reach people in some of these higher altitude, deep snow rescues we have to do from time to time.” – Wallowa County Sheriff Steve Rogers

Click for more