Below, with Ruby on a walk up in the snow, west of Chain Lakes, on the weekend. The little episode described below happened further upslope.
Below, Pete on this wind-blasted ridge. He's been with us less than a year but I learned quickly not to trust him near cliff faces, usually having him leashed up and in hand in those circumstances. He likes the daring view a little too much. Not much danger of that on this rounded ridge or so I thought. I've been here many, many times through many winters for some off-leash walking, with long views, no other people and few trees.
Unfortunately, Pete found one of the few snow cornices overlooking an avalanche chute and went too close to the edge, falling through and finding himself about 10-15 feet down a vertical wall of snow and a tumbling 300 foot slide area beneath him. Serious situation. Walking uphill I finally got eyes on him but couldn't coax him over to where I was. He was exhausted from trying to climb the snow wall and seemed fixated on that as his only way out.
I could have left him there and spent a few round trip hours going to find some help and hoping he was still there when I got back but I took the more direct solution, kicking through the cornice and making the one-way toboggan ride down to where he was, Ruby in tow. It was an unnerving five minute trudge through the deep snow along the slope to safe ground, then up and out. My fault.
Below, an exhausted and snow-blasted Pete after his rescue
Below, a few days ago, Ruby at sunrise, holding a cold foot out of the fresh snow.
Cowperson