Joe Bullough, dunsum on Pfeiff

MOCKBA · Joined: 18 Apr 2005 Posts: 824

Lubos has been up Pfeifferhorn yesterday and reported that the two mountaineers who fell when the loose snowfield gave way near the very top were Joe Bullough and Brian dunsum. He said, Joe was unresponsive, in particularly bad shape.

Hope for Joe's will to live and for the state of modern medicine now.

Here is the news report with the usual inaccuracies:
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=861221

The trib report confirms the identity of the guys and the spot of the accident, says Joe's got two broken legs and other injuries and had to wait in the snow for 6 hours before being coptered down.
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_5155360

sisyphus · Joined: 07 Sep 2002 Posts: 794

A tragedy. My thoughts with are with Joe and his family and friends.

nebben · Joined: 10 Aug 2004 Posts: 187

My thoughts are with Joe and Brian. What a shock to wake up and read about. Crying or Very sad

mountaingazelle · Joined: 28 Apr 2005 Posts: 238

I heard about the accident yesterday and found out that Joe and Brian were the ones who were hit by the avalanche.

My prayers go out to Joe's family and hope that he has a strong will to live and heals from his injuries.

desainme · Joined: 19 Sep 2002 Posts: 5113

I hope he gets better- he has many friends from SP in the Salt Lake area.

Travis Atwood · Joined: 29 Jan 2006 Posts: 277

Best wishes to both of these guys. I don't know Brain, but Joe I've spoken with a number of times here on SP. I hope and pray that everything works out for them.

Ammon Hatch · Joined: 08 Jun 2004 Posts: 524

This is a terrible thing to have happened. I have always respected Joe as a climber for all that he does, and for how he treats others. I've never climbed with him, but still hope to in the future. My prayers are with him.

fowweezer · Joined: 24 Feb 2005 Posts: 2126

Hey MOCKBA, Brian was also on that King's Peak trip, although he turned around at around the same point I did, a little before Gunsight. He's about as experienced as they come.

Hope this all works out, hopefully we'll hear something soon.

Scott Wesemann · Joined: 09 Jun 2004 Posts: 529

I heard about this yesterday, but could not get any good info from the media and I was shocked to hear that it was Joe that was in critical condition this morning. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and Brian and your families.

Dean · Joined: 03 Apr 2002 Posts: 569

Joe is one of those guys I really respect and admire. I pray he'll have a speedy recovery and be back to doing what he loves to do best soon.

madsjim · Joined: 06 Aug 2005 Posts: 84

I was shocked to hear about the accident. I too wish the best.

I don't know if this is appropriate but does anyone have an analysis of how and why the avalanche occured? What were the conditions at the time? Was the small storm from this past week what created the conditions? From what I have read on the UAC website it was a windslab created from the new snow this week.

Matthew Van Horn · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 673

I was with Joe on the Pfeifferhorn just a week earlier. <a href="(http://www.summitpost.org/trip-report/265581/A-Version-of-Winter-Inversion-Aversion.html">See pictures in the trip report on the Pfeifferhorn page)</a>. I am hoping and praying for a complete recovery for him. He is one of the nicest people I know, and has a great talent for the outdoors. I've not met Brian, and I hope he does a complete recovery as well.

Joe sitting on top of the Pfeifferhorn, January 26, 2007.

Bignick · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 236

Joe, I met you on the Mt. Olympus trail breifly a month or so ago. Sorry to hear of your misfortune, wishing you a speedy and complete recovery.

Brian, I've never met you but have seen some of your stuff on SP. Wishing you the best and a quick return to your pre-avy life.

Both of you are lucky to be alive, it wouldn't take much in the way of a slip, misplaced step, loose rock or other misfortune to make your life a previous experience. I've been where you both were swept away under better conditions though. Hoping to climb with you both in the future.

Forest Service Report:

http://www.avalanche.org/%7Euac/Accidents/Accidents,06-07/AccidentReport,Pfeifferhorn,2-3-07.htm

Aaron Johnson · Joined: 19 Jun 2002 Posts: 3451

Just stumbled on this. Heard about it but had no idea! My prayers go out to these guys and their families. I hope they pull through and I am so glad it was not any worse.

JLarsen · Joined: 06 May 2005 Posts: 68

My prayers are with you Joe. I have always loved to see your pictures and listen to your advise.