Tree well

A tree well is a dangerous void or area of loose snow typically surrounding a tree after a heavy snowfall. A skier or snowboarder can easily fall into this well, possibly causing serious injury or death.

The branches of the tree shelter the area surrounding the tree trunk from snowfall. Thus a pocket of air or loose snow can form in the vicinity of the trunk. Tree wells are encountered in off-piste or ungroomed trails and on ungroomed piste boundaries. The risk of encountering a tree well is greatest during and immediately following a heavy snowstorm. Low hanging branches can further contribute to forming a tree well, as they shelter the area surrounding the trunk. Wells can also occur near rocks and along streams. Wells have been observed to be as deep as 20 feet.cite web | url = http://www.treewelldeepsnowsafety.com/| access-date=2007-12-18 | title= Tree well and deep snow safety | work= NW Avalanche Institute]

An unsuspecting skier or boardrider can get trapped in a tree well, being unable to free themselves. It is very difficult to get out of a tree well without assistance. In two experiments conducted in North America in which volunteers were temporarily placed in a tree well, 90% were unable to rescue themselves. Often the skier or boardrider is injured during the incident, dislocating a limb or hitting his head, further decreasing chances of survival. Frequently the skier or boardrider ends up in the well head first, complicating recovery efforts.

In December 2007, a snowboarder at Mount Hood Meadows in Oregon suffocated fifteen minutes after falling head first into a tree well, despite efforts by three of his companions to free him. During winter 2008, two skiers at Steamboat Ski Resort in Colorado fell into tree wells and did not survive. One was a man in his mid-60s and the other was a man in his mid-20s. The younger man was unable to escape despite assistance from two friends.

The classification for this type of fatality is a Non-Avalanche Related Snow Immersion Death (NARSID).

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