SARGENT’S PURCHASE, N.H. (WCAX) – The woman who died over the weekend skiing at New Hampshire’s unforgiving Mount Washington was a student at the University of Vermont.
U.S. Forest Service officials say Madison Saltsburg, 20, was skiing at Tuckerman Ravine on Saturday when she fell 600 feet to her death. A person Saltsburg was skiing with also fell and is in critical condition.
UVM officials say Saltsburg was a junior at the school.
A UVM spokesperson released a statement that said, “Our campus community is deeply saddened to learn of the death of one of our students, Madie Saltsburg, a junior from Pennsylvania. Our sincere thoughts are with Madie’s family and friends during this difficult time.”
Forest Service officials say two other skiers suffered serious injuries that same day after falling and hitting rocks and ice. They say there were a number of other falls witnessed throughout the day which didn’t result in serious injuries, the service said.
Jeff Fongemie of the Mount Washington Avalanche Center says the change in temperature last week may have contributed to the number of falls.
“I think over the course of the week we lost about 13 inches of snow in the snowpack. It was warm, we had some rain, it was wet snowpack. Temperatures dropped and it got cold and it froze and kind of became a firm surface,” Fongemie said.
At 6,288 feet, Mount Washington is the tallest peak in the Northeast and is notorious for its fickle weather. It is the sight of frequent rescues.
The steep bowl at Tuckerman Ravine has long made it a favorite spot for expert skiers and snowboarders.
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