Roscoe “Rocky” Shorey, a 42-year-old experienced mountain climber from Washougal, Washington, tragically lost his life while summiting Mount St. Helens. The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office reported that Shorey was found within the crater of the volcano, approximately 1,200 feet below the summit.
According to the Northwest Avalanche Center, a snowboarder triggered a cornice while standing near the top, causing a fall into the crater and a subsequent slab avalanche on the slope below. Snow cornices, overhanging masses of snow on mountain edges, can be challenging to detect and weaken during warm, sunny periods.
