A 20-year-old skier, Madison Saltsburg, died after a 600-foot fall on Saturday afternoon, March 9, 2024, in the notoriously steep Tuckerman Ravine on New Hampshire’s Mount Washington. Another individual skiing alongside Saltsburg also experienced a fall and is currently in critical condition. The incidents occurred amid icy conditions that injured other adventurers the same weekend.
“Over the week, we’ve seen a reduction of about 13 inches from the snowpack. Initially, it was warm with some rain, leading to a wet snowpack. Then, as temperatures plummeted, it turned cold and solidified into a hard, ice surface,” explained Jeff Fongemie, the head of Mount Washington Avalanche Center.
Emergency personnel faced formidable challenges navigating through heavy snowfall and strong winds to provide aid. The National Weather Service had issued a winter storm warning, anticipating up to a foot of snow, which compounded the difficulties faced by the rescuers in their efforts to reach the injured parties and recover Saltsburg’s body.
Mount Washington Avalanche Center and U.S. Forest Service rescue teams eventually found her and brought her down from the mountain.
The 20-year-old skier was in her junior year at the University of Vermont (UVM) in Burlington. School officials shared that she played an active role on the UVM campus. She pursued her agroecology and landscape design studies within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Recognized as a standout participant in the university’s Army ROTC program, she was celebrated for her athletic prowess and commitment to guiding her peers. Additionally, she contributed to the Green Mountain Battalion Mountaineering Club, holding the position of president the previous year.
A UVM representative issued a statement expressing the university community’s profound sorrow over the loss of Madie Saltsburg, a junior from Pennsylvania. The statement conveyed heartfelt condolences to Madie’s family and friends in this challenging period.
The university has advised students in need of support to contact UVM’s counseling and psychiatry services, noting that assistance is also accessible to faculty and staff.
Tuckerman Ravine, a magnet for expert skiers and snowboarders, is renowned for its exhilarating but perilous conditions. While it attracts many when the weather is agreeable, it is also a site of known hazards such as open crevasses, avalanches, and unpredictable terrain, which have contributed to several accidents over the years.
Mount Washington, standing at 6,288 feet and in the northern part of New Hampshire within the White Mountain National Forest, is the highest peak in the Northeast. It is often the location of numerous rescue operations.
In a related incident on the eve of Saltsburg’s fatal fall, 23-year-old Joabe Barbosa from Kentucky needed rescue after an accident in Ammonoosuc Ravine, which is on the west side of the mountain opposite Tuckerman. Barbosa lost his footing, resulting in a head injury and the loss of a sneaker, eventually leading to hypothermia. Despite these challenges, he alerted authorities via a 911 call, leading to a four-hour rescue operation. This incident highlighted the critical importance of adequate preparation, as New Hampshire Fish and Game officials noted Barbosa’s lack of proper hiking equipment.