GORHAM — Mount Washington Avalanche Center director Jeff Fongemie said it is hard to say what caused a 20-year-old backcountry skier to fall to her death in Mount Washington’s Tuckerman Ravine last Saturday.
Killed in the 600-foot fall was Madison Saltsburg, a student at the University of Vermont. She was also reportedly a 2021 graduate of Northern High School of Dillsburg, Pa.
kAm&'| E@=5 }qr `_[ “~FC D:?46C6 E9@F89ED 2C6 H:E9 |25:6’D 72>:=J 2?5 7C:6?5D 5FC:?8 E9:D 5:77:4F=E E:>6] p DE2E6>6?E E@ E96 7F== F?:G6CD:EJ 4@>>F?:EJ :D 7@CE94@>:?8 2?5 H:== :?4=F56 C6D@FC46D 7@C >6>36CD @7 @FC 4@>>F?:EJ :>A24E65 3J E9:D EC2865J]”k^Am
kAm%96 $F?’D 2EE6>AED E@ C6249 &'| 7@C 4@>>6?E H6C6 F?DF446DD7F=]k^Am
kAm%96 &]$] u@C6DE $6CG:46 FC86D 324<4@F?ECJ D<:6CD E@ 6I6C4:D6 E96 7@==@H:?8 42FE:@?Dik^Am
kAm• $66< :?7@C>2E:@? E@ :?7@C> H96?[ 9@H[ 2?5 H96C6 J@F EC2G6= :? E96 >@F?E2:?D] %9:D :?4=F56D E96 |(pr pG2=2?496 u@C642DE 2?5 E96 |@F?E (2D9:?8E@? ~3D6CG2E@CJ w:896C $F>>:ED u@C642DEk^Am
kAm• r2CCJ 2? 2G2=2?496 3624@?[ D9@G6[ 2?5 AC@36 H96? EC2G6=:?8 :? 2G2=2?496 E6CC2:?]k^Am
kAm• r2CCJ ?2G:82E:@? E@@=D E@ A=2? D276 C@FE6D[ 6G6? :? A@@C 4@?5:E:@?D]k^Am
kAm%H@ @E96C D<:6CD DFDE2:?65 EC2F>2E:4 :?;FC:6D 7C@> :46 2?5 C@4<D 72==:?8 5@H? @? :4J 2?5 7:C> D?@H DFC7246[ E96 &]$] u@C6DE $6CG:46 D2:5] %96 EH@ D<:6CD 2C6 6IA64E65 E@ 36 ~z]k^Am
kAm“(6 2C6 ?@E 6?E:C6=J A@D:E:G6 H9:49 C@FE6 |25:D@? E@@<] (6 5:5 ?@E H:E?6DD E96 244:56?E] qFE 32D65 @? H96C6 D96 6?565 FA[ H6 E9:?< D96 76== 7C@> E96 {:A 2?5 6?565 FA @? E96 C:89E 46?E6C @7 E96 7=@@C @7 E96 C2G:?6[” u@?86>:6 E@=5 E96 $F? @? |@?52J]k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 4@?5:E:@?D :? E96 C2G:?6 @? $2EFC52J H6C6 G6CJ 7:C> 27E6C 2 H66< @7 DAC:?8=:<6 H2C> E6C>A6C2EFC6D 2?5 C2:?[ 7@==@H65 3J 4@=5 E6>A6C2EFC6D H9:49 7C@K6 FA E96 32D6]k^Am
kAmu@?86>:6 564=:?65 E@ 4@>>6?E 23@FE E96 42FD6 @7 $2=ED3FC8’D 562E9 @E96C E92? E@ D2J[ “%96 :?;FC:6D D96 DFDE2:?65 H6C6 EC2F>2E:4 2?5 :?4@>A2E:3=6 E@ =:76] tG6CJ3@5J 5:5 E96:C 36DE E@ ECJ 2?5 >2<6 E96 D:EF2E:@? 36EE6C[ 3FE :E H2D 2 D:EF2E:@? E92E H2D?’E 8@:?8 E@ 36 C6D@=G65]”k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ E96 &]$] u@C6DE $6CG:46[ 7:CDE C6DA@?56CD 7C@> E96 u@C6DE $6CG:46 2?5 pG2=2?496 r6?E6C H@C<65 E@ 86E 96C @77 E96 >@F?E2:?]k^Am
kAmr@==66? |2:?G:==6[ AF3=:4 2772:CD DA64:2=:DE 7@C E96 (9:E6 |@F?E2:? }2E:@?2= u@C6DE[ D2:5 :? 2 AC6DD C6=62D6 E92E “E9:D G6CJ DE66A D<: >@F?E2:?66C:?8 E6CC2:? 2?5 @E96C 2C62D 2C@F?5 |@F?E (2D9:?8E@? 2C6 DF3;64E E@ 6G6C 492?8:?8 >@F?E2:? 92K2C5D] %96D6 4@>>@?=J :?4=F56 2G2=2?496D[ @A6? 4C6G2DD6 9@=6D[ :4J DE66A D=@A6D 2?5 72==:?8 C@4<D 2?5 :46]k^Am
kAm“~? |2C49 h[ $2=ED3FC8 2?5 96C D<::?8 4@>A2?:@? H6C6 72465 H:E9 92C5[ :4J D?@H DFC7246D[ @A6? 4C6G2DD6 9@=6D[ 2?5 F?7@C8:G:?8 4@?5:E:@?D 7@C 2 D=:A 2?5 72==[” |2:?G:==6 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 &]$] u@C6DE $6CG:46 42FE:@?65 E92E E96D6 4@?5:E:@?D D276=J C6BF:C6 42C67F= FD6 @7 >@F?E2:?66C:?8 E@@=D 2?5 6BF:A>6?E :?4=F5:?8 4C2>A@?D[ :46 2I 2?5 E96 D<:==D E@ FD6 E96>]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ u@?86>:6[ E96 2G2=2?496 7@C642DE 7@C |2C49 h H2D =@H[ >62?:?8 E92E 2G2=2?496D H6C6 F?=:<6=J] $AC:?8E:>6 >@F?E2:? 92K2C5D H6C6 :56?E:7:65 2D 36:?8 E96 >@DE D:8?:7:42?E C:D< E@ EC2G6=6CD 5FC:?8 E96 52J] %96D6 92K2C5D :?4=F56 C67C@K6? D?@H DFC7246DX[ 72==:?8 :46 2?5 4C6G2DD6D :? E96 D?@HA24<]k^Am
kAmpD<65 E@ 4@>>6?E @? E96 =FC6 @7 %F4<6C>2? 2?5 E96 ?665 E@ 36 @? E96 2=6CE 7@C 6G6C\492?8:?8 4@?5:E:@?D 2?5 92K2C5D[ u@?86>:6 E@=5 E96 $F? E92E :E’D 2=H2JD :>A@CE2?E E@ 3C:?8 2? 2H2C6?6DD E@ 2?J @FE:?8 E@ E96 C2G:?6]k^Am
kAm“x H2?E E@ C6:E6C2E6 E92E %F4<6C>2? #2G:?6 :D 2? 2H6D@>6 A=246 E@ D<: 2?35 E@ G:D:E[” D2:5 u@?86>:6]k^Am
kAm“%@ D<: 2E E96 6586 @7 >2J36 H92E J@F 2C6 4@>7@CE23=6 H:E9 :7 E96 4@?5:E::@?D 2C6 C:89E 42? 36 2 C62==J 8C62E 52J] qFE J@F D9@F=5?’E D<: E96 42=6?52C @C E96 D62D@? — H6 925 2 3:E @7 DAC:?8 76G6C @A6?:?8 FA =2DE H66< H:E9 E96 H2C>6C H62E96C[ 2?5 A6@A=6 E9:?< @7 D<::?8 %F4<6C>2? :? E96 DAC:?8[ 3FE E96 C2G:?6 @? $2EFC52J H2D ?@E ‘DAC:?8]’ xE H2D 52?86C@FD 2?5 492==6?8:?8— 2?5 J@F ?665 E@ 8@ :?E@ :E H:E9 2D >F49 :?7@C>2E:@? 2D J@F 42? 82E96C]k^Am
kAm“%96C6 :D ?@ C@@> 7@C 6CC@C] r@>6 :? :?7@C>65 2?5 36 AC6A2C65 E@ EFC? 2C@F?5 2?5 D2G6 :E 7@C 2?@E96C 52J :7 E96 4@?5:E:@?D 2C6 ?@E 8@@5[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 |@F?E (2D9:?8E@? pG2=2?496 r6?E6C H63D:E6[ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^>@F?EH2D9:?8E@?2G2=2?49646?E6C]@C8Qm>@F?EH2D9:?8E@?2G2=2?49646?E6C]@C8k^2m[:D FA52E65 52:=J H:E9 4FCC6?E 4@?5:E:@?D]k^Am
kAmk6>mr@?H2J s2:=J $F? C6A@CE6C s2J>@?5 $E66C 2?5 q6C=:? $F? C6A@CE6C q2C32C2 %6EC62F=E 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E9:D 2CE:4=6]k^6>mk^Am

(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.