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3rd resort skier dies
Series of crashes at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort spans eight days.

From staff reports

A Snow King volunteer ski patroller who sustained head wounds after a crash at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort died Tuesday at the University of Utah Medical Center in Salt Lake City.

Joe Gili, 61, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, had been in critical condition after hitting a tree near the bottom of Rendezvous Trail on Saturday. He was taken to Teton Village Clinic and St. John's Medical Center before being flown to Salt Lake City.

Gili became the third skier this month to die after sustaining an injury while skiing at the Mountain Resort. Thomas Plezia, 54, of Lakewood, Ohio, died Thursday after hitting a tree on Apres Vous Mountain and Claudia Johnson, 33, of Sherborn, Mass., died Jan. 17 after hitting a tree near Cheyenne Bowl.

All of the crashes came after a prolonged dry spell marked by temperatures consistently well below freezing. Much of the terrain at the resort, known for its steep and difficult runs, was covered with hard-packed and icy snow. All three skiers hit trees. One was wearing a helmet, two were not.

Friends of Gili tried to cope with the death of the veteran patroller. Wally Ulrich, a fellow volunteer ski patroller, remembered him as a "quiet, really solid fellow" who was an "excellent skier, devoted to his family."

"He was such a team guy and a friend to us all," Ulrich said.

Jim Sullivan, Snow King Ski Area manager, said Gili has been a volunteer member of the Jackson Hole Snow King Ski Patrol for at least 20 years.

"The mood is somber," Sullivan said.

Gili leaves behind a 13-year-old son, Nick, who was skiing with his father on the day of the accident. Ulrich said the volunteer patrol members are setting up a Joe Gili Scholarship Fund to raise money for Nick's education. Donations can be made by calling Ulrich at (307) 733-3613 or through the Internet at www.snowking skipatrol.com.

The recent deaths have come as a blow to the Mountain Resort, which observed National Safety Awareness Week on Jan. 17-23. Anna Olson, resort communications director, said the three accidents all involved different circumstances and that there seemed to be "no rhyme or reason" in them. "Skiing does have inherent risks and dangers. but to have three accidents in a very short time frame is very unusual," she said. "It's very tough for everybody involved."

All three skiers were considered strong athletes by their friends. Johnson was wearing a helmet, while Gili and Plezia were not.

Johnson was heading toward Cheyenne Bowl when she lost both her skis and slid into a tree on the edge of Bivouac Woods. She was knocked unconscious and died of aspiration. She was taking part in a Steep and Deep ski camp at the time.

Plezia was a member of the Cleveland Metro Ski Council. Acquaintances in the Jackson Hole Ski Club described him as a very good skier and occasional racer.

Plezia lost a ski as he crossed a cat track near the bottom of St. John's Extension. According to the police report, he lost control and fell about 40 feet and hit his head on an aspen tree. He may have struck other trees as well. A witness saw his crash from a chairlift.

After his death, resort officials shared their grief in a prepared statement.

"We are extremely saddened by this accident and send our thoughts and prayers to the victim's family and friends," said Jerry Blann, resort president. "Skiing is a way of life for so many people and brings so much happiness, it makes this type of tragic event even harder to take."

Gili had worked on the slopes of the Town Hill the weekend before the crash. He was near the bottom of the run on Rendezvous Trail when the accident occurred.

Gili was not breathing and had no pulse, but was revived at the clinic at the base of the mountain.

Olson maintained the relative safety of the sport, quoting figures from the National Ski Areas Association, which reports an average of 39 skiing deaths per season over the last 10 years. NSAA also reported that in the 2001-02 ski season, there were 45 fatalities out of 54.4 million skier days.

Olson said there have been four in-bounds deaths and two out-of-bounds deaths in the last four seasons at the resort.

A wake for Gili will be held Saturday evening in Idaho Falls.

Conditions at the resort have softened considerably. Since Gili's death, 11 inches of snow have fallen at the 9,300-foot Raymer plot.

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