Wild stuff, and a great read. I saw the short version of this a while ago. Thanks for posting an in-depth link.

These folks obviously knew the risks and had "Plan B" ready to go. Good on 'em. The part about the improvised anchors for the chopper was particularly interesting -- and potentially a turning point in the story, considering what might have happened if this hadn't been done.

Given the choice between a blizzard and an ice storm, I'll take the blizzard.