1 year today :(

[snobyrd]

a year ago today, i lost my best friend while we were enjoying fresh deep snow, no we wernt climbing some big mountian face, just a little 1/2 pipe that we had spent hundreds of hours in over the years, we never thought that such a nice little hideaway would have caused such a life changing expierence, my bud lost his life, his wife and 3 daughters are living a hell, with his loss, myself and my other friend are reminded every day about that tragic day, its a life changing expierence, wittinessing the slide and diggin a guy out from 6' of snow, performing cpr for 8 hrs and lookin up to the sky waiting for a chopper from our spot 911 message that didnt show up untill next morning.
fellow sledders i encourgage you to be safe out there, have all the saftey equipment out there, get training, make wise choices, i dont think u want to die burried in a snow grave , grasping for air thats not there, and trying to scream but u cant , and think about your loved ones that u leave behind and the sadness thats created through your loss, i know i c it. ive been in this sport since 74 and i love to play the steep and deep just like the next guy but no more, youll find me scoutting google earth for some mountian creeks that are filled with deep snow.

i miss you johnny
rip
jeff

 

[badapple]

Im sorry for your loss
I can only imagine how his family must feel...truly sad!

I commend you for having enough courage to still get out and ride.
Im not sure i would be that brave...

If there is a heaven...i bet he has blue bird pow days all the time

 

[snobyrd]

im back on the horse again, but im scared chitless out there now, the biggest thing now is, my son is a sledder and when im not with him im stressed all day, waiting for the '' im ok'' spot messages to come through, it's a life changing ordeal and it messes with ur head.

 

[tar]

Sorry for your loss. Just keep on riding.


Cheers to lost friends.

Tar

 

[EagleRiverDee]

Avalanches terrify me. I lost an acquaintance in a big one here in AK in 1999. Since then I've been very cautious and I get a case of nerves before I ride- EVERY TIME. It doesn't keep me from riding but it definitely makes me a cautious rider and I'm using my avalanche eyeballs everywhere we go.

 

[Blk88GT]

Why did it take so long for an emergency response?

I don't think I've ever sled again if I went through that.

 

[snobyrd]

the slide happened around 3.30 pm and the choppers would not fly in the up comming dark, 2 guys left for help and found out sar was looking for us by land, but we were in some complicated terrain and were told to go back because most of the rescuers were pretty novice ridders and they would had never got into the area. We had spent 2 days prior tryin to get into the area, so they would had never made it in, so the decision was made to wait till daylight, so 2 guys spent the night on the hill with the victim.
now ive upgraded to the new spot CONNECT and if needed in the future a more detailed message can be sent.

 

[550iq]

Thanks snobyrd, after reading about your ordeal, my ordeal of 21 years ago watching my old man perish by snow burial came blasting back for a revisit. Our family's honored day of rememberance is December 29, 1990.

The contrasts of our ordeals is interesting: yours, a small confined area, ours, a mega slide; yours, quick victim locate, ours, 7 days later; yours, remote site, ours, 15 miles from the city center of Anchorage, Alaska; yours, day later helicopter, ours, helicopter within the hour and 75 or so probers within 2. Our comparisons are 2: The first being death. Death not only of a loved one but death of any desire to ride the mountains. Our second comparison is the fact the we witnessed the ordeal, start to finish. Watching 100,000cy of snow in motion making quick work of my dad was a sight to behold and not to forget. The curse to me for that, is that I see avalanches. See slope, see slide.

To remember your friend's spirit, please attend any and all avalanche classes and any other classes on snowpacks. No need to attend them for avalanche survival (we now how to do that), but attend them to understand the snowpack. Once you do, you will realize that our departed were not taken from us by a malevolent force but by the benevolent acts of Mother Nature. Simply put, our loved ones were taken from us when an unstable snowpack became stable. I hold no ill will towards the snowpack or Mother Nature for taking my dad. He would have not died well from cancer, a worksite accident, by a drunk driver..

So please find some solace in the fact that your friend was taken by Mother Nature and the fact that when Johnny's spirt arrived at the Great Snowmobile Jam Fest in the sky, he was met there by another person of immpectable character, love of family and friends, and zest for life, my dad.

Come north sometime and run the 1000 miles to Nome with me in the Iron Dog's Trail Class. Great riding, great folks and plenty of quality time to discuss the merits of the snowpack. Peace.