Went sledding today with 6 in our group here in Grand Forks BC. Picture perfect day, untouched trails up to an untouched bowl. We dug a big pit, A Big one (because my friend Dave got stuck) and everything seemed stable. One of my buds does a pull about 800 feet up and gets onto this bench. I follow, then my other friend (Dave Brousseau) comes up and joins us.We are now sitting half way up the bowl on this bench that we've sat on many times before. My friends agg me on and get me to go out this chute. I go out get a little air and land on a little tree ( stuck but safe). My one fiend tries to go out a little easier way and as he was nearing the top...... and half the friggen mountain gives away,(NOW THIS Could have been any of us who started this SLIDE OR been underneath when it happened! THE ORDER that everything happened next was Merely a Fluke of Nature!)at least a meter slab X 600-700-- feet!
I watch as buddy at the top surfs it out grabs a tree and luckily stays on top of the avy. I look down and theres Dave putting along on the bench ( I can't believe he didn't see it or maybe he didn't think it was going that fast cause he could have pinned it out of the way). He looked up and the avy berried him and I lost site of him instantly. I grab my pack and headed along the ridge to where it slid thinking I'd find a safer spot to go down (that already slid) after a few steps I realized I had to go down the way I came up (the area that hadn't broken yet) I run back and get down there on my arse sliding down approx 900' on my track I just made up the chute praying another one doesn't break. I pull out my beacon where I last seen him and NO beeping at all!My other buddy from the top was already there and he had no signal as well. My friends at the bottom of the hill (1500' down) get a signal. I slide on my arse again and locate the strongest signal quickly. We found him under a meter and a half (5') but it was too late. After we gather'd up some sleds (except for mine which was 2000" feet straight up, And Dave's which was no where in sight)We decided get him on a sled and bring him down to the hospital.The doctor said we did the right thing by bringing him down, we were 1 1/2 hours by truck and trails away from town. There were no police around town to tell Daves wife so we all went over and to her house to tell the bad news.
I found out later the cops were all out at another avy close by up the Christian valley, I havn't heard the outcome of that yet.(EDITED:Christain valley slides takes another sledders life, pretty much same time. I also just heard that there was a big slide right at the BIG White ski hill (Within bounds) EDITED: approx same time as well a snowboarder killed at big avy IN BOUNDS!.....which is also very close.
Ride safe peeps! Ken
I watch as buddy at the top surfs it out grabs a tree and luckily stays on top of the avy. I look down and theres Dave putting along on the bench ( I can't believe he didn't see it or maybe he didn't think it was going that fast cause he could have pinned it out of the way). He looked up and the avy berried him and I lost site of him instantly. I grab my pack and headed along the ridge to where it slid thinking I'd find a safer spot to go down (that already slid) after a few steps I realized I had to go down the way I came up (the area that hadn't broken yet) I run back and get down there on my arse sliding down approx 900' on my track I just made up the chute praying another one doesn't break. I pull out my beacon where I last seen him and NO beeping at all!My other buddy from the top was already there and he had no signal as well. My friends at the bottom of the hill (1500' down) get a signal. I slide on my arse again and locate the strongest signal quickly. We found him under a meter and a half (5') but it was too late. After we gather'd up some sleds (except for mine which was 2000" feet straight up, And Dave's which was no where in sight)We decided get him on a sled and bring him down to the hospital.The doctor said we did the right thing by bringing him down, we were 1 1/2 hours by truck and trails away from town. There were no police around town to tell Daves wife so we all went over and to her house to tell the bad news.
I found out later the cops were all out at another avy close by up the Christian valley, I havn't heard the outcome of that yet.(EDITED:Christain valley slides takes another sledders life, pretty much same time. I also just heard that there was a big slide right at the BIG White ski hill (Within bounds) EDITED: approx same time as well a snowboarder killed at big avy IN BOUNDS!.....which is also very close.
Ride safe peeps! Ken
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