Another Avy in BC

[Luke The Drifter]

Damn, just what I didn't need to read, another avy death. Its no secret that this season's snowpack is just plain scary and to be riding in avy terrain at the same time (not that its a good idea ever really) is just plain foolish.

Please, please just stay home for once. There will be plenty of other sledding trips to be had down the road, ones on less sketchy snowpacks! Heck I was invited to go riding in the exact area that this avy happened this weekend. I turned it down, I'm going icefishing tomorrow instead.

My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends

 

[Fordman]

This the last time I post this for this season.
Prayers to family friends and rescuers.

Anyone killed from this point on has a death wish. I'm sorry but sooner or later guys have got to learn from example. That's 15 examples so far.

I made this exact statement in 2002 on the old forum... but it wasn't just for the season.

 

[ROZZY MX]

sorry to hear this again.........but it pains us all to not ride this year !! there is snow on flat ground and lots of ski hills and ice fishing and hot holidays and hang out.......go to a movie.....come on boys its only 2 months of hillclimbing to give up for 20 years of riding in the future !!!

its called RESPECT .... u must respect the hills to appreciate them

stay home

 

[Ov3rthetop]

Once again RIP i still cant believe this is happening. Do some of these people not read a paper or watch the news. I will admittingly admit that I havent always paid the most attention to the news or paper. I really didnt learn how dangerous it is out there till i got on here. I wish more people would tap into this great resource and listen to reason.

 

[ryanru]

Sad to hear so many lost this year. I have a question for the experienced riders here. (I am a Flat-Lander who has only been to the mountains a handful of times) We had planned a trip to Revelstoke feb 4th- 10th. Are there any safe areas to play in the trees? We’re not looking to climb just want to play in some powder. If it’s all off limits and an all around bad idea please let me know.

Ryan Francis

 

[Coxy]

RIP to another riding brother. Thoughts and prayers to the ones left behind and affected by this. Come on boys, lets keep it safe out there

 

[Beels]

Sad to hear so many lost this year. I have a question for the experienced riders here. (I am a Flat-Lander who has only been to the mountains a handful of times) We had planned a trip to Revelstoke feb 4th- 10th. Are there any safe areas to play in the trees? We’re not looking to climb just want to play in some powder. If it’s all off limits and an all around bad idea please let me know.

Ryan Francis

There's plenty of powder to play in without putting yourselves in harm's way. Stay the hell off the hills and out of potential slide paths. Make sure everyone in your group is on the same page and you can still have a great time.

 

[Transporter]

Yep, sugar dumped. only two marks on the whole hill and #2 set it off. Deep slab avy right clean down to the rocks, about a 4,5 ft crown. Lots of accumulation at the bottom, that could have |EASILY been serious. Heavy and highly compressed snow, would have been concrete to dig through. I didnt see the occurance, but arrived about 15 minutes after. Don't expect a month to make things better, this is a deep layer and lots of heavy snow on top to make it fail.

You got any pics?

 

[KFD070]

There's plenty of powder to play in without putting yourselves in harm's way. Stay the hell off the hills and out of potential slide paths. Make sure everyone in your group is on the same page and you can still have a great time.

Exactly.
Some guys are saying "Stay Home". If that's the only way you can have a good time sledding is by hill bashing all day long then I guess yeah....stay home, but the meadows can be so much fun. Just a day out on your sled with friends doesn't always have to be an adrenaline rush. But I digress....different strokes for different folks.

 

[timber_tramp]

Good points

You both are right on.

My whole group has changed our focus and will be leaving the hills alone this year.

Personaly Im going to spend most of my season road riding around Beaver lake and the Greystokes teaching my 12 year old how to ride.

 

[M-Max]

You can change the name of my sled for this year.
Mountain Max has become Meadow Max.
Please everyone be careful. You don't have to die to have fun.........

 

[thump426er]

I think a lot of people get comfortable and complacent with areas they ride frequently. My buddies and I are meadow and tree riders so usually stay away from slopes anyway. Easy for me to stay away now as I have lost a friend to highmarking,,, have that happen and every slope you look at takes on a whole different meaning.

Anyway, its so easy on sleds to have great days of riding even in poor conditions, but you really have to use your head and take a good look at things, thinking of the consequences helps. We are really paying attention to all the complex terrain we ride and the convexities we see, and are staying away from terrain traps (in these condidtions there still are poor spots to be in the trees too).

Trees and meadows, trees and meadows... for this season for sure.

Some big avys are coming down too that havent been so big for many years. Eg: take a look at these pics near Kaslo and New Denver,,, look at the debris in them....... huge slides to take that much timber down with them.

 

[rockdog2112]

When common sense becomes common once again. Which, apparently wont be anytime soon.

Lets see, 14 or 15 dead in BC alone in under 3 weeks, extensive media coverage, Avy risk on high to extreme, WORST snowpack in over 33 years, signs everywhere, BUT Hey, lets go do some hill climbing or riding in Avy risk area's.............

A friend of mine used to say that what we call "common sense" should be called "good sense"- if it were common, everyone would have it. My little meadows and creek beds up in the snowys are looking better and better everytime I hear about one of these slides. Maybe not the most exciting riding but I keep going home everytime. R.I.P. Dude. My condolences to his family.

 

[cobbycat]

You can change the name of my sled for this year.
Mountain Max has become Meadow Max.
Please everyone be careful. You don't have to die to have fun.........

the "m" on my m1000 stands for meadow this year!!

 

[AKtoad]

The sad thing is that these avy deaths are no new topic, they did not start this season by any means. Next year I hope thier will be no avy deaths and then people will go back to the way they were thinking before this season, It took more than a dozen deaths for people to wise up and then for the most part those same people will forget and go back to their old ways.

Later, I am going riding (in the flats with my girl)

 

[frock]

My condolences to family and friends

 

[ArticDoo]

My thoughts and prayers to the family and friends. RIP brother. Play safe guys.

 

[07 Phazer]

Does anybody know where this happened? Allen, Clemina?

 

[dieselred]

Small?

this is an e-mail I got from a friend today. Its amazing how a small slide can still kill.

I just talked with Trevor Watts. He was in Sikamoose and was part of the body recovery this last weekend. Nice way to start your sledding! He said they rode about an hour into the area where the avalanche occurred. The guy had been buried for about 3 hours, was 6' under the snow and was just below his sled on the hill. The area in which the slide occurred looked pretty mellow, the kind of stuff we ride in all the time in the backcountry. The scariest part is he said that the snow was beautiful powder on top and looked totally safe. The stuff underneath that came down and buried the guy was like cement! I am attaching pics to see for your self. Like I said before, we need to stay out of the back country this trip guys. Check it out.

Not too sure how you rate slides but that is not exactly considered a "small" slide. Plenty of potential for carnage on the left side of the hill (in pic)

 

[DARKO]

Does anybody know where this happened? Allen, Clemina?

Clemina.

Same place that the CAC report a slide the day before, posted on there website.

This is from THE DAY BEFORE, not the tragic Avy.

DATE, TIME AND LOCATION
Date/Time: 2009-01-15 02:00
Description: valemount clamina
Coordinates: ()
Mtn Range: Cariboo Mountain Range Province: BC
GROUP INFORMATION
Activity: Snowmobiling
AVALANCHE INFORMATION
Number: 1 Size: Size class 2 Type: Slab avalanche
Trigger: Ma (snowmobiler was highmarking)
Dimension: 60m wide; ran for 200m; average slab depth of 40cm.
Failure Pl.: Ground - ~/~ (2009-01-15)
Starting Zone: Location: Alpine at approx. 6000m.
Character: NE; 45 degrees; Lee Slope(s); Steep Slope.
Comment: north northeast face leeward side cornices at the top of the ridge. previous slab slides, loose snow slides visable. sledders were highmarking about 20 times. one sledder went up and turned out triggering the avalanche. the slide triggered beside him and on the way down the avalanche was only about 10 feet away from him. by the time he got to the run out zone the slide was only about 20 feet behind him. the depth of the deposit was about 10feet in a terrain trap. these guys shouldn't have been there in the first place. very lucky
WEATHER AND SNOWPACK INFORMATION
Weather: sunny warm zero degrees blue sky day no wind.
Snowpack: crusty layer on top (wind crust)