Avalanche Soap Box

[Chadly]

I feel compelled to post about Avalanches because what has happened to me in the last month. I lost a good friend over 3 weeks ago to an avalanche. He had more experience and training than 99.9% of the people on the forum. He had a BCA sponsorship that gave him all the latest highest technology **** money could buy. None of that helped him because he is deceased now. I was so angry when it happened. I'd still kick his *** if I had the chance. For all these people who think you have this stuff you are safe or even worse because you "know" the area you are the most ignorant and most likely to get killed in an avalanche. I am sad for the people who are involved in the latest incident and I know a life was lost Saturday but someone needs to be an *******. That story I read not one good decision was made. Every dealer I have walked in preaches avalanche training and safety. If anyone that owns a sled can say they haven't been told to go to a class or learn about avalanches is a liar. Reading the story of one of those involved in this incident made me sick to my stomach. Either they were the most ignorant people I've ever seen or they thought they didn't need to educate themselves on avalanche safety. Avalanche safety doesn't come down to the gear you have, how many avalanche courses you have done, or that you have ridden that area since you were 2 and your dad put you on a Kitty Cat. The only thing that matters is choices. The choice you make when you pull the cord on your sled or hit the electric start on your sled as you are driving out your trailer or backing off your sled deck. Everyone in this world needs to educate themselves as much as possible to help them make the "right" choice. RIP to everyone who has been killed an avalanche. And I feel even more sorry for the people who have lived through an experience like this and will second guess themselves the rest of their life for how they reacted in the situation. Call me an ******* or whatever but I really think this message needs to be conveyed because none of the dealers are going to be that guy. As I step off my soapbox I would recommend that anyone that sets foot into the backcountry needs to read this New York Times story. It is the most powerful thing I have ever read about avalanches and I think everyone could learn something from it.

http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2012/snow-fall/#/?part=tunnel-creek

 

[laxdad]

Thanks

Thanks Chadly. You're not an ******, youre pissed off and greiving at the loss of a close friend which i understand. I just spent the last 30 minutes reading that article. Very powerful article. I cant tell you how many times over the years weve been in a group at the base in gallagher, blewitt, taneum/easton, lake ann (take your pic), all with tons of excuses why were not gonna side hill it (but the reality is were all getting older and wiser of our surroundings and the power of nature) to then Sit and watch a guy or two cut right across a steep slope. Inevitably one of us always says "do you think they ever wondered why were all down here and not up there" or "heads up watch for the avy".

We all think it will never happen to us, not in this area, were not even in the steep.

This video is in northern ontario 5 years ago. Flatland country and its what any of us would call a little hill. Kid was extremely lucky.
http://youtu.be/FR-GH9_hS98

I agree, i wish dealers did more. I applaud guys like Remko @I90 & John @ pierre's for bringing in guys like Mike Duffy every year, going over avy gear and why its so critical when you buy a sled (im sure not every service or salesman does it), but youre right. Having the gear and taking a class is only a little part of all this. We all need to practice more. We all need to monitor more. We all need to pay attention to terrain and area. Most importantly, as the article you attached above brings up so many times.

We all need to speak up.

Thanks for your thoughts. As a fellow rider in the area. I really do apprecite and respect them.

 

[summ8rmk]

I've been riding for over 25yrs, bought a lot of snowmobiles.
We had all 4 brands here and not one dealer has ever said one word to me about avalanches.

3 yrs ago? Ski-doo sponsored an avy class, our local doo dealer advertised the event, it was a good class. Better than the state sponsored class i attended.

I have been to that dealer several times since and not a word about avy's or avy safety.

snowmow

 

[Vincenthdfan]

http://youtu.be/FR-GH9_hS98

Man, if that video doesn't serve as a wake up call and scare the hell out of people, I don't know what its going to take??!

A seemingly small play hill like that and his whole world changed....he was damn lucky his head was still above.

Scary, scary stuff right there.

 

[SNOBI-WAN-KENOBI]

Man, if that video doesn't serve as a wake up call and scare the hell out of people, I don't know what its going to take??!

A seemingly small play hill like that and his whole world changed....he was damn lucky his head was still above.

Scary, scary stuff right there.

LUCKY!!!

 

[Vincenthdfan]

http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2012/snow-fall/#/?part=tunnel-creek

Wow, that was a tough read.

Even tougher watching and listening to the videos.

Very, very well done article in documenting what happened.

Scary stuff...haunting even.

 

[snowracer21]

Avalanches are a ****ty, but REAL problem in our sport..and unfortunately, with sleds getting us places where sometimes we do not belong.. avalanches will be a common occurrence in our sport, forever.

I'm level 1 certified, the instructor gave us a statistic, he said, if 100 people are in an avalanche, 25 will die due to trauma caused by the slide, (hitting a rock or tree at 50mph). Of those 75 left, 60% will be saved by a properly deployed avalanche bag.

I liken avalanche bags to a seatbelt/air bag in a car. Sure, if you hit a suburban head on at 70, your chances aren't the greatest..but Avy bags DO help quite a bit. I personally believe EVERYONE that rides in avy terrain should have one ON TOP of your beacon, probe and shovel, INSIDE your bag, on your back, not in your damn tunnel bag!

We also went over in the course, how avalanches do not discriminate. The lookout could be all green/low danger, and you could still set off a historic sized slide.

What I HATE seeing, is: "oh, what a dumb ***, he didn't have a beacon, or he was riding a slope that always slides, on a high danger day" etc etc. Please, cut the bull****. We've all done dumb ****, but when someone passes, please, do not cut them down. Every slide, and every fatality is a chance for us to learn what went wrong, and how could it have been avoided.

My biggest worry with fatal avalanches, is, the government stepping in and saying "okay, enough is enough, no more back country travel". Don't think it will happen? Just watch.

 

[Chadly]

What I HATE seeing, is: "oh, what a dumb ***, he didn't have a beacon, or he was riding a slope that always slides, on a high danger day" etc etc. Please, cut the bull****. We've all done dumb ****, but when someone passes, please, do not cut them down. Every slide, and every fatality is a chance for us to learn what went wrong, and how could it have been avoided.

Be more ignorant. If you want to do dumb ****, in a dumb area, on public land putting other people's lives in danger you have no business being on a sled on public land. Make sure you pm me what area you are riding in everytime you go so I can make sure your dumb *** doesn't become my problem while I am out trying to have fun and be safe on my sled . You being a dumb **** is not something I want to have as a bad memory the rest of my life. Let me guess you drive drunk as well but only on the Holidays!

 

[snowracer21]

Be more ignorant. If you want to do dumb ****, in a dumb area, on public land putting other people's lives in danger you have no business being on a sled on public land. Make sure you pm me what area you are riding in everytime you go so I can make sure your dumb *** doesn't become my problem while I am out trying to have fun and be safe on my sled . You being a dumb **** is not something I want to have as a bad memory the rest of my life. Let me guess you drive drunk as well but only on the Holidays!

Dude, wtf? I never condoned doing dumb ****, being unprepared etc..

I just said, sometimes I see comments on social media or forums tearing down recent avy victims... Yes, we can point out what they did wrong, but, to call the deceased names..eh, lets have some compassion.

Some VERY skilled/intellegent riders have passed away from slides... would it be proper to call them "idiot, retard, he deserved it" etc?

 

[paulharris]

my opinion is that having an airbag actually increase your chances of getting caught in a deadly avalanche. huge false sense of security. i see it first hand. sledders put themselves in danger thinking "the airbag will save me". combine this with already questionable avalanche awareness for a large portion of sledders and thats a recipe for disaster. I have always felt this way since they came out and have never bought one. avalanches are so much more powerful than people realize, staying off avy terrain when the risk is there is the only viable solution. an airbag is no match for 100 tons of snow sliding down a hill on top of you, slamming you into the trees. of course an airbag can save a life under the perfect circumstances....the point is that putting yourself in a risky situation because you have an airbag is not good. I think that many buy them to appease the wife, and have no intention on staying out of avy terrain. unfortunately many sledders are driven by their egos, and oblivious to avy risk. as for some snowbikers, i have seen a few of these guys really putting themselves in harms way as the sport grows in popularity....i witness these guys cutting diagonally across a slope just creating a nice fracture line for it to let loose. just my opinion here, not trying to ruffle feathers. RIP to the person lost last weekend, its always so sad to hear this when you know it could have been prevented with better decisions.

 

[freefall]

risk taking

"Let me guess you drive drunk as well but only on the Holidays! "


wonder if February 26th was a holiday in McCall


ooops

 

[Chadly]

"Let me guess you drive drunk as well but only on the Holidays! "


wonder if February 26th was a holiday in McCall


ooops

Everyday is a holiday in McCall!