I've been here at work this Christmas morning for a few hours now and have had a couple of minutes to read the forum and reflect on the lost of life yesterday. The loss of Dave (Animal) that has bound so many of us together. The risks we take for our sport. The effect we have on the people closest to us while we’re just trying to have fun.
This year, with the snow pack so very unstable, each time I leave to ride I hear the worry in the voice of my parents, Tink and I check out and then back in with them every trip. I take the SPOT so they can follow our progress on line. I’m sure your families are worrying the same way, it will be worse for them since yesterday’s tragedy.
I’ve read the reports and am impressed that without climbing that hill, without taking undue risk, the avalanche still triggered and still killed Eric and Jesse. I know we can all die slipping in the shower or driving to work tomorrow, but do we need to die while riding?
What lesson can we take away; what can we do to help those around us? The easy ones are beacons, shovels, probes. A little harder, but I’m beginning to believe as essential to snow mobiles as gas and oil, a avalanche airbag. I’m shopping for one this weekend.
Harder still is restraining ourselves and staying away from the slopes; staying back while the sled in front of you passes along a side hill (one at a time.. only one caught, only one to rescue); taking to time to dig a pit, even amongst the trees that we usually figure are “safe” and using the good judgment that no matter how much snow this might be the “worst” of snow years because of the “kind” on snow fall we’ve had.
Prayers and condolences to the family’s of Eric and Jesse.
Please, everyone be safe; everyone take the Avalanche centers class on identifying avalanche conditions; everyone take time to dig a pit before leaving the flats; everyone practice with your beacon a couple of times a year; everyone take their equipment every trip.
This year, with the snow pack so very unstable, each time I leave to ride I hear the worry in the voice of my parents, Tink and I check out and then back in with them every trip. I take the SPOT so they can follow our progress on line. I’m sure your families are worrying the same way, it will be worse for them since yesterday’s tragedy.
I’ve read the reports and am impressed that without climbing that hill, without taking undue risk, the avalanche still triggered and still killed Eric and Jesse. I know we can all die slipping in the shower or driving to work tomorrow, but do we need to die while riding?
What lesson can we take away; what can we do to help those around us? The easy ones are beacons, shovels, probes. A little harder, but I’m beginning to believe as essential to snow mobiles as gas and oil, a avalanche airbag. I’m shopping for one this weekend.
Harder still is restraining ourselves and staying away from the slopes; staying back while the sled in front of you passes along a side hill (one at a time.. only one caught, only one to rescue); taking to time to dig a pit, even amongst the trees that we usually figure are “safe” and using the good judgment that no matter how much snow this might be the “worst” of snow years because of the “kind” on snow fall we’ve had.
Prayers and condolences to the family’s of Eric and Jesse.
Please, everyone be safe; everyone take the Avalanche centers class on identifying avalanche conditions; everyone take time to dig a pit before leaving the flats; everyone practice with your beacon a couple of times a year; everyone take their equipment every trip.
