You don't miss a beat do ya!!
Christopher's Easter Weekend Rescue (or what not to do in a blizzard)
- Thread starter christopher
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Sixat38
Well-known member
Glad you got out safe. 25-30 years ago when my dad was teaching me the finer points of snowmobiling he would always say (drill into my head)... You can ride farther in one hour on a sled than you can walk back in eight.
That was in average conditions and trail riding as there were no mtn sleds at that time. Also, he had no real basis for his calculations other than he was trying to get me to "think" about how grave the situation could be if something were to happen. Scare me a little I suppose. Those words still cross my mind now & then while I out riding. And in this day and age of sleds his calculations might even fall short.
Also, I (we) ride a little differently when there are 2 in our group vs 3 or 4. It's amazing how stuck a sled can be with 2 guys and how not stuck it can be in the same situation with 3 guys. The way I ride when it's just me and 1 other person is slightly different than when there's 4 guys in our group. I might take a poke at a side hill line up-over-around the tree when there's more help but bail out short of the tree if I'm only riding with one other person.
It's all judgement calls and only with seat time do we learn. I still try to learn new things every time out.
That was in average conditions and trail riding as there were no mtn sleds at that time. Also, he had no real basis for his calculations other than he was trying to get me to "think" about how grave the situation could be if something were to happen. Scare me a little I suppose. Those words still cross my mind now & then while I out riding. And in this day and age of sleds his calculations might even fall short.
Also, I (we) ride a little differently when there are 2 in our group vs 3 or 4. It's amazing how stuck a sled can be with 2 guys and how not stuck it can be in the same situation with 3 guys. The way I ride when it's just me and 1 other person is slightly different than when there's 4 guys in our group. I might take a poke at a side hill line up-over-around the tree when there's more help but bail out short of the tree if I'm only riding with one other person.
It's all judgement calls and only with seat time do we learn. I still try to learn new things every time out.
I think we were walking at about 2mph in the fresh snow.
It would have taken the better part of a full day to walk from the top of the mountain down back to the car.
One thing that would have made a HUGE difference was some kind of a mini snowshoe.
Something small and very lightweight.
If my footprint had been just twice the size of the bottom of my foot, I wouldn't have sunk in nearly so far on every step and been able to cover much more distance.
It would have taken the better part of a full day to walk from the top of the mountain down back to the car.
One thing that would have made a HUGE difference was some kind of a mini snowshoe.
Something small and very lightweight.
If my footprint had been just twice the size of the bottom of my foot, I wouldn't have sunk in nearly so far on every step and been able to cover much more distance.
takes less than a few minutes to make a usable snow shoe
http://www.gottagoitsnows.com/snowshoeing/003.html
http://www.gottagoitsnows.com/snowshoeing/003.html
A better place to start would be a lighter sled ...that and more mountain riding experience .
Maybe hire a quallified guide so this doesnt happen again.
I know I would NEVER leave my kid behind.
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What would I have done differently?
Not ignored what the WX was telling me, for starters.
I can appreciate the itch to take advantage of a spring dump, especially if you havent been able to ride that season for whatever reason...BUT pushing up into the mountains AS you recognize that the snowfall is worsening??
Climbing into a gathering blizzard? W. T. F. were you thinking??
An active dump means flat light and I don't ride in flat light. I tend to hit things...hard. And drive into creeks, and flip over the bars.
So assuming I was cajoled into overcoming my flatlightis...I would have stayed down in the meadows and trees.
All in all, mistakes in judgement aside, goodonya for keeping a cool head and acting decisively.
Not ignored what the WX was telling me, for starters.
I can appreciate the itch to take advantage of a spring dump, especially if you havent been able to ride that season for whatever reason...BUT pushing up into the mountains AS you recognize that the snowfall is worsening??
Climbing into a gathering blizzard? W. T. F. were you thinking??
An active dump means flat light and I don't ride in flat light. I tend to hit things...hard. And drive into creeks, and flip over the bars.
So assuming I was cajoled into overcoming my flatlightis...I would have stayed down in the meadows and trees.
All in all, mistakes in judgement aside, goodonya for keeping a cool head and acting decisively.
We actually paused and considered doing just that.
Had we decided to walk all the way down, and not to try and meet the rescue team on the way up, I think we would have stopped and cut down some bows and fashioned up something.
Why is the picture at the bottom a photoshop????
They work that good? lolChris, you need to learn how to dig a sled out man. When in doubt, keep digging it out.
Have your family go out with you and get your heavy nytro stuck real good, I mean just bury the thing stupidly. Then try and get it out. When you are done getting it out, look around and see what the end result / method was. That is where you should start for the next time.
Too many people it seems are afraid of some digging. Crap, I think I was shoveling for about 3 hrs total on Saturday... lol
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FWIW...
My teenage son will be 18 in a couple weeks.
I didn't mean to suggest or infer that I was riding with a pair of 13 year olds.
Just that neither of them were adults.
glad you and your party made it out all right and learned from your experience just don't forget your local S&R takes donations and thank you cards 
Two words describe you now,
Rental Rider
I know the section of trail that you were on and it can be nasty in a blow.
We need to get you out for some boon docking. After getting a couple of sleds out of creek bottoms, this would have been a cake walk.
As for S&R, don't second guess calling them. You need to do want you think is right at the time, and a donation of money or equipment will say THANKS.
The biggest thing you need to consider is what would you have done if there was no cell phone reception.
Next year we will have to get you and the boys trained in.
Rental Rider
I know the section of trail that you were on and it can be nasty in a blow.
We need to get you out for some boon docking. After getting a couple of sleds out of creek bottoms, this would have been a cake walk.
As for S&R, don't second guess calling them. You need to do want you think is right at the time, and a donation of money or equipment will say THANKS.
The biggest thing you need to consider is what would you have done if there was no cell phone reception.
Next year we will have to get you and the boys trained in.
Why is the picture at the bottom a photoshop????
Chris, you need to learn how to dig a sled out man. When in doubt, keep digging it out.
I will try to be better prepared to do just that in the future.
They are being well provided for on my behalf.glad you and your party made it out all right and learned from your experience just don't forget your local S&R takes donations and thank you cards
hey chris, dont let it get you down..overall you did pretty good, I wouldnt have left the kids or the sleds..but I have far more experience far from the road....You would be amazed on how easy you can get sleds unstuck if you really think about how they are stuck and what has to happen to get them out...I would suggest next time you take the boys riding..go prepared, but spend some time sticking a sled good..just to practice and see what works to get them out...my trapping partner broke thru the ice one time..we were over 90 miles from the closest road and people..his sled was 6 ft lower then the trail..the cowling under the ice by almost a foot.....it was already dark(we dont have much sunlight in the dead of winter)..it was also -35....took us about 40 minutes to get the sled drug back enough to get the ski's up on the ice..then the sled out and on the ice and back onto our trail(I say our trail, in reality our 2 tracks coming in and going back out..)I used my 100 ft rope tied around the spindles...wrapped around the skis, and a big rock to act as a pole for the rope to lift the sled ski's up and onto the ice...rolled the rock out of the way and pulled the sled on up...using my sled as a winch...(tieing the rope to the track and using it as a winch)...just one of many examples of things we have done..by far in most bad sticks..roll the sled over..99% of the time it wont hurt anything at all..worse case, you break a winsheild..big deal, to have the sled out and usable..priceless....
Two words describe you now,
Rental Rider
I know the section of trail that you were on and it can be nasty in a blow.
We need to get you out for some boon docking. After getting a couple of sleds out of creek bottoms, this would have been a cake walk.
As for S&R, don't second guess calling them. You need to do want you think is right at the time, and a donation of money or equipment will say THANKS.
The biggest thing you need to consider is what would you have done if there was no cell phone reception.
Next year we will have to get you and the boys trained in.
Had we been on the back side of the mountain where we could not have gotten coverage, not hiked to a spot to get coverage I would have....
#1.
I would have removed my ELB and fired it off.
This unit has my name, address, contact information and situation for activation pre-encoded into it. If it goes off, they will know its a Snowmobile incident. But this gives me NO means of knowing if or when help will arrive. So Self Rescue becomes even more important.
#2.
I would have had one of the boys start preparing a snow cave and getting it set up for an over night stay.
#3.
Myself and the other young man would have continued to work on freeing the 2nd sled.
Which of course would have led to the next problem.
Now its getting dark, and weather is lousy, but we have 2 sleds.
Do we double up and try to ride back down, taking the chance we will get stuck again?
Do I send either or both of the boys back down single on the 2 sleds.?
Do we just pack it in for the night and enjoy the snow cave?
Several people have commented the same thing.
There was just no where to roll them though?
There was mountain on the left and drift on the right.
And I could touch both while on my sled.
So long as we were up on top of the drifts all was well, but when moved into this channel along the side of them we were totally committed to going in one direction only, and when I failed to make the climb up, out and over the next big drift, everyone got stuck in sequence.
I have much to learn!
We may not see eye to eye on most things on here, but it's really impressive that you came on here & shared your story. We may all pretend we know it all, but it's always good to see a reminder of why we do certain things & what we need to start doing. Kudos to you Chris.
I'm not a brand loyal kinda guy, but after going in to rescue another yammi that I got a frantic late night call about on sat night, I just can't understand why people continue to ride a sled that they can't dig out by themselves.
I like everything else that yammi makes, but I wish they could take 150 lbs off their sleds.
I'm not a brand loyal kinda guy, but after going in to rescue another yammi that I got a frantic late night call about on sat night, I just can't understand why people continue to ride a sled that they can't dig out by themselves.
I like everything else that yammi makes, but I wish they could take 150 lbs off their sleds.
In all honestly, given the gear and experience we had on Saturday, even if it had been a Ski-Doo XP I am NOT sure I could have gotten it out of that hole.
With ropes, Pullys, ect, YES. I think I could have done it.
So I am now working on expanding the tools that I carry so I will not find myself in this situation ever again.
Or, if I had had another 2 strong riders with me, that would have made a huge difference as well. Manpower changes everything.
With ropes, Pullys, ect, YES. I think I could have done it.
So I am now working on expanding the tools that I carry so I will not find myself in this situation ever again.
Or, if I had had another 2 strong riders with me, that would have made a huge difference as well. Manpower changes everything.
Had we been on the back side of the mountain where we could not have gotten coverage, not hiked to a spot to get coverage I would have....
#1.
I would have removed my ELB and fired it off.
This unit has my name, address, contact information and situation for activation pre-encoded into it. If it goes off, they will know its a Snowmobile incident. But this gives me NO means of knowing if or when help will arrive. So Self Rescue becomes even more important.
#2.
I would have had one of the boys start preparing a snow cave and getting it set up for an over night stay.
#3.
Myself and the other young man would have continued to work on freeing the 2nd sled.
Which of course would have led to the next problem.
Now its getting dark, and weather is lousy, but we have 2 sleds.
Do we double up and try to ride back down, taking the chance we will get stuck again?
Do I send either or both of the boys back down single on the 2 sleds.?
Do we just pack it in for the night and enjoy the snow cave?
Now were back to basic snowmobiling, this is the stuff that you learn from many years of snowmobiling and dragging in dead sleds riding two up..
This is different from most situation's, you were on a marked trail so trying to get out is a good option when nobodies hurt.
If you were in the back country you would have to think differently.
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