Christopher's Easter Weekend Rescue (or what not to do in a blizzard)

[AKSNOWRIDER]

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!

chris, all (and I know its easy to quarterback from my chair)you needed to do was grab your shovels and knock the drift down...even with in a foot of your track, then just roll the sled onto the shoveled area it works, it is one of the most effective and easy ways to get sleds out or change directions, and as BC said..it took alot to put your story out here..kudo's to ya..now I am out the door to go show 4 suckers what its like to ride deep into the mountains in the middle of the night..with no trails....(dont worry..I am a trained gumby)

 

[m8magicandmystery]

i don;t know if it would work in what you had happening..but to keep in the back of your mind is sometimes you just dig out a good space under the rear or the front and have room to get your back down and legs bent just so and leg press the sled up..then you can throw it to the side bit by bit till she is turned...you would be surprised at just how much and how high you can leg press a sled..and i have had to do it...even to get the sled to flip over backwards in a narrow steep chute...but like everyone says..get out with your boy and practice getting sleds out...pretend your the only fella there..and then in the future being stuck is actually part of the great fun....i get stuck terrible sometimes but when back home i look at the experience and it makes me smile and giggle...lol..

 

[christopher]

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.

Agreed.
Had we been deep in the woods far off trail, things would have been quite a bit different. And probably not for the better!

 

[christopher]

chris, all (and I know its easy to quarterback from my chair)you needed to do was grab your shovels and knock the drift down...even with in a foot of your track, then just roll the sled onto the shoveled area it works, it is one of the most effective and easy ways to get sleds out or change directions, and as BC said..it took alot to put your story out here..kudo's to ya..now I am out the door to go show 4 suckers what its like to ride deep into the mountains in the middle of the night..with no trails....(dont worry..I am a trained gumby)

OK, I am game to learn.
I don't see how that would work, but I am willing to try and be taught!

 

[christopher]

i don;t know if it would work in what you had happening..but to keep in the back of your mind is sometimes you just dig out a good space under the rear or the front and have room to get your back down and legs bent just so and leg press the sled up..then you can throw it to the side bit by bit till she is turned...you would be surprised at just how much and how high you can leg press a sled..and i have had to do it...even to get the sled to flip over backwards in a narrow steep chute...but like everyone says..get out with your boy and practice getting sleds out...pretend your the only fella there..and then in the future being stuck is actually part of the great fun....i get stuck terrible sometimes but when back home i look at the experience and it makes me smile and giggle...lol..

I have never heard of such a thing, but that is a heck of an idea!

I WILL try to file that one away and give it a try sometime.

 

[MTdream]

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.

dont look for and waste money on mountaineering pulleys...you can make them out of rope, and will work for what you are wanting...

Will try and get a pick for you sometime...is a outfitters knot, for tieing a highline for horses...is insane how strong of a pulley you can make!!!! 4 horses cannot pull it down...

 

[norcojp]

i don;t know if it would work in what you had happening..but to keep in the back of your mind is sometimes you just dig out a good space under the rear or the front and have room to get your back down and legs bent just so and leg press the sled up..then you can throw it to the side bit by bit till she is turned...you would be surprised at just how much and how high you can leg press a sled..and i have had to do it...even to get the sled to flip over backwards in a narrow steep chute...but like everyone says..get out with your boy and practice getting sleds out...pretend your the only fella there..and then in the future being stuck is actually part of the great fun....i get stuck terrible sometimes but when back home i look at the experience and it makes me smile and giggle...lol..

The other thing that works well in a trench type situation is to start the sled, get the track spinning and then rock it side to side.. the trench, pinch, whatever's got you locked in gets a lot wider. Then the sled's on its side and much easier to drag around.. or just roll over the top.

I don't run a snowmobile forum or anything, but I did pick that tidbit up in my first year of riding.

 

[800 RMK]

Just my .02
You would be surprised on what a "ski pull" will do foryou. One guy on the throddle and someone give a pull on the ski, you can either "goose "it untill u get out or one good pull and pin it and 'ure out. We've got out of many chit hole doing that.........

 

[m8magicandmystery]

Just my .02
You would be surprised on what a "ski pull" will do foryou. One guy on the throddle and someone give a pull on the ski, you can either "goose "it untill u get out or one good pull and pin it and 'ure out. We've got out of many chit hole doing that.........

yep...and a little hole drilled in the throttle flipper and you have some fish line with a washer and then you both pull on the skis and tug the fish line and the throttle relaxes when the sled lurches forward...its like having the invisible man

 

[christopher]

dont look for and waste money on mountaineering pulleys...you can make them out of rope, and will work for what you are wanting...

Will try and get a pick for you sometime...is a outfitters knot, for tieing a highline for horses...is insane how strong of a pulley you can make!!!! 4 horses cannot pull it down...

Seems like a couple lightweight aluminum pulleys would still be a good idea to have along.

 

[Fireman35]

Glad to hear all turned out well...I feel for ya,I take my wife and 12 yr old daughter out in the woods with me and this year got stuck in a ravine and myself and them couldnt retrive the machine with out hooking the other two machines to it to get it out. anyways we made it but made me rethink taking them out there with out another guy to help me in an emergency... i did put a 100' of parachute cord in my back pack with a fancy hook and rachet strap to help with this type of rescue or extraction. Oh ya your comment on not offending any one on the spiritual overtones if it offends them dont read the post and i would like to hear their prayers when they are facing a situation like you were in.. all of a sudden every one finds God when in a crisis. So good for you to be spiritual and not afraid to share that. dont appologize for it. Your shoulders are gonna hurt from all the crap youll get from this though...

 

[Fireman35]

Snow shoes

They dont teach this in school.... Nice one

takes less than a few minutes to make a usable snow shoe

http://www.gottagoitsnows.com/snowshoeing/003.html

 

[christopher]

Your shoulders are gonna hurt from all the crap youll get from this though...

Actually, the members have been much kinder than I expected.

When I decided to write down this whole story and share it, I fully expected to be excoriated by some of the guys on this forum. I have been greatly surprised at just how nice everyone has been to me in spite of my mistakes.

I really do love this sport, and I want nothing more than to get better at it and be able to enjoy it even more.

 

[KSH]

Actually, the members have been much kinder than I expected.

When I decided to write down this whole story and share it, I fully expected to be excoriated by some of the guys on this forum. I have been greatly surprised at just how nice everyone has been to me in spite of my mistakes.

I really do love this sport, and I want nothing more than to get better at it and be able to enjoy it even more.

We all have had misadventures.
They either end in a repair bill, or a large liquor bill from your buddies or both.

 

[XXL]

I would not listen to the Monday morning quarterbacks too much, they were not there and they can only assume their course of action or what they want to believe they would do. What I would listen to would be a couple of the S&R guys. They were there. I would find out a couple names of the more expierenced guys that actually saw and expierenced the same thing you did. I would ask them to give me their assesment of the chain of events and tell me "no holds barred" what they think should have happened, from my decision making skills to physically getting the sleds un-stuck. I would stress to them not to sugar coat it at all. I am glad you made it out of your "educational expierence" unscathed, well almost. Thanks for being so open.

 

[Corins]

I wouldn't ask people in person for their opinion, cause you can't delete what they say. And what was said at the beginning of the deleted post was exactly right, everyone is being nice because they are afraid of the back lash, then people that do post about the negative stuff you did just gets deleted anyway, why post about your ordeal if you can't accept criticism?

 

[CatWoman]

I wouldn't ask people in person for their opinion, cause you can't delete what they say. And what was said at the beginning of the deleted post was exactly right, everyone is being nice because they are afraid of the back lash, then people that do post about the negative stuff you did just gets deleted anyway, why post about your ordeal if you can't accept criticism?

There are NO deleted posts. There were 3 posts moved to the Feedback area by me. This thread isn't about running this 4M (nor is any of this section), it's about an experience someone had and is sharing it in the Avalanche and Survival section. It was shared as a way to help others, and to help all learn.

If we were all perfect, there would be no need for backpacks, survival gear, avy gear, etc. Nor would there be any need for the doctors we see after something happens on a ride.....nor the helicopter to get an injured person out, or haul a sled out, etc.

Point is, things happen........and we learn from them. Whether it be the person/people in the situation, or others from reading a shared story. There is a reason this section has unlimited reading/posting......so people can share, learn, grow, and help to assist others with safety.

 

[CoyoteGirl]

Will try and get a pick for you sometime...is a outfitters knot, for tieing a highline for horses...is insane how strong of a pulley you can make!!!! 4 horses cannot pull it down...

I'll be checking back for those pics!

 

[christopher]

I would not listen to the Monday morning quarterbacks too much, they were not there and they can only assume their course of action or what they want to believe they would do. What I would listen to would be a couple of the S&R guys. They were there. I would find out a couple names of the more experienced guys that actually saw and experienced the same thing you did. I would ask them to give me their assessment of the chain of events and tell me "no holds barred" what they think should have happened, from my decision making skills to physically getting the sleds un-stuck. I would stress to them not to sugar coat it at all. I am glad you made it out of your "educational experience" unscathed, well almost. Thanks for being so open.

THAT IS AN EXCELLENT IDEA.
I have stayed in contact with the team as I am working on a few things to help them out after all they did for me. I will fire off a note right now asking for that. I sent them a copy of my sequence of events at the same time I posted it here.

 

[MPS]

Chris, you have extended the olive branch. I have chosen to grab hold for the time being. I think you have been given sufficient feedback here. It does take some fortitude to come out and say I messed up.

However, very few stucks are impossible to get out of...especially with a son that is almost 18. You 2 should have been able to have done it alone...period. It sounds like S and R pulled it out with brute force because they could....not because that was the only option. Dig and dig. I was stuck in IP once (among hundred of other times). My whole riding crew left me (biggest reason I don't like big groups). I was alone stuck in a flat area in the trees. There was 4 ft of new snow. My sled was buried deep. I dug and dug and made myself a runway and got out. I then got back to the Chevron in IP and everyone was getting ready to come back for me. If I am not in a nasty creek bottom with no way out or in some hole...I am getting out with help or no help. It will take me a hell of a lot longer by myself, but I am getting out.

Nothing makes up for experience. I am not trying to toot my own horn here. I rode yesterday and we both got buried under trees and sucked into the tree wells. We cut the trees and got out fairly quick. If we did not have experience, we would have been screwed. Hell if you have to....make a runway with tree branches...think of all options.

I think the most blatant good advice you have gotten is from Idaho Slim. You may not like it, but they were my thoughts exactly. You can do what you want, but I think that post belongs in this thread.

I hope you use this lesson in humility wisely. We all need lessons in humility from time to time...I am no exception.

I appreciate our dialog in the emails. I recommend you tag along with experienced riders whenever you have a chance. I also recommend you have buddies that know where you are riding when you go without them. I always have a back up plan that does not involve S and R.

I am glad you and your sons are safe.