Cooke city? Why is it considered so dangerous?
- Thread starter bbrunick
- Start date
Avy
I lost Family in a Cooke avy a few years ago. Cant say enough about checking the avy and weather forecast. Stay off the hills when the danger is elevated. Moderate and considerable ratings have the most deaths because peeps dont think it is dangerous. When it hits the high ratings most people start listening.
You can never have to much avy education or rescue tools.
Many are killed in the avy by trauma and have no chance to be rescued.
Please be safe
Mick
I lost Family in a Cooke avy a few years ago. Cant say enough about checking the avy and weather forecast. Stay off the hills when the danger is elevated. Moderate and considerable ratings have the most deaths because peeps dont think it is dangerous. When it hits the high ratings most people start listening.
You can never have to much avy education or rescue tools.
Many are killed in the avy by trauma and have no chance to be rescued.
Please be safe
Mick
I just returned from Cooke a few days ago and got to see firsthand why it is so dangerous. I've never been to any snowmobile destination anywhere with the same topography you find due north of Cooke City. I'll admit that I enjoy climbing probably as much or more than anybody on the planet, this place had me completely freaked out. You have open relatively flat meadows surrounded by hundreds of chutes of death, one bad decision and it's all over. I'm glad I finally got to see the area in person and would love to ride it with 3' of fresh. One of a kind scenery, but most everything in the area goes nearly vertical, stays cold and eventually slides. I witnessed three snowmobile triggered slides on the 29th, this was before the big storm.
Last spring my son and I rode in Cooke after a 2.5' dump of powder and the riding was great for a day then the sun started making it sticky, we didn't do much climbing, was a great temptation and kinda took some of the fun out of the ride,but we stayed off the hillsides anyway.That was with a good solid base even, according to the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center advisory, the fatalaty yesterday was on a NE facing slope on Fisher Creek,rescue took 10-15 min., two of the avy center guys witnessed the slide and were on the scene to help out, the victim died from trauma. I knew the victim, makes me sad to think about the loss. Be careful out there people.
A skier died yesterday as well in Cooke... A friend of mine and an outstanding, experienced and knowledgeable back-country guy...
One more reason Cooke is dangerous is that it's a big investment to go there... who wants to drive hours and hours to Cooke for a trip with buddies that you planned well in advance and booked hotels for, and put around trails just because the experts say it's dangerous....
Anyone remember "Animal" from several years ago? He had planned a big snowest ride months in advance at his family Cabin in Utah.... snowest buddies were coming from everywhere to attend - Avy conditions turned out to be horrible, but there was just too much invested to take it easy.... he died in a slide and left a young family behind... we hear these stories over and over.
Be careful out there
One more reason Cooke is dangerous is that it's a big investment to go there... who wants to drive hours and hours to Cooke for a trip with buddies that you planned well in advance and booked hotels for, and put around trails just because the experts say it's dangerous....
Anyone remember "Animal" from several years ago? He had planned a big snowest ride months in advance at his family Cabin in Utah.... snowest buddies were coming from everywhere to attend - Avy conditions turned out to be horrible, but there was just too much invested to take it easy.... he died in a slide and left a young family behind... we hear these stories over and over.
Be careful out there
Thought this was a good place to leave one of these links... a lil' avy awareness for anyone who could use it:
http://vimeo.com/34276444
http://vimeo.com/34276444
Very sad news. My experience in that area mirrors others comments. It is beautiful and those slopes have way of just looking so harmless and fun. I think the biggest shock for me was seeing in retrospect how many times someone in my party or me could have been in a slide. Some of those slopes can even be hard packed and all tracked up and then go from a weak layer many feet deeper. I shutter to think of the number of times in the past I had young riders, my family, myself on slopes that I thought were safe to only later read a tragic story or see pics of the slopes after a slide.
For me, and I don't want to minimize avalance equipment/training, the best advice I ever received was to read and study the information from the avalanche centers. The Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center website along with the youtube videos they post are eye opening. In preparation for any trip to avalanche country it is good idea to check out what they are saying and see the pics they post for that particular area. Then on your trip there look for the clues to unstable snow - mini slides in highway ditches or on small hills enroute to riding areas, cracks in snow, recently received snow and wind history to give idea of slope loading. Then after all that still aware slides can happen when none of this exists and even on tracked up slopes!
The GNF avalanche guys are awesome and they have been very accomodating to promote education and awareness. The tragic death of a young man from Billings a few years ago prompted people to have an avalanche course in Billings each year. Beartooth Harley/Hi Mountain Rec has been hosting it and St Vincent in Billings providing the medical training for it. The GNF avalanche specialists have given the presentation and I think this was the 3rd year.
Sorry to hear terrible news. I know this could have happened to people in my groups. Hoping we are all getting better at avoiding the dangers by getting all of us tuned into the avalanche center websites for your region -the information is very sobering and humbling.
For me, and I don't want to minimize avalance equipment/training, the best advice I ever received was to read and study the information from the avalanche centers. The Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center website along with the youtube videos they post are eye opening. In preparation for any trip to avalanche country it is good idea to check out what they are saying and see the pics they post for that particular area. Then on your trip there look for the clues to unstable snow - mini slides in highway ditches or on small hills enroute to riding areas, cracks in snow, recently received snow and wind history to give idea of slope loading. Then after all that still aware slides can happen when none of this exists and even on tracked up slopes!
The GNF avalanche guys are awesome and they have been very accomodating to promote education and awareness. The tragic death of a young man from Billings a few years ago prompted people to have an avalanche course in Billings each year. Beartooth Harley/Hi Mountain Rec has been hosting it and St Vincent in Billings providing the medical training for it. The GNF avalanche specialists have given the presentation and I think this was the 3rd year.
Sorry to hear terrible news. I know this could have happened to people in my groups. Hoping we are all getting better at avoiding the dangers by getting all of us tuned into the avalanche center websites for your region -the information is very sobering and humbling.
R
RidewithChrisBrown
Well-known member
If you are riding in the mountains without any avalanche training then you are taking a risk. You are NOT safe in ALL trees and meadows. If you choose to ride anyway, get a guide who is trained. People riding in the mountains without any training is what makes it unsafe.
M
mthoodskiguy
Well-known member
Cooke puts Decisions in front of u quickly.. Goin to Cooke with the attitude that ur gonna stick to the trees and flatter meadows is a good idea... Er on the Side of caution and just cause u see tracks don't mean it's safe... Make your own decisions and always consider walkin away as first proirity.. Better to be in the bar havin a beer after a day of sledding and not in a body bag.. I know I have said this but think of your best friend lifeless and make your decisions based on your fear of just that.... Beeeeeers not body bags. Seen to many friends die..
What do guys expect-a neon sign at the bottom telling them if its safe?? That mountain had signs written all over it I'd be willing to bet that the local avalanche centre had been warning of that layer in the snowpack for a long time as well...
R
RidewithChrisBrown
Well-known member
Having all the gear is the first step. Learning how to use it and practicing often is the step most people skip. With training and practice you should be able to locate multiple tranceivers in less than 5 minutes. In my last course you had to locate (probe) one tranceiver and then move to a second, probe it and shovel it out. Many of us did all of that in 3 minutes. The CAA says it is critical to open the victim's airway in 10 minutes or less.
I am now teaching CAA AST classes in BC. I am also customizing my own shortened class (1 evening and 1 day) for those who can't commit to a 2 day class. I was buried 12 years ago and almost died and I have been in multiple search and rescues. I have logged almost 150 hours of avalanche training to better my knowledge and to share it with my peers. I ENCOURAGE everyone to get some training!
If you refuse to take an avalanche course please at least do the research on how to read avalanche terrain, how to do a SAFE, quick and effective tranceiver search/recovery with multiple tranceivers, check the avalanche bulletins and use common sense.
Chris
I am now teaching CAA AST classes in BC. I am also customizing my own shortened class (1 evening and 1 day) for those who can't commit to a 2 day class. I was buried 12 years ago and almost died and I have been in multiple search and rescues. I have logged almost 150 hours of avalanche training to better my knowledge and to share it with my peers. I ENCOURAGE everyone to get some training!
If you refuse to take an avalanche course please at least do the research on how to read avalanche terrain, how to do a SAFE, quick and effective tranceiver search/recovery with multiple tranceivers, check the avalanche bulletins and use common sense.
Chris
V
VRod
Active member
Besides having all the necessary gear...
- Avy Pack Airbag system (which I think is just as important as a beacon, not sure why the avy centers don't promote them)
- NEWER beacon that you know how to use
- Shovel (not hard plastic that breaks when it's super cold)
- Probe
... people don't use common sense. I was up in Cooke this past weekend and saw probably close to 50 slides (after the fact) and heard a few. When a group goes out riding in these kind of conditions they all need to huddle up and have a conversation about where they will be riding and make it clear that no one in the group will be climbing anything. Usually what happens is the leader will climb up a bench and everyone else follows and is in danger. Just use common sense people and don't put yourself in the position in the first place. Stick to the smaller rolling hills, meadows and low angle treed areas.
- Avy Pack Airbag system (which I think is just as important as a beacon, not sure why the avy centers don't promote them)
- NEWER beacon that you know how to use
- Shovel (not hard plastic that breaks when it's super cold)
- Probe
... people don't use common sense. I was up in Cooke this past weekend and saw probably close to 50 slides (after the fact) and heard a few. When a group goes out riding in these kind of conditions they all need to huddle up and have a conversation about where they will be riding and make it clear that no one in the group will be climbing anything. Usually what happens is the leader will climb up a bench and everyone else follows and is in danger. Just use common sense people and don't put yourself in the position in the first place. Stick to the smaller rolling hills, meadows and low angle treed areas.
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