Deep thoughts on the recent B.C. Avy Tragedy?

[Mafesto]

After recently dealing with a family member going through lung cancer, I can't understand why people aren't more affraid of smoking than flying, heights, water, speed and all that fun stuff that will just kill ya fast.
Lung cancer is a long drawn out, painful and scary as heck way to die. I'd prefer an abrupt stop at the end of a fast ride myself!

Roger that!

 

[Rock Star]

Lots of great points here. After Animal's death we had to re-examine how that slide occured. It changed everyone near us forever. Then all these recent deaths reconfirmed all we had learned the hard way. Be prepared. be insured. do what you love, smartly!

Riding is like dating to me. Watch who your with, watch where you go and ALWAYs have protection and an exit plan.

 

[cowboysedge]

I think everyone here has a lot of good points!

I can not put into words how I feel for the families and friends of people lost in the last couple of weeks. How sad.

I can't get the word Avalanche off my mind. Anyway I have two young girls and a great wife that love to ride! So I have to make the right choices for them as well as my self all the time. Classes, gear, learning and teaching them the right and wrongs.

I love pushing the limit! It had always been my way of life. Until I was sitting here reading a post by a SW members wife that had lost her husband in an avy. I will never forget that post! It changed my way of thinking forever!
I tried to find the post but it was on the old SW forum and no longer viewable. The part of the post that touched me forever went something like this.

Everyone says he died doing what he loved most, but what he loved most was his baby girl.

Every time I hit the trail I think of that post and how much my family really means to me. I want to learn all I can about every danger out there. But most of all I have learned to listen to what others have to say and ride as a team instead of one on his own.

Ride Safe!!!

 

[SnowBigDeal]

My thoughts & prayer are with all those affected by the Fernie tragedy.

I agree with most of the posts on here. I have 2 small children and can't think of how it would affect them if I were to be killed; however, I think it makes me more careful with them on my mind. I have dug out a friend who died in an avalanche and I still haven't given up snowmobiling because of it. I have however become a lot smarter when it comes to avalanches and taking risks. If I am riding and there is a big wind-loaded hill, I just don't even play on it. If someone is doing something on the hill that they shouldn't be doing, I try to stop and talk to them about it and try to educate others.

In the end, I think tragedies like this make everyone think more and hopefully makes it safer for everyone else. Be safe out there and enjoy the sport!

 

[blair155]

I think about this a lot. Here's my perspective:

You're right about the families of the lost being undeserving of the consequences (of a loved one dying doing what they love), but there's more than one way to lose someone - to depression or the bottle, or any other escape from a mundane existence.

Nobody is guaranteed tomorrow, no matter how safe a lifestyle they choose. You could give up riding the mountains today, and die falling down stairs tomorrow.

I had a near death experience a couple years ago, which included a bit of time to think about what I wished I'd done with my life. My regrets? Mostly, not doing the things that I'd always wanted to do, and never done because they were "too dangerous".

I'd never piloted an airplane...gone surfing...ridden my snowboard in the backcountry...rode a motorcycle to Alaska...told my friends that I loved them...and so on.

If you think about it, the most regrettable deaths are the young...why? Because of how little of life they've gotten to experience. Don't impoverish your life for nothing more than the possible delay of death - it's experiences like riding in the mountains that make life worth living.

If you're a parent, live life the way you want your children to live it. I want my kids to live life to the fullest, and I intend to lead by example.

That's not to say that we should all take risks that can be mitigated - by all means, ride with the best avy gear you can buy, and know how to use it. If the slide risk is high, leave that hill for another day. Spend the paltry $1000 on an ABS pack, and buy that boost kit later.

At the end of the day, I'd rather die trying to live than live trying not to die.

Great Words ScummyTroll.... Said Wonderfully

 

[Powderhound]

Last night two of my riding buddies and I talked to great lengths about this and we came to the same consenses. Ride smart. We discussed several of the riding areas that we have ridden in and how we find ourselves sitting in the runout while one of us takes a run at the hill. This tragedy has opened my eyes greatly. I will be so much more cautious when I ride for sure. I agree that I would rather live and ride than not, but let us not forget our kids wishing that dad was around on christmas morning, or at their tee ball games. BE SAFE and live to ride again

 

[Grizzly Adams]

First of all. Condolences to all the people in Sparwood. The chances of something going wrong is ever present in this sport. Last year super bowl sunday: After cutting a rutschblock and it scored a 7 went carving up a small bowl, snow was solid enough no serious wind shear, no visible cornice, last turn and whoooa whole bowl let go. Almost 1 year later, busted pelvis is gettin better finally. 6 yr old grandson now is snowboarding, wife, daughter, son inlaw & grandson wanting to go pow hunting. 1st 2 days at the cabin this winter will be spent on avy safety [reading the snow conditions, rutschblock, testing peeps, trying the sat phone, checking probes. My biggest lesson learned from my mishap. Spend More time reading the snow and do it more often. Awareness and info is power {worth more than nos or pipes} . Love the floyd lyrics Mafesto. Grizz out
If you don't use them you might as well lose them

 

[Pastor]

I have been very heart broken this year reading of the Avalanche deaths. I can count 11 or 12 deaths one skier and eleven snowmobilers this year that were killed by avalanches that they did not start.

The beginning of this season has been marked by the most dangerous avalanche conditions we have ever seen. We went through weeks of EXTREME danger in a row. The kind of wide spread avalanche danger over the entire West we have never experienced before.

My point is: 1. When the Avalanche danger is Extreme, you cannot even get close to Avalanche areas. You have to stay out of run out areas. You WILL cause an avalanche if you do not stay off the steep and you may get cought in a natural Avalanche. 2. We have had a great time riding this year, but I still have not made a single significant climb! I think things are starting to set up better here in Utah but I still do not trust it yet. 3. Ride but listen to the Avalanche reports, pay attention to conditions, look hard for natural avalanches on your way up to ride, test the snow, test hills by finding steep spots that are short climbs, if your hear any shifting of the snow or feel any get out of there, realize that Avalanches can run out for a LONG WAY!! Only put one person at a time in harms way.

I have heard Avalanche experts say that motor noise cannot start an Avalanche but I have seen on two different occasions that we came into an area safely back from the climb, rode around looking for natural Avalanches and wached with my own eyes small slides start.


Ride but be careful!!

 

[Original Tetonice]

First off I want to say that my thoughts and prayers are with each and every family member and friend related to this awful situation
Second I just wasnt to see if anyone else has been going through the same dilemma that I am experiencing right now?
I have been riding sleds as long as I can remeber. I have been riding in the mountains for four years. I have two young children and a third one due any day now. I love the whole mountain riding experience and I thank God for keeping me safe every time I get back to the parking lot. I wear a becon and have my Avy equipment on me at ALL times. The part that is eating me is that some of these fellow riders who were buried had young children and families. I can't even begin to think what it would be like for my wife and three kids to not have me around. These recent events in B.C really have me thinking if I even want to go to the Alpine ever again. It just seems that no matter how prepared a guy and his crew of riders are, sometimes mother nature still wins and the familes of the lost are the undeserving of the terrible cosequences. Am I alone on this one here Lads?

Keep This In Mind......There is plenty of great riding without going on slopes that may or may not slide. Ride for your wife, children and family and not for your ego or your friends ego.


OT

 

[fuzzydog]

Deep thoughts?

The goal in life is not to arrive at the grave in a perfectly preserved body, but rather to slide in sideways, tires falling off, body used up and exclaim "What a ride!"

Not my words - but words to live by.

As much as it is a tragedy for a young life to be cut short while doing something he/she loved, it would be far more tragic to die at 110 never having experienced what living is all about.

I have a much riskier lifestyle than many people I know - sledding, motorcycle riding, rockcrawling and offroading, I eat too much and mostly I try new things....but I'm enjoying the ride and whenever I talk to friends/family about death, I ask them to not mourn my death, but rather to celebrate my life.

I have no delusions that I am here for some greater purpose and contribution to humankind. I have about 80 years to experience all that living has to offer and I've used up half of those years. Talk to some very elderly people and I think you will find that most of them do not regret the things they did do, they regret the things they didn't do. I don't want to have any regrets.

One final thought - in the words of William Shatner...

"Live life...

Like you're going to die......


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Because you are going to"