Heading to West Yellowstone without a Beacon?

[Ace Powder]

Our Packs, Probes, Shovels and Beacons have always been for our guided backcountry clients. We now have the insurance set up to rent them to anyone who needs them. $20/day or $15/multiple days. PM or call for availability. "Live to ride another day!"

 

[FATLIP]

Good to see this in West finally. Props to you guys!

 

[Silber]

TTT Please be safe and rent this stuff if you dont own it yourself, we dont need anymore avy victims. Thanks Guys West really needed this.

 

[deepdiver]

IT should be a requirement with any Sled Rental unlesss you can show you have your own. It could be buried into the cost of the rental for a few dollars.

A short lesson wouldnt take much...any knowledge is better than none.

 

[ndmtnsledder]

Glad to see someone stepping up to the plate in West to rent them out. Thanks for offering this service and we'll keep you in mind if we are ever short on equipment. Very reasonable on the price.

 

[sdobbs20]

nice hearing that businesses are stepping up and offering this service. $20 is damn cheap too. i'm sure this new service will bring you a bit more income.

lets just hope that sledders heading west will be smart enough to know they need a beacon, and that they ought to know how to use it.

 

[Ace Powder]

Thanks for the comments and support!

Here is a couple of shots of our snow pit the other day. Obvious weak layers with a large slab. So as you can see from the next shots...we stayed in the low angle powder!

 

[Ace Powder]

A sad day for SW Montana.... Three snowmobilers dead from avalanches yesterday 1/17/09. The first was an Idaho man, in the Jefferson Mtn. area, which is mainly Idaho, but apparently were the slide occured was on the Montana side of the Jefferson area. We hope to get more info in a day or two on the slides aspect and weak layers. The second slide occured in the Gravelies near Black Butte. The info I recieved was a Belgrade man was caught and buried for approx. 15 minutes and friends didn't know where he had gone until it was too late. He was buried 2 feet deep on a very small slide. There is more info on these two slides on the attached link.

http://www.mtavalanche.com/current/index.shtml

The third slide happened in Cooke City yesterday and not much info is known yet, but we do know that the victim has yet to be recovered and they are currently working on Probe Lines and have Avalanche Dogs on the scene. Doug and Mark from the Avalanche Center are heading there now and should have some info by tomorrows advisory. Please be cautious out there and play it safe. Prayers go out to all the families and friends of the victims.

 

[Ace Powder]

Two Top Avalanche

Here is a picture of the avalanche that slide on Two Top on Feb. 11th. you can click on the avalanche link below for more info.

 

[ndmtnsledder]

Thanks for the service. Couple guys from our group rented while we were out top notch equipment and very helpful.

 

[Ace Powder]

How much should it be then!?!

Just out of curiosity, what is your life worth? I had a group of "hardcore sledders" come into the shop yesterday asking about beacon/pack rentals. After giving them the low down on the equipment they said that $15/day was too much for a backpack w/beacon, probe and shovel and walked out.

We are not looking to make money with this gear, we are hoping to create awareness and possibly save a life. By the time we add up insurance and cost on the gear we will be lucky to pay for the stuff in a couple of years. So, IS $15/day too much for someone that needs to rent the gear and not be forced to purchase it for $500+???? If its too much, we'll drop the price... I just want to see guys using the right equipment while riding in the backcountry. Thanks for any comments.

 

[Sparticase]

I wouldn't think 15/day is expensive at all, most guys up in west spend that on one drink and 15 is less than the tank of gas for the day. I even consider myself kind of a cheap-skate and 15/day is a pleasing price. Form what i understand...you guys do the the pack, beacon and shovel right?

 

[gspbirdhunt]

How much should it be????

I think your prices are more than fair. As mentioned earlier - that's barely meal and a beer and in most cases - not a tank of gas. Many of us spend hundreds to get there and have thousands in our setup but $15/day is too much? not in my eyes.

IMHO, has a lot to do with if the rider has realized the importance of tomorrow. If $15/day provides me a better chance to get home and see the wife and kids - money well spent. It's just like insurance, buy it and pray that you never have to use it. Or like CPR training - again we learn it and know it but hope to never have to put those skills to work.

Our group rents beacons vs buying due to cost since we get west twice a year. We do carry our own packs/probes and shovels as well as GPS and survival kit. I am sure we are still under prepared if an emergency does arise. I do know we are much better prepared today than we were 8 years ago on our first trip.

Making them available is a great offer. Now it's up the to riders to make the choice. You have done your part and as you know from posts - most appreciate it.

Ride hard and be safe.

 

[Fearless Catman]

Just out of curiosity, what is your life worth? I had a group of "hardcore sledders" come into the shop yesterday asking about beacon/pack rentals. After giving them the low down on the equipment they said that $15/day was too much for a backpack w/beacon, probe and shovel and walked out.

We are not looking to make money with this gear, we are hoping to create awareness and possibly save a life. By the time we add up insurance and cost on the gear we will be lucky to pay for the stuff in a couple of years. So, IS $15/day too much for someone that needs to rent the gear and not be forced to purchase it for $500+???? If its too much, we'll drop the price... I just want to see guys using the right equipment while riding in the backcountry. Thanks for any comments.

Your prices are more than fair in my opinion. Some people are just too "CHEAP" to realize the benefits of renting them out for a few days vs buying. On top of that, their "awareness" of the dangers are not real to them at this point. Since yours include beacon, probe, shovel, and backpack, you are right on with the rates. In cooke, they rent out beacons for $5 a day. Can't beat that, but they don't offer the rest of the gear for rentals. All in all, people with the right frame of mind will gladly rent your gear for a paltry $20 a day. If I ever make a trip to your area and some guy(s) that dont have th necesary gear in my group, I will force them to stop by your store and rent out the gear or they're staying in town or on their own.

 

[Ace Powder]

Thanks for all the comments and support for the service we have made available. To clarify, the rentals of our gear includes: BCA backpack, BCA shovel with storable probe and BCA Tracker beacon. If you are intending on renting a pack combo from us, be prepared to watch a 20 minute video that is required (insurance) and to be educated on the equipment. Even if that means waking up a half hour early before your ride, so your buddies aren't waiting on you. We are a small, intimate rental company but our sled rental clients come first in the mornings, so please come in early, the night before or just be patient when rental avalanche combos.

We have had such a good responce to this service this season that we have just purchased 10 more sets so that, hopefully, we do not have to turn anyone down.

Thanks again for all the support!

 

[NorthWes]

Just out of curiosity, what is your life worth? I had a group of "hardcore sledders" come into the shop yesterday asking about beacon/pack rentals. After giving them the low down on the equipment they said that $15/day was too much for a backpack w/beacon, probe and shovel and walked out.

We are not looking to make money with this gear, we are hoping to create awareness and possibly save a life. By the time we add up insurance and cost on the gear we will be lucky to pay for the stuff in a couple of years. So, IS $15/day too much for someone that needs to rent the gear and not be forced to purchase it for $500+???? If its too much, we'll drop the price... I just want to see guys using the right equipment while riding in the backcountry. Thanks for any comments.

Mountain Sled - $12,000
Trailer - $4,000
Truck to pull sled & trailer - $30,000
Helmet with custom graphics - $250
Name-brand riding clothes - $500
Body Armor - $250
Wisdom to spend $15 for rental avy gear in known avy terrain? Priceless...

Stand your ground on price. If the gear's to be well-cared for the renter needs to pay; maybe $20/day with refundable $5 deposit if the gear comes back in good condition. Don't cut the cost of safety... fools won't pay any price.

With my recent upgrade from trail ride to mountain sled, my riding partners are requesting I upgrade my safety gear and training too. Only a fool would refuse when our very lives may be at stake.

 

[Ace Powder]

TTT that time of the year again... Let it snow!

 

[Ace Powder]

Avalanche Awareness Class in West Yellowstone on Dec. 16 & 17. We will have full packs available for anyone who needs one at NO cost. For more info on this class and others, you can contact the GNFAC at 406-587-6984 or visit this link http://www.mtavalanche.com/education

 

[CatWoman]

Ace...thanks much for what you offer here! Your pricing is extremely reasonable...less than I'd expect if I were renting this gear.

Thumbs up to you for doing what you can to help others be safe out there!!

 

[ZRman31]

This is a great service at a great price. I ride West/IP yearly and i've owned my own gear for a few years now, but the rest of my people i ride with(which may change from year to year) refuse to drop the money on there own beacon..... Now, since i'm the "leader" of the group, i'm going to be sending my crew into your shop and require them to rent the stuff. Thanks alot for this service!!!