I am sure this will be a touchy subject
- Thread starter opus
- Start date
I have got to be involved in just about all aspects of avalanches. From helping undig to purposely setting them off.
Knowledge is key. I could care less about the latest and greatest turbo sled. I am not a mechanic and i hate wrenching with a passion. However i am very knowlegable about the mountains and slides. I like the power, it can become common sense if you want to learn.
One thing i have noticed, A lot of sled guys are too busy looking at the digatrons and spark plugs that they don't look at the snow or the hill side. They don't look for the striations of a windloaded slope, they don't look for the convex knobs they just cut under. Alot of times avy's will let you know ahead of time. But you have to be willing to look for the signs and know what the signs are.
Take a class, get educated and learn to use the skills. There are days you can bang a hill forever but the next week it will slide on the first guy. PAy attention to the weather all week, look up the avy conditions and then learn the avy language.
just my .02
Knowledge is key. I could care less about the latest and greatest turbo sled. I am not a mechanic and i hate wrenching with a passion. However i am very knowlegable about the mountains and slides. I like the power, it can become common sense if you want to learn.
One thing i have noticed, A lot of sled guys are too busy looking at the digatrons and spark plugs that they don't look at the snow or the hill side. They don't look for the striations of a windloaded slope, they don't look for the convex knobs they just cut under. Alot of times avy's will let you know ahead of time. But you have to be willing to look for the signs and know what the signs are.
Take a class, get educated and learn to use the skills. There are days you can bang a hill forever but the next week it will slide on the first guy. PAy attention to the weather all week, look up the avy conditions and then learn the avy language.
just my .02
Of course you could do something safe and mundane like this guy and still get buried in an avy......1998, Paderborn Germany) Overzealous zookeeper Friedrich Riesfeldt fed his constipated elephant Stefan 22 doses of animal laxative and more than a bushel of berries, figs and prunes before the plugged-up pachyderm finally let fly -- and suffocated the keeper under 200 pounds of poop! Investigators say ill-fated Friedrich, 46, was attempting to give the ailing elephant an olive oil enema when the relieved beast unloaded on him like a dump truck full of mud.
"The sheer force of the elephant's unexpected defecation knocked Mr. Riesfeldt to theground, where he struck his head on a rock and lay unconscious as the elephant continued to evacuate his bowels on top of him," said flabbergasted Paderborn police detective Erik Dern. "With no one there to help him, he lay under all that dung for at least an hour before a watchman came along, and during that time he suffocated. "It seems to be just one of those freak accidents that happen."
"The sheer force of the elephant's unexpected defecation knocked Mr. Riesfeldt to theground, where he struck his head on a rock and lay unconscious as the elephant continued to evacuate his bowels on top of him," said flabbergasted Paderborn police detective Erik Dern. "With no one there to help him, he lay under all that dung for at least an hour before a watchman came along, and during that time he suffocated. "It seems to be just one of those freak accidents that happen."
I guess I have a little different view than most. I don't take "stupid" chances on the hill, I go there to have fun and that's what I do. I avoid certain areas during extreme avalanche danger but any hill can slide at any time.
If I die of anything besides old age I want it to be doing something I love. I would much rather die sledding than getting hit on the freeay on the way to work or killed on the job. I believe the old saying "when your times up, your times up", but still try to use my head.
I have had a friend killed in a avy, there were 3 killed that day. LOW avalanche danger on a hill that had been beaten by sleds for days, all tracked up and no new snow. The snow itself didn't give way, but the earth beneath the snow slid, taking all the trees, bushes, many feet of snow with it down to bare soil. There was NO WAY anyone would have given a second though to riding this hill, so the only way to be safe is to lock yourself in a closet and have a boring life.
Ride safe and have fun!!
If I die of anything besides old age I want it to be doing something I love. I would much rather die sledding than getting hit on the freeay on the way to work or killed on the job. I believe the old saying "when your times up, your times up", but still try to use my head.
I have had a friend killed in a avy, there were 3 killed that day. LOW avalanche danger on a hill that had been beaten by sleds for days, all tracked up and no new snow. The snow itself didn't give way, but the earth beneath the snow slid, taking all the trees, bushes, many feet of snow with it down to bare soil. There was NO WAY anyone would have given a second though to riding this hill, so the only way to be safe is to lock yourself in a closet and have a boring life.
Ride safe and have fun!!
I try to teach my daughter about nature. The more you understand and respect it, the more you can use and preserve it. Western snowmobiling is a vehicle for enjoying being outdoors in nature. Some use it for competition, but most use it as a way to get outside. Like others said, life is full of risks, it is a personal decision as to what risks you take and if that risk is worth the reward to you.
I try to use the same philosophy with snowmobiles that I use with cars, knives, guns, walking down the street, and lots of other potentially deadly activities...There are risks and you can die, but if you learn about it and respect it you can enjoy it and lower your risk of injury.
I choose not to highmark big hills because of my lack of skill and due to the risks. I'm not less of a man because of that. I still enjoy drinking a pop and watching others and don't nag them for doing something I'm not willing to do. Their life, their choice. Others may choose not to ride altogether, that should be their choice, not someone elses.
I try to use the same philosophy with snowmobiles that I use with cars, knives, guns, walking down the street, and lots of other potentially deadly activities...There are risks and you can die, but if you learn about it and respect it you can enjoy it and lower your risk of injury.
I choose not to highmark big hills because of my lack of skill and due to the risks. I'm not less of a man because of that. I still enjoy drinking a pop and watching others and don't nag them for doing something I'm not willing to do. Their life, their choice. Others may choose not to ride altogether, that should be their choice, not someone elses.
W
Wyoming T/A
ACCOUNT CLOSED
Verticle Edge and i have changed our view and our riding style over the last few years..this is just 1 reason;;
we have also been there when a N.D. boy was dug out and given CPR by our friend and saved his life,,we also lost a friend to a avy. a few years ago..we stay away from the places that can slid and have just as much fun as the one that pound the same hills for hrs on end..last thing i want to do is come home with bad news about anyone we know or ride with..its bad enough when you dont know them and worse if you do..WE ride hard but we also ride as safe as possible.if that means staying off the bigger hills so be it.
this is another reason- my 15 year old grandson..like to teach him its not all about who can climb the highest.
we have also been there when a N.D. boy was dug out and given CPR by our friend and saved his life,,we also lost a friend to a avy. a few years ago..we stay away from the places that can slid and have just as much fun as the one that pound the same hills for hrs on end..last thing i want to do is come home with bad news about anyone we know or ride with..its bad enough when you dont know them and worse if you do..WE ride hard but we also ride as safe as possible.if that means staying off the bigger hills so be it.
this is another reason- my 15 year old grandson..like to teach him its not all about who can climb the highest.
I think this is a great topic to talk about, I'm still young and not married. Even though I don't have a wife and kids doesn't mean that I shouldn't worry about what I'm out there doing. We all have a lot of people that really care about us and we need to use our best judgement at all times when we are out riding.
This is simply not true. There are 3 people I have ridden with that have been killed by avy's and I know no one who has been killed on their way to church. If more people are killed on their way to church its because millions more people drive to church than go mtn sledding.
The real Danger is in taking unnecessary risk and not realizing that avys are a simple numbers thing. You hit enough hills that are avy potential, eventually you will be caught in one.
My best friend was killed on a hill that was named after me. I have never been back to that hill other than to see where his body was found and where we carved his name in a tree.
Every time I read about an avy death I think about getting out of the sport. I am married with two kids who depend on me. When I was single I never thought about things such as how three other lives might be affected by my death. I actually never thought I would live to 30.
I dont hit the hills that I dont like, if someone does not like it then that is their problem and I wont ride with them again. My priorities are my wife and kids first and foremost and everything else is a distant second.
I dont hit the hills that I dont like, if someone does not like it then that is their problem and I wont ride with them again. My priorities are my wife and kids first and foremost and everything else is a distant second.
K
Kevco
Well-known member
I hope you live long enough to out grow that John Wyane attitude. You CANNOT die in a avy if your home watching TV. I just put up a similar topic and mentioned 2 Avys that werent predictible. If its a question STAY HOME.
Many of the same thoughts, concerns and attitude's cross my mind as the rest of you. Well....except for Tudizzle.
Bottom line is, are we training and setting an example for those that are coming after us (our kids). If your going extreme, are you using and taking all the precautions you can? What ever the answer-that's what your kids, nephew's, nieces or grandkids will see. Hopefully the next step is passing along, with what ever good-bad or ugly happened, and doing some "educating".
I have a hard time, when out with the family, of taking some time to coach. I just wanna ride and tune everything out but in order for my 3 kids to become better,safer and smarter riders, I need to focus on them and some coaching.
All of our kids are as different as night and day. 16 yr old boy has a "think it through" mind. 10 yr old boy is exact opposite, he's ready to start dropping cornices just like in the vid's. If that's what he wants to do as he get's older, I hope to be able to teach him the way to do it and not do it, snow conditions etc....And hopefully have fun and find the enjoyment in knowing that "I" was able to teach him in the real world. That's what being a parent is, I guess. Just look around your neighborhood, what parents are coaching their kids through life and what parents don't give a rip...I know I've got a few in my neighborhood....
I totally believe you are on a schedule. Your day is marked, can't do anything about it. But you can still be safe and responsible. Just look at Evil Keneivel. He didn't do his jumps with reckless abandon...And I thought he woulda been dead long ago from his sport. And then there's Dale Earnhardt.....Both were as safe as possible...Both loved doing what they did....Both are dead.
Bottom line is, are we training and setting an example for those that are coming after us (our kids). If your going extreme, are you using and taking all the precautions you can? What ever the answer-that's what your kids, nephew's, nieces or grandkids will see. Hopefully the next step is passing along, with what ever good-bad or ugly happened, and doing some "educating".
I have a hard time, when out with the family, of taking some time to coach. I just wanna ride and tune everything out but in order for my 3 kids to become better,safer and smarter riders, I need to focus on them and some coaching.
All of our kids are as different as night and day. 16 yr old boy has a "think it through" mind. 10 yr old boy is exact opposite, he's ready to start dropping cornices just like in the vid's. If that's what he wants to do as he get's older, I hope to be able to teach him the way to do it and not do it, snow conditions etc....And hopefully have fun and find the enjoyment in knowing that "I" was able to teach him in the real world. That's what being a parent is, I guess. Just look around your neighborhood, what parents are coaching their kids through life and what parents don't give a rip...I know I've got a few in my neighborhood....
I totally believe you are on a schedule. Your day is marked, can't do anything about it. But you can still be safe and responsible. Just look at Evil Keneivel. He didn't do his jumps with reckless abandon...And I thought he woulda been dead long ago from his sport. And then there's Dale Earnhardt.....Both were as safe as possible...Both loved doing what they did....Both are dead.
W
Wish
Well-known member
I'm glad you posted this topic, I worry about things like this happening to someone I know and care about all of the time. I think there are far to many fatalities in snowmobiling...far more than there has to be, and we all have loved ones, but the most tragic thing is hearing about the wife and kids that have to somehow survive through the tragedy. I just hope people educate themselves and think about the risks involved. Life is too short, its not worth it.
If nothing else we should be setting an example for our kids...by respecting the mountains and the dangers.
I'm a mom, my youngest loves snowmobiling...he is 6 and he drove for himself on a full sized sled New Years. It was a very proud moment but at the same time a very scary moment because I know its in his blood now...and when hes 20, riding with his friends......the thought just terrifies me. I hope he learns by example and rides safe and smart like we try to teach him.
If nothing else we should be setting an example for our kids...by respecting the mountains and the dangers.
I'm a mom, my youngest loves snowmobiling...he is 6 and he drove for himself on a full sized sled New Years. It was a very proud moment but at the same time a very scary moment because I know its in his blood now...and when hes 20, riding with his friends......the thought just terrifies me. I hope he learns by example and rides safe and smart like we try to teach him.
numbers don't lie....
18 deaths annually for every 100,000 vehicles on the road
6 deaths annually for every 100,000 sleds on the mtns
I'm not saying be stupid and do what ever you want on the hills but the odds are greater to die in your car than on the mountain.
I'm no John Wayne...which is why I am pounding the keyboard instead of the hills during these extremely high avy conditions that exist here currently.
How many people with over 10k on a sled wear an ABS pack?
18 deaths annually for every 100,000 vehicles on the road
6 deaths annually for every 100,000 sleds on the mtns
I'm not saying be stupid and do what ever you want on the hills but the odds are greater to die in your car than on the mountain.
I'm no John Wayne...which is why I am pounding the keyboard instead of the hills during these extremely high avy conditions that exist here currently.
How many people with over 10k on a sled wear an ABS pack?
I was buried up to my shoulders in an avalanche 5 years ago, the avy blind sided me and forced me and my sled up against a tree, my first reaction was to climb on top of my seat and and push away from the tree to give me some space. Once the avy stopped it was just like you read, hard as concrete. My brother came flying up through the tree's and I thought to myself how funny it would be to not say anything when he started looking for me(total di(k of a thing to do) anyways when my brother started screaming my name and I heard the panic in his voice I couldn't not answer him. Now whenever I have a bad feeling about a hill his voice of panic rings in my head, I am not scared to die, personally I want to die in some cool way, but I also realize that is selfish and I would hate to put someone through that.
"Now look at the flip side, you’re the parent and now you're watching your child do crazy things. My son is 10 and has done some wild things on a bike and sled that I never dream of when I was his age. Teach them and yourself your safe limit and prepare for the worst. Use the equipment!"
Absolutely! Teach them to use the equipment, properly.
I am with you guys, the thought of my son greiving over the loss of his father scares me much more than my own death. I also lived many years virtually fearlessly. I have done things behind the wheel of a car, on a bike, or on sled that would make most people soil themselves. Just as many of you have.
Teach them what they're equipment CAN do. Help them find the ability to perform when needed. Teach them respect. My son is 11 years old and since he could walk and talk we (his mother and I) have had him in sports. Whether it be team sports or individual like Quarter Midget Racing and riding sleds he is always improving. I see him make moves in a racecar at 11 years old better than a majority of most adults could not do. Now this winter he is really learning to ride. It's his 3rd year riding a sled and it's amazing what he's doing for a 11 year old.
Tomorrow we are riding. I'm passing up a trip with the big boys not only to ride with Chase, but right now the avy danger in our area is very high, so we'll stick to the mellower areas as a family.
Absolutely! Teach them to use the equipment, properly.
I am with you guys, the thought of my son greiving over the loss of his father scares me much more than my own death. I also lived many years virtually fearlessly. I have done things behind the wheel of a car, on a bike, or on sled that would make most people soil themselves. Just as many of you have.
Teach them what they're equipment CAN do. Help them find the ability to perform when needed. Teach them respect. My son is 11 years old and since he could walk and talk we (his mother and I) have had him in sports. Whether it be team sports or individual like Quarter Midget Racing and riding sleds he is always improving. I see him make moves in a racecar at 11 years old better than a majority of most adults could not do. Now this winter he is really learning to ride. It's his 3rd year riding a sled and it's amazing what he's doing for a 11 year old.
Tomorrow we are riding. I'm passing up a trip with the big boys not only to ride with Chase, but right now the avy danger in our area is very high, so we'll stick to the mellower areas as a family.
Last edited:
Similar threads
