Lessons I have learned from Avy in GL

[Mrs Snowrider]

Mark Goetz's funeral arrangements have been made. The funeral is tomorrow, Wednesday in Olde Town Arvada. The family is asking that donations be made to Grand County Search and Rescue. Their address is POB 172, Winter Park, CO 80482. Thank you for your generosity.



We were up there riding yesterday. -5 degrees was the high. We always wear beacons, carry shovels and probes. It was a good thing yesterday. We had just arrived back to the parking lot, I came back a little early because of the cold. Was sitting in the truck when a sherrif's vehicle and an ambulance showed up. Heard one person was injured. Then a little later I heard there was an avy up on Gravel. My group was just up there. Luckily they came back. By then news was out 2 were trapped in the avy, search and rescue still hadn't shown up yet, quite awhile after the sheriff arrived. We all know how short of a time you have to get someone unburied. My group returned and zoomed right back up to Gravel. Sheriff didn't want them to go thru, too bad! Nobody else had arrived to go save them and it was 45 minutes AFTER they arrived. They were first at scene. The father of one of the victims was the survivor. HE had no gear on him, no beacons. We found his shovel on the back of his sled, which was turned upside down in the avy. He was completely helpless to save his friend and son. My friend and Mr Snowrider quickly found both victims and provided CPR for a long time before anybody showed up to take over. Unfortunately, it was too late for both victims. It was 1 hr and 37 minutes before our party arrived. Hmmm.

IN Avy classes, they tell us time and time again, if you want to survive an avy, you better have someone there to rescue you, otherwise, it is just a recovery. We witnesses this first hand. Most everyone we ride with wears and carries avy gear. I have decided that from going forward, if you don't wear the gear, you don't ride with us! I want to make sure in the event I am caught in an avy, the people around me are prepared as I am to be able to perform a rescue, not the recovery!

It was a sad day for us snowmobilers. Most of the time it is stupidity and the feeling of invincibility that puts us in these situations. The guilt the father will carry with him the rest of his life is something I don't EVER want to be in. Life is too short as it is, we love the sport, but we respect the mountains. Mother Nature is bigger than all of us!

Mr. SkiDoo and Mr Snowrider were brave to go back up there, long before anybody else did. They did their best to revive the victims, never gave up until search and rescue arrived. THank you!

 

[Mrs Snowrider]

The other part of the lesson learned I forgot to add, and again, something we should all remember.

The two victims were both stuck on Gravel. First, only one person on the hill at a time. The real sad part of the story was the father also went up the hill to go help them get unstuck. He set off the avy, thus killing his best friend and his son.

These are all lessons we know, or should know before we EVER climb a hill. Hill climbing is fun, I enjoy it as much as anyone. But SAFETY ALWAYS COMES BEFORE FUN!

 

[theultrarider]

Mrs. Snowrider,
Thank you for the informative post. It is lessons we should all know already, but are so easy to forget. I am sure it was hard to sit and write this. I am glad you folks were up there to help out. I am sure it will be a day you will never forget.

 

[skibreeze]

Thanks for the info, I also searched for a guy that didn't make it a few years ago. It is a terrible situation to be in.

 

[Qreiff]

Powerful words Mrs. Snowrider. I hope this is read again and again by thousands!! Preparedness and education are the best tools. It is good to have people like you and your group around who take action.

 

[Rprecision]

I have never been up there before, What was the area involved like. Real steep, long hill, etc ?

I first heard about this in the news, what a horrible way to end the year.

Thank you for sharing

 

[Mr. SKI-DOO]

Lessons we need to learn!

This was such a tragedy, Two weeks of snow, 2+ days of high winds, high snowloads on the slope, a huge cornice, no beacons, 3 guys all on the same slope at the same time, all telltail signs of danger. That part of that mt. was known to be hazardous at times. The slope and slide was 3 to 400 feet long. The angle started at about 45 deg. at the top down to trees at the bottom with a 10 to 20 deg. angle. Not much room for run out , or a runaway sled for that matter. Riders please get some avy knowledge from your local clubs or avy & rescue experts, and then go get your avy gear ( beacon-probe-shovel) before your next ride. If you dont himark that much, please still consider the gear, because it could save your friend or family member, or that friend that you will save. To those of us that were there, We did the most we could, and I learned a lot, in case there is a next time.
P.S. Search & Rescue do a great job, but remember that we and our fellow riders need to try and save ourselves first!
Those first few seconds count the most!
Get your gear, and be safe. Mr. SKI-DOO

 

[Mrs Snowrider]

Another sad part of this story, we just realized we met the family of the 19 year old boy a few years ago in GL. The dad had just purchased a new dragon and offered to go riding any time, so I could try his sled. What is even more ironic, they live 2 minutes from our house. It is a small world.

 

[bdubs]

God bless you! thanks for doing what you all did. If anything positive comes from this is that there are others out there that are prepared, willing to help.. Hopefully more will get educated, equipped and heed the warnings...


It was this weekend last year (New Years day exactly) that me and the wife had to dig someone out of a slide on Gravel mtn. Same time for response with S&R (not bashing, just recalling) We got lucky and found him as he didn't have a beacon on. Driving up to the cabin in GL yesterday me and the wife were both very somber as the last years slide was heavy on our minds. We get here and hear the news... freaked us out.

Again, thanks to you and yours for making the rescue attempt. We need more folks like you all on the hills.

 

[PJ-Hunter]

It's very sad that the Sheriff's Dept showed up and was helpless. There are two people on that dept. that know anything about sledding at all. And that isn't much to rely on. I honestly think that they should be educated in back-country rescue. In Grand County S&R is all volunteer and in this case it took them too long to get to the scene.

Please think of where you are and the conditions. Wear all of the gear for avy protection and make sure that your riding buddies wear it and know how to use it. It is a unfortunate reality but in Grand County by the time S&R arrives it will most likely be a recovery and not a rescue.

 

[bushy]

Good on your group for helping Mrs. Snow! When you have a few minutes to live the only person that is going to save you is your riding buddy. No emergency response could ever be quick enough. Above all, heed the warnings and don't do stupid stuff. Sounds like your loved ones were extremely lucky it wasn't them, Nan.

 

[powderpro]

Any pictures of the slide? I snowmobile GL a few times a year and would be interested in knowing exactly where this slide was. I know it was a Gravel mountain, but where exactly on the hill? Sorry to hear the horrible news.

 

[Mrs Snowrider]

Any pictures of the slide? I snowmobile GL a few times a year and would be interested in knowing exactly where this slide was. I know it was a Gravel mountain, but where exactly on the hill? Sorry to hear the horrible news.

We didn't get any pics, it was dark by the time they all rode out. 9 news had a pic on the 5:00 news, maybe it is on their website. It was on the far left of GM, you had to climb thru some trees to get to this part of the hill.

 

[tundra277]

My thoughts and prayers to all those that were involved. My heart also goes out to the families of those that perished.

Please don't jump to conclusions about the Sheriff's Office or SAR. By law the sheriff is responsible for SAR, but they contract with SAR group to perform those services. All search and rescue (with the exception of the military) in CO is volunteer and they train year round for all types of rescue. If you feel they were too slow or didn't have the right gear or training, get involved and volunteer or make a donation to the SAR group.

As was said above, carry the gear, get the knowledge and realize that when we ride in areas with other people and they make a poor decision WE might get drawn into the incident. Check out the Colorado Avalanche Info Center web site for the accident review investigation and check the CAIC website everyday to see how the weather and snow are playing out for the year for your area that you ride.

If you can't sleep some night, read all the accident reviews that are posted there.

Once again, my thoughts and prayers are with all those involved.

 

[MtnDoo]

Powderpro - here's the CAIC report & incident map:

Gravel Mtn Ave Report

 

[FCR112]

Thanks for what you did

God's Speed

 

[densnwbdr]

Mr SkiDoo and Mr Snorider, I heart felt thank you for you help in asssisting the the rescue attempt on our friend and fire dept brother. I know you did all you could and sometimes that is just not enough. A sad lesson learned but hopefully will save lives in the future. Both riders will be dearly missed. THANKS AGAIN FOR THE EFFORT!

 

[backcountryislife]

I know I come off like a sarcastic prick on here pretty often, but I have a serious question.

Why do we all talk about thoughts & prayers after the fact, but let our friends & riding buddies get away with this crap? Even watching another group do something stupid & not telling them why it was a bad idea seems like negligent behavior to me. I have more than a few times gone up to a group & hassled them about climbing more than one at a time, or for being right below where their buddy is climbing, or for riding avy terrain without avy gear/ education. Sometimes folks think I'm a prick, sometimes they stop & ask questions like, "could this actually slide?" or "you mean it would come all the way down here?" & we get to have a discusssion where people end up safer because they stopped & thought about it, but yeah, sometimes they just think I'm a preaching prick.

I really think that WE ALL need to start being jerks or whatever you want to call it to people that do not understand the danger of the situation that they're in. Maybe if someone had mentioned to the dad that there shouldn't have been two people on the hill, he wouldn't have ridden up there & put the strain of a 3rd on the hill.

This is not a cut on you Mrs. by any means, it's a cut on all of us! Stop being tolerant of the stupidity that you see out on the snow & maybe snowmobiling will stop climbing as the highest deaths per user group in the mtns.

Sorry to be insensitive to the pain of those who have lost a loved one or friend, but the real sensitivity is keeping this from happening in the future.


Kaleb

 

[skidoojohncsu]

I couldn't agree with backcountryislife more. We all need to watch out for our fellow riders and it's not hard to determine the experienced from the inexperienced. We need to take it upon ourselves to watch out for everyone, not just the ones in our group.

It's unfortunate that two were lost recently in GL and my thoughts are with them, but we all need to change as a group or this may be a real bad year for snowmobilers.

 

[densnwbdr]

Kaleb,
A little harsh but I agree with you. I make it a point to only ride with people that carry avy gear. There is still alot of education needed in the sport and in snow conditions.