Anyone argue that if the conditions on avalanche.ca are considerable or worse that it should be manditory to show your WORKING beacon to the trail pass collector. Yesterday was a grim day at Owls Head in Sicamous. Hard to say if it would of made in difference in that young mans life (pending cause of death) but with a beacon it would have made a huge difference in search time. 3 hours compared to 10-20 minutes. Not only is your life in danger but to your rescuers as well. Yesterday was tragic enough and we don't need another situation like Fernie where the rescuers were killed as well. Please remember to be careful, nobody needs to be hero when the conditions are bad. I'm sure we all people we want to see and tell our stories after a good day of fun safe riding. Everyone should do themselves a favor and take a course, you will be amazed at what you will take away as far as knowledge. Lets have a safe last few months here everyone.
Manditory beacons
- Thread starter shuswapbrent
- Start date
You are 100% correct in your thinking.
Ride safe and SMART.
No amout of avy equipment is a match for mother nature
Ride safe and SMART.
No amout of avy equipment is a match for mother nature
M
M9onNOS
ACCOUNT CLOSED
I totally agree with what you are trying to say here, as I never go into the backcountry without my beacon or allow anyone to ride with me that does not have one. But the fact of the matter is, it is not the responsability of anyone but yourself to make sure you and your buds have the right equipment to go out there. Lets all just be a little smarter especially with conditions the way they are out there guys and gals, and everyone will hopefully go home safely.
Not only is it important to have all the right equipment but TAKE A COURSE to actually LEARN HOW TO USE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just figue if they can make it so that you have to have winter tires or chains in some areas on the highways then why not beacon. put an RCMP at the check point randomly ( besides from 8-11 am what are they doing haha) just to send a message that are serious about saving lives.
After the large expense of owning a sled with a truck and trailer what's another couple thousand to protect and educate yourself against the risk of dying out there. I don't understand how guys can go out with no avy gear, it's ridiculous and incredibly stupid. The way it is for me if there are people doing stupid chiat, where they have no business ridding I will leave them there. My life is worth more to me than that idiot's. Be smart and live a long life.
well the last body me and my friends recovered the guy was 2 feet under with no tranceiver on. apparently he left it in the truck that day because he didn't need it. the 2 friends of mine who were buried had tranceivors on both of them are coming riding with me on weds somewhere with minimal avy danger.
I disagree that any club should be responsible for checking beacons at the trail head. I think that with this will come a whole bowl of liability that no club should get into, are they going to check the batteries in each beacon? Are they going to check if the beacon is working properly? Are they going to see if a person knows how to use it? All that aside, it is childish to expect that someone needs to look out for you. Are they also going to make sure you have warm socks on? Brought extra mittens and a snack for if you get hungry? Give me a break, this isn't play school.
Time for people to take more responsibility for their own actions and require less moderation in life. "I don't wear a transceiver because noone at the trail head stops me from going without it" is not an acceptable excuse.
If you sled you should know how to use one and wear it everytime. If someone in your group doesn't have one this means they won't be finding YOU if you get buried, it's not just their gamble, it's yours too. If one of my friends show up without a transceiver I'd say sorry buddy but you forgot it and because of that you get to keep the truck warm today. Hope you know how to play solitaire.
nate
Time for people to take more responsibility for their own actions and require less moderation in life. "I don't wear a transceiver because noone at the trail head stops me from going without it" is not an acceptable excuse.
If you sled you should know how to use one and wear it everytime. If someone in your group doesn't have one this means they won't be finding YOU if you get buried, it's not just their gamble, it's yours too. If one of my friends show up without a transceiver I'd say sorry buddy but you forgot it and because of that you get to keep the truck warm today. Hope you know how to play solitaire.
nate
Well Put. I also think the dealerships should band together and take the extra step to provide anyone that buys a new sled with the right gear. If you buy a mountain sled it should come with shovel, probe, beacon and ABS pack. "Your sled will be $12000 sir and it comes with all of this stuff and this is how you use it..... Well how about I give you $10500 and you keep all the avy stuff. Bull$hit, this sled doesn't leave the shop without it." Just my 2 bits.
The responsibility of wearing a beacon should lie with your group. Throw one in the snow before you go out and practice finding it with the others. Those who don't think they need one should wait in the truck. My .02
Sounds great in theory, but so many people already have this stuff. Who needs new avy gear every time they buy a sled? If you don't have the stuff yet, who says you'll like the gear supplied with the sled. Everyone has preferences on the brands of shovels, packs, probes, and beacons they use.
At the end of the day, people need to be responsible for thier own actions.
X2, I agree.
One third of people caught are killed from trauma, not suffication. Education is what is important, not policing trail heads. This is the backcountry, not a paid recreation area like a ski resort. You are on your own out there and need to be responsible and accountable for the decisions you make.
N
northernnytro
New member
They are mandatory if you like life and your riding buddies life!!
I believe it should be a option if you already have the equipment,but if you don't you should have the option of buying it at a good price right from the dealer with your machine. All companies should have the option and should invest in technology, after all they sell them. I also think that education video's and online questionares should be a part of the package, this would probably save a lot of lives, i would have purchased my mountian sled with all these options no problem. I am only talking mainly for mountian machines but should be available on all machines if you are going to the mountians, i don't think it should be mandatory for now but if the option was there i think people would use it especially if you are financing the machine whats a couple extra bucks for something that can save lives. Just my thoughts...
Well....here in BC you have to take a boating course and test before you are allowed to drive a boat. I am not sure how well this would go over, but I wonder if it should be mandatory to take an avy course (certificate) and keep it updated every five years in order to be able to buy a new sled, get a trail pass, or a BC all terrain license plate. If you take an avy course, you would know the importance of carrying the right safety gear, and knowing what slopes are safe and what slopes can slide. Policing for beacons would prove very difficult. Common sense could go a lot further!
Not sure how you would ever get that implemented though?!? (Maybe a new class on your government drivers licence just like Class 6 for motorcycle, you could have class 7 for snowmobiling)
On another note, I put a group buy together last week for ABS backpacks. After so many avy deaths lately, I want to take all the precautionary measures possible!
Not sure how you would ever get that implemented though?!? (Maybe a new class on your government drivers licence just like Class 6 for motorcycle, you could have class 7 for snowmobiling)
On another note, I put a group buy together last week for ABS backpacks. After so many avy deaths lately, I want to take all the precautionary measures possible!
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I too would like to see beacons mandatory but there is a lot of stuff to go threw for the clubs and association to rule it in. It puts a whole new strain on the clubs liability position. Of course less people will die if it was implemented, but what if a trail collector accidentally lets someone threw without one, or one with dead battery and so on. People are so ready to sue for anything nowdays.
So what's the next best thing for here and now and I hope this helps someone. I talked to the Eagle Valley president today (Sicamous) and discussed these vary suggestions. Had a good conversation with him. So as it stands all trail pass collectors will be warning people of the high avalanche risks and remind riders to wear beacons. This is a start. Still have to talk to the Hunters range club. I'm sure they will do the same. The rest is up to us to practice using the beacons and ride safe.
The avalanche control for Rodgers pass says they have never seen such a high avalanche risk in all history of the association. The unfortunate fact is the risk this year is here to stay till the snow goes. The one to two feet of sugar at the very bottom of the entire snow pack is not going to change now. This is pretty consistent throughout most of B.C. If you guys think there is alot of slides now, just wait. It will get worse. I recommend to every group riding to dig a test pit and see for yourself. So this means that even a beaten tracked up 30% hill could slide. Even if it's only a 50 ft. hill that slides, with a 10 to 15 ft. depth it amounts to alot of snow. If you look on google earth at the Owlshead slide, the slide was only approximately 200 to 250 feet in height from what I could calculate. I am told that the little hill slides every year but on a snowpack layer, not right down to the rocks. Pretty scary stuff. Ride safe guys!
So what's the next best thing for here and now and I hope this helps someone. I talked to the Eagle Valley president today (Sicamous) and discussed these vary suggestions. Had a good conversation with him. So as it stands all trail pass collectors will be warning people of the high avalanche risks and remind riders to wear beacons. This is a start. Still have to talk to the Hunters range club. I'm sure they will do the same. The rest is up to us to practice using the beacons and ride safe.
The avalanche control for Rodgers pass says they have never seen such a high avalanche risk in all history of the association. The unfortunate fact is the risk this year is here to stay till the snow goes. The one to two feet of sugar at the very bottom of the entire snow pack is not going to change now. This is pretty consistent throughout most of B.C. If you guys think there is alot of slides now, just wait. It will get worse. I recommend to every group riding to dig a test pit and see for yourself. So this means that even a beaten tracked up 30% hill could slide. Even if it's only a 50 ft. hill that slides, with a 10 to 15 ft. depth it amounts to alot of snow. If you look on google earth at the Owlshead slide, the slide was only approximately 200 to 250 feet in height from what I could calculate. I am told that the little hill slides every year but on a snowpack layer, not right down to the rocks. Pretty scary stuff. Ride safe guys!
i think the liability brings a valid point because if someone dies there will be fingers pointed for sure. more likely from the media and stupid people ( which are often one in the same). i was just very frusturated when i started this thread on how someone could think that 1- what they are doing is not dangerous, 2- if something happens how many people they are putting in danger as well. one further comment....from people who were at the scene on sunday, apparently 2 guys rode accross the ridge above the search site then dropped into the bowl....if you two are reading this you guys are IDIOTS.
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cobbycat
ACCOUNT CLOSED
come on brothers.......just get the beacons, probes, shovels, and education.
save your own life, don't rely on the next brother to bail you out, but know that he will do all he can. but also know, as in the case on sunday at owlshead, that might not be enough. some one wrote something on the fernie avy thread that stuck,"I have a sticker on my sled dash and it says DADDY WE LOVE YOU" I'm having one made!
save your own life, don't rely on the next brother to bail you out, but know that he will do all he can. but also know, as in the case on sunday at owlshead, that might not be enough. some one wrote something on the fernie avy thread that stuck,"I have a sticker on my sled dash and it says DADDY WE LOVE YOU" I'm having one made!
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cobbycat
ACCOUNT CLOSED
couldn't agree more, almost shat myself when they dropped in on the only part of the hill that didn't slide yet, with 40-50 people waving them off.
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