Modern Sleds And Avys

[mod03rmk800]

Sitting here thinking about sledding 10+ years ago the sleds made then were not capable to climb the deep stuff that nowadays sleds can. Wondering what the percent of the big mod guys to the regular stock sled rider was at back 10+ years ago. Then who was triggering the slides more often back then?
I have road with an older refreshed skidoo 700 that in its day was a pretty heavy mod and it could not come close to my 03 sled climbing the deep.
So I can only assume that the older mods of the past were staying a lot lower on the hills if they were even getting to the big stuff at all when the snow is deep.Now I know that the BIG mods were making it there and climbing high but I would assume that those numbers of big mods were low. It has been talked about before that these new sleds are going places that the old couldn't under deeper snow so a reminder to us all should remain fresh.
Most all of the new stock sleds are equal to the heavy mods of the old days putting a lot of people off the trail and up the hills.
So try and keep the dangers to a minimal and remember a hill can slide hundreds of feet across and very from a small sluff(?) to a large slab.
ONE PERSON AT A TIME CLIMBING(a rule that I often break)
AND WHEN WATCHING PARK OUT OF ANY OBVIOUS RUN OUT AREAS
BEACONS,BEACONS,AND BEACONS!!!!
Read Boosts post and you will see a few things in it that should try to be avoided. I am not saying the outcome would have been any different.(deep bury)
1. two climbing at once(weight load and double recovery efforts)
2. staying with the sled to long( once its obvious that riding out aint going to happen get away as the sled turns into more debris to contend with.
A sticky post with as many helpful reminders that people could stay refreshed would be more productive then whats there now.
I have never been in a slide and hope it never happens and can only imagine that if it happens everything in the books,courses and opinions goes right out the window at that moment so I apologize to all that have lost people or been in one yourself. I am only trying to keep discussion on avys fresh.

 

[CatWoman]

It is true that the newer sled technology gets us to places we never got to 10 years ago. It is VERY helpful to read the avy stories that have been posted on here.

If you go to the Avy Section, I have a thread with a bunch of links for info. It's also in my sig line.

Everyone be safe, and live to ride another day!

Sandy

 

[Throttle Junkie]

Yep the new stock sleds get to where you should not be when the Avy danger is up.

Another thing that just makes me cringe is everytime I go out I see other groups with dumba$$es highmarking above their buddy that is stuck. Seems like some people never learn

 

[BackCountryBob]

Since the 30-40 degree slopes are the most avy prone, I don't think its the big boys that are all to blame. It's a numbers game---too many riders on too few rideable slopes.

Ten years ago, alot fewer peeps=less avys.

Same goes for backcountry skiers. Today's improved equipment puts more skiers on avy terrain.

Bob

 

[mod03rmk800]

For the most part we are all "big boys" with todays sleds. The only way to really stop the accidents is to stop riding.
What would be nice is practical "damage control" rules that many of us can try to remember while out there. I don't dig pits and don't know anyone that does.
The area I mostly ride doesn't have many slides that I know of. We do ride up to help each other get unstuck on hills that I feel are not high risk sometimes maybe not smart. I won't go help if someone is stuck high up on a very steep hill. When the warnings hit moderate+ I try to stay away from any climbs that have terrain traps below and always try to park out of danger when possible. Mostly stick to the short steep hills until the warnings hit low. What I have seen for the most part is most people can't just drive by a hill and not take a poke at it(I am guilty).Another thing I have been doing is when climbing I try not to turn out the direction that I would be "over the top" of anyone at the bottom when possible. Another thing I have noticed is in a few movies that slides occur when they go all the way up to the edge of rock out-croppings before turning out and wonder if the same danger is there when going up to cornices bottoms before turning out(see this a lot).