??? official Avy death tally for 08/09... SO FAR???

[MPS]

this is shapping up to be a horrible season and its not getting any better. problem is this snow isnt really healing, just getting another bad layer on top waiting for more new snow now. next wave of pow and were gonna see plenty more dying. any new snow is gonna cause smaller slides which will trigger down to the ground on the original faceted layer that refuses to heal. this will result in massive slides killing more and more.

i hate to sound rude, but my guess is gonna be over 50 this winter. 2 months out of a 4 months of solid winter and were already at 31??!!!

Exactly! Isn't this common sense regarding how unstable the snow is!? The snow will not recover for the rest of the year! I just don't understand! Are people that uneducated regarding the snow conditions? Is it that they think it won't happen to them? The deaths should be over by now! People have no business on dangerous chutes or slopes. Come on people! It breaks my heart to see wives/husbands and little ones left at home without a husband/wife or dad/mother! Shooting up a chute to high mark your buddy is not worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Plain and simple! Please don't let these deaths be in vain! Learn from our fallen brothers/sisters! This shows real respect to them. Yes, I preached a whole bunch!

 

[flying pig]

Please don't let these deaths be in vain! Learn from our fallen brothers/sisters! This shows real respect to them.

That's my exact point in staying home as I have since the 7th of december. I'll wait until my little sled is fixed to go, and may not even ride the big one this year. It'll still be shinny next year...
Wish more people would do exactly that to show respect for the fallen and their families!

 

[Adrenaline Revolution]

Look at it this way.
This is the year we can all work on our flatland carving techniques, countersteering and other such mad skillz.

Save the climbing for next year.

We don't have to quit riding this year, we just have to ride differently than we'd like to.

Maybe this year the midwestern flatlanders will invite us out to their neck of the woods to try dichbangin!

 

[Mikboo]

you're all invited

you are all welcome to come out the the beautiful black hills of sd to pound some trails do some ditch-banging & climb a few small hills. the snow here is the best it's been in 10-15 years & there's not much avy danger. although a few guys did start a small slide a week or so ago. nothing that could bury you though.

my thoughts & prayer go out to those that lost loved ones!

I understand why people are still riding in the mountains though. we are all addicted to the deep & steep. we love it more than life itself apparently. that is why so many of us sacrifice everything just to ride once or twice a year. we absolutely love it. is that a good enough excuse? no!! but we still do it. are we stupid, arregant insane?? some may think so. we just like to call it passion.

please take precautions & be safe everyone.

sorry my shift key is not working for the caps.grrrr

 

[Original Tetonice]

Just A Reminder To Everyone....The Backcountry Snow Conditions Are Dangerous Every Year.


TTT

 

[ShooTingSTar]

Sled Fatality

Didn't see this fatality listed above. 24 year old Colville, WA man was killed while sledding near Hart's Pass which is just NW of Mazama, WA. on Dec. 28, 2008.

http://www.omakchronicle.com/nws/n081229a.shtml

ShooTingSTar
Twisp, WA

 

[RMKdude]

http://avalanche.state.co.us/pub/accidents_us.php

This shows the fatalities due to avalanches for the past three years and seperates them based on what activity they were participating in. The statistics are staggering and puts into perspective how bad the season is turning out to be compared to others.

Already 16 Avy deaths in the US this season, staggering.

Stay off of the hills!!! I am perfectly content to go a season without doing some big pulls if it means i will be able to ride next year!

Be safe out there, and think before you ride!

 

[MPS]

Just A Reminder To Everyone....The Backcountry Snow Conditions Are Dangerous Every Year.


TTT

Yes, agreed....but they are exceptionally dangerous this year! Ya know the terrorist threat level colors....or the forest fire threat levels? We are in the RED!!!!!!!!!

Mikboo that sounds awesome! We haven't got sh*t for snow for a while. I go to SD every year....I should have stayed there this year! haha

 

[Red-eye]

I believe that conditions are such that everyone should stay out of the hills this year.I have never seen them this bad. I have trained in everything I could through 40 years on the snow. I am not going to say that I wouldn't of made a bad judgement call at the begining of this year being such a different year. I did look harder when people were droppping like flys. I don't know why some choose to still ride the hills, but its their choice and right. I have every level of driving licence you can get, does that mean that I will never get into car accident or that I should not drive when the flatlanders come in droves at 120 km per hr on our mountain roads? Its my choice to drive that day and my right.

 

[Adrenaline Revolution]

you are all welcome to come out the the beautiful black hills of sd to pound some trails do some ditch-banging & climb a few small hills. the snow here is the best it's been in 10-15 years & there's not much avy danger. although a few guys did start a small slide a week or so ago. nothing that could bury you though.

Post some Pics!

The ONLY riding I've done this year is in the neighborhood during Christmas break.

I think my wife and I put on about 1.3 miles!

 

[drinkwyo]

I could have missed this somewhere. What about the kid from Evanston earlier this year. I didnt see it in here

 

[Rock Star]

the Evanston boy is listed in 12/29/08 as Yamaha Hill, Moffit basin, Utah.

I still think one of the 3 in MT is missing off the list. is it?

http://www.avalanche.org/av-reports/index.html

 

[MTdream]

Yes, this list is missing the Mt. Jefferson person others have mentioned...

Head held low, hands folded in prayer for those venturing out!!!

 

[Snorider]

ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFMi1gtaH-o

should be watched, I think some people forget that smaller hills create just as deadly avys.

 

[08 D7]

Just a question but do you guys not drive on friday or saturday nights because there are most car related deaths on these days??and telling everyone to stay out of the hills for the rest of the year is redicoulous...just because the hills you ride are dangerous doesnt mean every hill is...just kinda my point of view....35 deaths, sounds like its safer then driving on the highway to me

 

[Snorider]

Just a question but do you guys not drive on friday or saturday nights because there are most car related deaths on these days??and telling everyone to stay out of the hills for the rest of the year is redicoulous...just because the hills you ride are dangerous doesnt mean every hill is...just kinda my point of view....35 deaths, sounds like its safer then driving on the highway to me

when you compare the amount of drivers on the roads to the amount of sledders inthe hills, the hills are way more dangerous than the highway. WE just want awareness and for guys to think twice. If you want to go out and chance it go for it, its not my life, but I will feel sorry for your family and friends if you feel like being careless and your luck runs out.

it also depends where and what terrain you like to ride, but it never hurt or killed anyone to second think and maybe pass up on dangerous spots. we would all the the stats to be lower and 35 in half a season is huge FYI

 

[Rock Star]

Oops. Even i forgot, this thread was not for defending or agueing points. This was a tally only thread. Go over to another thread somewhere and post car vs. Sled thoughs. I am preparred to go there and argue that one! Lol.

Count only to keep this easy to get here

 

[Caveman]

Being with my family beats being the highmark.Make your own choices but don't hurt others. Cave

 

[MPS]

Just a question but do you guys not drive on friday or saturday nights because there are most car related deaths on these days??and telling everyone to stay out of the hills for the rest of the year is redicoulous...just because the hills you ride are dangerous doesnt mean every hill is...just kinda my point of view....35 deaths, sounds like its safer then driving on the highway to me

I'm gonna try to keep my cool here....I'm not going to call you stupid....but that statement was completely ignorant. More sledders and backcountry skiers die per capita than people in car accidents by FAR! We aren't saying stay out of the hills....just be aware and be safe! Be educated and don't act ignorant. Stay off of sun baked hills with top heavy snow etc, etc, etc. Go to an AVY class and you will be awakened! Every time you sled the threat is there....but this year is particulary bad! Yes 35 deaths! That is enormous! So I will just make an example here....so you have 35,000 sledders in the backcountry and that number has to be very inflated. That would mean 1 in 1000 die this year. Do you think 1 in 1000 drivers die!? Ya not even close...not even slightly close.

Rockstar posted this thread to save lives! I think out of anyone on this forum he is just a little bit qualified!!!!! He has posted this thread to wake people up....he doesn't want others to deal with the pain he has had to deal with....now give him a little respect and help him promote this message instead of taking away from it. I'm sure you are a nice guy, just wake up a little. Peace

 

[Rock Star]

thanks MPS. I actually copied and save MY answer to 08 D7 and planned to put it in the next post he put the same comment about cars again but now I will put it here, Funny part is that I had not even noticed his intent to take AWAY from the message of this post. All I saw was the craziness of his math. Thanks for making me see that in a post intended to save lives he was trying silence the message. here's my post that I had NOT posted until now.........................................................................................

Just a question but do you guys not drive on friday or saturday nights because there are most car related deaths on these days??and telling everyone to stay out of the hills for the rest of the year is redicoulous...just because the hills you ride are dangerous doesnt mean every hill is...just kinda my point of view....35 deaths, sounds like its safer then driving on the highway to me

For the life of me I can NOT understand why this is your comment on multiple threads. I want to really torch it but maybe I can find a way to say this kindly. This is just goofy! If the roads were closed or impassable due to weather would we drive? NO, we'd stay home. Sled miles driven per season of all of us combined are minimal!!! Car miles driven per year are in the trillions. the fatailities per miles driven in autos is WAY lower and decreasing annually. Why? safety. Rules. and common sense.

Let's look for an analogy that works. Boats. OK, you have a 21 foot Bass boat. 1 to 2 foot waves on your big lake. Not a smooth day but you do go fish and get a bit beat up compared to a calm day. ok, now 4 foot waves and small craft warnings. Who goes out? almost no one. Simple, it's not safe. Sure it's your right to go, but it's suicide. Stay in all summer and put the boat away? NOPE. go out when it's safe or fish in calmer waters.

we are all about riding sleds. ALL about it. But caution must be exercised and options are available. all hills are unsafe right now and with rain and ice it will get wacky again.

NO ONE says park it for the year. NO one! all everyone is saying is watch it. hit the hills when and IF they get safe.

The car thing just doesn't cut it.

I can say that if 35 people had died this winter towing whille driving to or from the trailhead, we'd be talking about it. I know of none!!!!