Revy avalanche

[pthfndr]

first of all my heart goes out to the people that lost loved ones.
and to all the injured wishing you all a speedy recovery.

And as far as people trying to put blame onto someone for this tragedy,there is only one person who reaches down and pulls that cord each time we ride and in this day and age I think we all know the risks that come with this sport,

And for all affected by this who are reading the posts I'm not going to say ignore the people trying to be keyboard heros, because it does provoke thought. But do remember we all have our own view on things,right or wrong!


everybody be safe and look out for each other.

 

[Rock Star]

I'm considering writing an article/blog on this. It angers me that the media is overlooking all the positives that reduced the number of possible fatalties....which has been mentioned here several times. Also - there are 100s of sledders that DID heed the warnings!! I spent many hours this weekend watching the forums and FB and hearing all the stories of the people that didn't go to the event this year. Or...were in Revy but not at Turbo - by choice - BECAUSE of the conditions.

If I do this, I will use comments made on the forums by survivors and others. But I PROMISE, I will not do as the media has done and use items out of context.

They say life is 5% what happens to you and 95% how you deal with it.

Thank you Oregongirl. Good idea Mark too. it needs to be done! the fact it happened is sad. Blame is a waste. To me the real story here is the vast number who were rescued because so many sledders have those skills and that training. The slide is 5% of the story. The rescue and heroics after preventing catastrophic loss of life are the other 95%.

the people involved couldn't change the event but they ABSOLUTELY changed the outcome. God Bless you all.

 

[Oregongirl]

So I'll work on the article tonight. However, once I get it done and surfaced I will need LOTS of help getting it out there. On forums, as editorials in newspapers, shared link on FB, etc. Then, if I'm approached for interviews, especially for Canada - I would want someone who can represent us well on camera and is articulate, to do the live interviews. So, if you are a willing to go on camera in SUPPORT of back country snowmobiling and talk about our freedoms, then send me a pm. THANKS! I'm not saying that I won't do camera interviews....just that logistically it might not be feasible (since I'm in Oregon!), but that we shouldn't let my accessibility limitations stop us from getting on the air.

We need to band together - have needed to for years IMO - and now is as good at time as any.

 

[SnowXTC]

I am just speechless. This is still sinking in and I have not read everything.

From what I have read, huge THANK YOUs go out to immediate rescue effort that took place. Without that many more lifes would have been lost. I have been to the BIS and I have been to Turbo. I know how chaotic it can be with tons of people and tons of sleds. I so feel for all those involved. My heart and prays go out to to the friends and family of the two men who lost their lives and I pray for a speedy recovery of all those involved.

 

[SixtySevenGT]

We Ride, We Watch, this aint milk and cookies.

Gave up Bull riding at 30 years old.

The Bull rider's think we are Crazy.

We don't need anymore Laws.


Sorry for the loss of life.

 

[tm8man414]

Dude poor comparison, You forget that there are Millions Upon Millons of drivers on the road & hwy every day.

Avy's are flat out reckless...Parking 1 sled or 100 sleds at the bottom of a big hill is like parking your car on the rail road tracks. One day you are going to get hit.

OT

OT

dude i realize that but there numbers are still way more in favour of more death per car accidents

 

[Jaynelson]

dude i realize that but there numbers are still way more in favour of more death per car accidents

It's a dumb arguement. Would you drive your car across a bridge that was rated a 5 out of 5 on the scale of likelyhood to collapse underneath you?

 

[Tree Boss]

They say life is 5% what happens to you and 95% how you deal with it.

Thank you Oregongirl. Good idea Mark too. it needs to be done! the fact it happened is sad. Blame is a waste. To me the real story here is the vast number who were rescued because so many sledders have those skills and that training. The slide is 5% of the story. The rescue and heroics after preventing catastrophic loss of life are the other 95%.

the people involved couldn't change the event but they ABSOLUTELY changed the outcome. God Bless you all.

Well put Rock Star! One of the clips I seen was guys and gals digging there guts out to save lives.

I love how in the moment that people needed to get there avy training put to use they did, and they saved a lot of peoples lives doing it.

Everything in life is generally a risk, I drove today and didn't get hit by a Peterbilt, call it luck but I made it home and glad I did.

I guess that the Jackson Hillclimbs could be dangerous, there are over 10,000 people that come to town for this event and 1000's at the bottom of the hill watching this event. I am still going at the end of this month and assume all risks and won't blame anyone for what may or may not happen. Will it slide, probably not as it is packed down from skiers all year but still is a chance right? I guess I don't like the idea of putting the blame on ANYONE.

Ride safe, ride smart and enjoy your times in the mountains. We live in the most beautiful place in the world and I am proud to say that!!!!

 

[Scott]

One thing that people need to think about is...while those climbs were not part of the BIS events...those people were there in Revy because of the BIS, so the media will spin it that way. So remember that it is technically splitting hairs to say that the Turbo Hill climbs were not part of BIS.
Just be careful to consider that when you are educating people about sledders, avys and this event.

It would be nice is someone with some writeing skills could write up a artical about how PREPARED most of the sledders were and how it SAVED many lives..The media is just killing us over this,only pointing out the bad...

It seems to me that this was allmost a perfect rescue operation.Sounds like everybody pitched in,was prepared with the right equipment(and thats something most other sports people never seem to be) and got the job done quickly and safely.

The FACT that most of the sledders were prepared for something like this and took care of themselfs before S&R was even there needs to be brought out to the news people. S&R also did a wonderful job but it was the extremely quick thinking and work of the people who were there that made this turn out alot better then it seemed it was going to at first. To have approx 200 people hit by a major avy and only lose 2 people shows that the sledding comunity is doing a great job of trying to be prepared as possible for the worst. The news people need to show this,that we are not just reckless thrill seekers with no clue....

Sorry this rambles,I'm just not a good writer..

Mark, well said.!!! Great idea.

You are mostly correct, but you may want to consider working on your timing/tact a little.
There are people here who lost loved ones and are grieving; do you really think this is a good time to pass judgement?

Yes, mistakes were made.
No, we cannot turn back time......

What we need to do is learn from this. I also feel that those involved deserve a lot of credit for acting quickly in their rescue efforts; its miraculous that there wasn't more fatalities.

Thought provoking comments sometimes contain very little tact.

So I'll work on the article tonight. However, once I get it done and surfaced I will need LOTS of help getting it out there. On forums, as editorials in newspapers, shared link on FB, etc. Then, if I'm approached for interviews, especially for Canada - I would want someone who can represent us well on camera and is articulate, to do the live interviews. So, if you are a willing to go on camera in SUPPORT of back country snowmobiling and talk about our freedoms, then send me a pm. THANKS! I'm not saying that I won't do camera interviews....just that logistically it might not be feasible (since I'm in Oregon!), but that we shouldn't let my accessibility limitations stop us from getting on the air.

We need to band together - have needed to for years IMO - and now is as good at time as any.

THAT is a great idea. EVERYONE needs to stand up and be able to educate people about how well prepared those people were.

Everyone needs to know how may hundreds of people chose to stay home and NOT go. Everyone needs to know how many people were NOT on the hill.

 

[Vertical-Extreme]

I heard Lori Zakarac is doing an interview on the news tonight. I am sure she will speak about how awesome all of the first responders reacted. it is truly amazing (and sad at the same time) that only 2 people are not going home. that speakes volumes to the prepairedness (is that a word) of the all the people on the hill that day. this could have easily been the worst avalance in history.

 

[Oregongirl]

Oh perfect!! Lori is GREAT on camera!!

 

[Scott]

I heard Lori Zakarac is doing an interview on the news tonight. I am sure she will speak about how awesome all of the first responders reacted. it is truly amazing (and sad at the same time) that only 2 people are not going home. that speakes volumes to the prepairedness (is that a word) of the all the people on the hill that day. this could have easily been the worst avalance in history.

Someone NEEDS to link that vid when it happens so that we can pass it around the world.

 

[mtn mike on boost]

Anything i want to add has already been said over and over, so i will spare everyone by stating what has already been said

The thing i would like to add is that our sport is already under fire and this will continue because of this tragic day and other peoples agendas. Because of this i think it would be a good idea to approach the general public pro-actively instead of re-actively. I don't know if everyone will agree, but someone with good writing skills should create a short statement about some of the positive things this sport brings and how our desire for our safety and the safety of the people we ride with has led to the training we receive, and how this training had saved many lives that day as well as in the past. If we ever had a chance to set the record straight with the media, this would be the time.

And if this were to happen, i for one would love to see Randy Swenson read the statement to the media. He is not only a great asset to the sport, but an excellent speaker in my opinion.

 

[Scott]

Randy would be a GREAT guy to do this. Would he do it?

 

[Scott]

That quick clip of the guy doing CPR at 2:25 in the vid...VERY SOBERING!!!!

http://www.globaltvbc.com/world/Survivors+recall+chaos+after+deadly+avalanche/2682622/story.html

 

[chub1967]

I agree

Good for you Oregongirl, as a sledder that was there i'm going crazy hearing all these media stories that are 50% at best correct. I was happy to see some people are finally saying that the BIS events were over for the day without a hitch and the organizer wasn't even at turbo when it came down he was at the lakes with a group, and there were other groups that went in other directions after the BIS drags ended at superbowl. It is tragic what happened but everyone that was there was there on our own free will and were not given any directive by OD to head to turbo.
It also is to bad the media isn't showing any focus on that it was the people that were there that saved each other, it was a well organized search and Krazy Canadian should be thanked greatly for taking charge and everybody up there should pat themselves on the back for a great job. We all know the risk we take and I feel very bad for Dave and believe me when I say nobody feels worse then him. We lost 2 great friends up and had many other friends and family hurt, I just hope it doesn't turn into a witch hunt.

 

[Lets Rip]

That quick clip of the guy doing CPR at 2:25 in the vid...VERY SOBERING!!!!

http://www.globaltvbc.com/world/Survivors+recall+chaos+after+deadly+avalanche/2682622/story.html

Thanks for sharing the video, that really sends it home when you watch that!!!

 

[swayz]

A lot of people are thanking S&R for showing up, but I think it needs to be mentioned that the first outside rescuers on scene were the Selkirk Tangiers heli-ski guides, followed I believe by CMH guides. They were the parties that were instrumental in evacuating the critically and seriously injured folks. I think they deserve a big Thanks! from our community, as well as the other rescuers who arrived, including Revelstoke Mountain Safety and Kicking Horse Mountain Safety. Those were the groups that I saw. I'm sure there were others, and they deserve our recognition and thanks as well.

And it's already been said, but I think the sledders involved did an outstanding job of performing a rescue under the worst possible circumstances. Everyone missing had been found/excavated, and each serious injury had been assessed and treated (as best as possible) by the time outside agencies arrived. I think another big thanks needs to go out to Adrienne from Golden(?) and Aaron B (GSR) for assessing and managing all the patients with serious injuries.

 

[McLuvin]

Sadness in my heart. That's all I have to say about that!

 

[Jaynelson]

We all know the risk we take

That keeps being said, but I think that is a cop-out to be honest. I love snowmobiling but am not particularily interested in getting killed. I think everyone sitting at the bottom of that hill (some with their kids and so forth) thought that it would "probably be fine," even tho anything avalanche related pointed to things NOT being "fine." Given the ratings and how many people were hitting the hill, it would have been nothing but luck if their HADN'T been an avalanche (or many). I think this event gives snowmobiliers reason to ask some tough questions of ourselves, myself included. We have too many riders assuming everything will be ok on any given day. The fact that we had hundreds of people doing exactly that looks terrible in my honest opinion.

This is a big problem that WILL affect the longevity and continuity of this sport if not addressed.