Revy avalanche

[doo-skiboy]

Funeral Arrangements

Shay Snortland:
Shay’s funeral will be held at the Holy Family Perish at 1:00pm on Monday March 22, 2010. There will also be a Wake in his honour at 4:00pm at the Cypris Center.

Holy Family Parish @ 1:00PM
1451 Strachan Rd. S.E.
Medicine Hat, AB
T1B 4V3
(403) 527-6933
Just off Hwy 1, the church also has a big copper roof

Cypris Center
2055 21st Avenue SE.
P.O. Box 1298
Medicine Hat, AB.
T1A 7N1
(403) 527-1234
The building is a big massive green building
Anyone in town should know where it is, just ask.


Kurtis Reynolds:
Kurtis’s funeral will be held at the Coast Hotel in Lethbridge at 2:00pm on Tuesday March 23, 2010.

Coast Hotel @ 2:00PM
526 Mayor Magrath Drive South
Lethbridge, AB T1J 3M2
(403) 327-5701

More information and directions for Kurtis funeral can be found at
http://www.lethbridgefuneralhomes.com/obituaries/obit_details.asp?obitid=1257

 

[jims68]

Sad

To all those affected by this tragedy prayers and thoughts to you all! I consider you all family so if anyone just needs to talk PM me any time. That is one of the best ways to start healing. Mike Augare I feel for you! You were the last one to talk to and see Shay alive and doing what he loves. PM me anytime to talk. It can be about needlepoint sewing I don't care but talking helps. Rock Star you mentioning Animal that was a very sad time. Never met the guy but I felt like I knew him well after reading all of the posts for him. Same type of senario that day and in hind site he would of probably done things different that day too if he would of had a chance too. Would of loved to have met him RIP. My point being we all make choices from breathing to eating to jay walking. The last time I have been out to the Back Country as it is called today was 8 winters ago. Had kids and such so some snowmobiling had to go for now. We rode hard and had done LU LU and the Ludge early that day. We had quite a few green horns with and being I had one of the smaller sleds at the time a 600 powder special I was self voluntered to take care of our green horns. I broke the very first rule I was ever taught out in the MOUNTAINS as I call them. A guy by the name of Craig Emter that lives outside of Billings today taught us flatlanders alot about the MOUNTAINS, sorry if you see this Craig. You could say OT that he is a man in DENIAL because he did alot of what I view now as stupid stuff with us teen agers. Now remember this is about 1987, 88 somewhere in there. I am ridding a 1978 440 liquid cooled Cat and weigh 140 wet and he would take us out above the tree lines with me busting trail. Jump off the sled and you dissapear because there IS NO BASE where we are at and I am getting around the best of all of us! Not to mention we are doing some of this at night and he is the only one that knows how to get back and we are in a white out. The first thing he told us was "These mountains will KILL YOU any place and at any time if you don't respect them." The second thing he told us was "Don't loose site of me ever!" needless to say we didn't. Now back to watching the Green Horns. The leaders were back in a chute climbing and for the life of me I can't remember the name of it. Anyway four of us are watching off the the side while five are climbing up three drops to the top. Well they are getting stuck and working there way up one of the riders wives chimes in to us that this is stupid we are in a slide path! Look around and sure enough all the trees are skinned on the up hill side and below us are the leftovers of Avy's. Now this gal can ride and we follow her accross to a SAFER area and I say safer because the whole area is not stable. When they finally come down she proceeds to chew some *** to put it nicely. This stuck in my head because one she was right the MOUTAIN was very forgiving that day and two because just riding in there the lead guy had triggered two small avy's that should of told us not a good idea. WE ALL SHOULD OF KNOWN BETTER! NO amount of training, government regulation, safety equipment will ever stop stupid. Good example my Grandpa. He was missing some toes on one of his feet from a lawn mower incedent. Asked him what happened and he said stuck his foot under to unclog a wheel. Bad idea at the time He says. I would like to thank my Grandpa RIP for the governed motors on our lawn mowers now. Bought a nice new Honda lawn mower a few years back and if you didn't mow twice a week you would have a mess. Come to find out Big Brother kicked in and created a law of course. Can't run them over a certain RPM. So what does a sled head do of course turn the idle up problem solved! We all need to step up and if it doesn't look right, smell right or feel right TELL SOMEONE or yours rights to use these areas will be lost. Here where I live all kinds of areas are being lost to land management areas. I could not believe how small of an area you can actually sled in at Cook City any more. Out of bounds use to be way the hell out there but it keeps being moved in more and more every year. We all need to be more active in all aspects of training people in operation to Avalanch awareness. We also need to let the press, congress and anyone that will listen to our view and not let it get so conveluted in the fervor of an accident or the ospess of Conservation. It is up to us you included OT or our children and grandchildren will not even have an oportunity to do any of these things. Yellowstone is just about there right now. There will be no one to blame but me and you and in the memory of the passed that loved this sport so much we are obligated to do it! I have seen and done some STUPID stuff in my time let alone the teeth and such that I no longer posses and that makes me lucky, but I have learned alot also and need to pass these things along and will never pass judgement since I have been there and done that!!! I get what you are saying OT and have picked on you here but come on you are COLD in your thought process. Stay safe and look out for each other.

Jim

 

[zacs]

Go big and go home

Just gotta add something here. Promise to be short!

Please remember, riding avy savvy doesn't mean we can't make steep and technical climbs.

Give me the sled to do it and I'll give those high horsepower guys a run for their money!!
I'm like a jockey...I'm lightweight already!

When the powder is deep, the sky is blue, and the group's having fun it can take a lot of will power to stick to your guns and keep the safety margin wide enough. I'm no saint. I've cut it pretty thin a few times and not saying I won't mess up some day. Considering how many days that we ride and come home without incident it is pretty easy to get comfortable with familiar riding areas and let our guard down.

One of our challenges as sledders is that we cover ground so fast. The huge variation in terrain and conditions that we can travel through in a day boggles the minds of the non-motorized avy professionals that I have learned from. Another challenge is the lack of communication as we're traveling. It can be a serious challenge to keep a group safe if we're not ALL on the same page when we leave the trucks.

While our sleds can get us into trouble pretty quick, they can also be a very useful tool to help keep us safe. Sleds can give us lots of info about the snow if we know what we're looking for and sleds give us tons of choices regarding terrain.

I've read a few posts about people giving up climbing or giving up the sport. That is not at all the message that the avalanche industry wants people to hear. Keep the sled. The sport is well worth it!
To find an instructor near your community check out the CAC website.

CAC website - conditions and courses

--------------
...well, its a shorter post than the last one!

 

[snobunny21]

Got this link in an email.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/snowmobilers-return-to-grieve-on-turbo-hill/article1504027/

great write up!!!

 

[hatchers]

Does anyone believe that OT really cares about lives being saved?

A: No

To know him (or atleast his internet persona) is to understand this guy lives for making people on the internet hate him. He has done this several times with quality folks like DJ and BJ…learn to derive his words and understand its not about him trying to get a message across. He finds a soapbox and only steps down when people stop talking to him. He’s like a preacher without a church, its really that simple.

 

[giddyup]

good post lori

 

[Pressurevac]

I'm not sure if anyone has touched on this yet, but a good friend of mine made a very valid comment about this. Can you just imagine if this had happened on just an average Saturday......without having the draw of the BIS? My point is this, usually there is 30 or fewer sleds at the bottom of Turbo on any given Saturday. Now if this massive slide happened with that number of people watching, I am sure the results would have been VERY different! With the large number of 'rescuers' that were present I believe that was the deciding factor in how many escaped with their lives. Yes, too many people died that day....but thank God there were that many people there!

 

[0007]

Well, Guess who was on the news
Mike Weigele had the camera for a full minute and I'm trying not to scream

 

[Snow Monkey]

I only caught the last half of it.What did he say this time? Anyone know if it will be on later?

 

[WAmtnsledr]

wow, this is horrible. thoughts and prayers for everybody involved. RIP

 

[Trashy]

Well, Guess who was on the news
Mike Weigele had the camera for a full minute and I'm trying not to scream

Oh God.....

now what....????

 

[0007]

The news report showed how well his staff are trained and how they check snow conditions frequently, Mike himself said that snowmobilers need to be regulated or there will be more deaths

Unfortunately there is no comparison to an operation like that
They have complete control of the people they take out, much more of a controlled environment

The only way to compare what they do is to just have the heli drop customers wherever they want to go
Wonder what would happen then

 

[tinkernut]

There have been a ton of great posts in this thread, along with some disappointing bashing and tasteless views. The eyes of the country are on our sport, and everyone (media included) can read what is being said here, and be guaranteed they will only take the nasty, as bad news makes good publicity. Ever hear of the poker rally that raises ten thousand dollars for local charity making national news? Of course not. I didn't know either of the deceased personally, but live in the same community that Shay grew up in, and have friends in common...everyone says the same thing "great guy" "bigger than life" "tough as nails" the exact qualities that would draw an individual to the back country and this sport. To question an individual’s decision to put himself on the slope of a mountain is to question his right to live, similar to questioning a skydiver, a bull rider, or a race car driver....we simply don't have the authority. The tragedy and catastrophe come into play when there are others involved. Simply put if the words "multiple burial" are uttered mistakes have been made. The great thing about this sport is that there is something for everyone, from the family trail rider to those of us that need to challenge ourselves and feel that rush. The common need for back country/ avalanche education is greater than ever and education does not stop in the classroom.... I have heard the terms "tight knit" and "family" many times over in this thread....shouldn't we use the education, experience, and information that we have gained and pass it on to others that are perhaps making bad decisions on the mountain versus bashing in a forum...seek proper training learn snowpack characteristics, utilize the posted avalanche info, and above all share the knowledge.....the best way to truly honor all who have perished in the back country is to learn from these tragedies, stop giving those who don't understand our sport more ammunition, and drastically reduce the RIP threads in this forum.

 

[Quicksilver]

Here's the link to the story on Global BC
http://www.globaltvbc.com/video/index.html?releasePID=LITZLsq59JoOtT0xasbJRh2lds05_gB9
A link to an avalanche news story that claimed 7 lives in Mike Weigles heli skiing operation
http://archives.cbc.ca/environment/natural_disasters/topics/1483-9921/
Just remember Mike....when you point a finger theres three pointing back at you.
How many avy deaths are there for the number of snowmobile rider-days per year vs the number of deaths for his skier-days of operation????
Is there any way to estimate the number of snowmobile rider days in BC or even Revelstoke??

 

[Norway]

My heart goes out to Shay and Kurtis families.

Lots of good has been said here, good to went ones feelings at times like these.

I'm up for a fund to help people recovering if they need that, to the families of Shay and Kurtis if this makes there lifes hard moneywise and last but not least to SAR teams and the like.

A way to meet this for our sport has been mentioned. Take a avy class and post your diploma!! Write "for Shay and Kurtis". That will possibly save your life (+ friends??) and a good way to take responibility in the face of what just happened. Dont confuse this with blame!

Guilt belongs to those who were there and for themselves to decide.

Some perspective for law-makers, real and wanna-be's:

My goverment is spendign money on so many things that I dont care about and wont have any benefits from. Opera house to Jazz clubs, festivals and museums ALL KINDS OF THING!!

Sure, those things means a lot to many people, but not me. Yet, my taxdollars are being spent there to! So I for one refuse to fel any guilt for money spent rescuing snowmobilers or caring for them in hospitals.
They pay their taxes to.

Was Turbo-Hill a bad idea last saturday? Well, not to hard to second-guess this one but decisions needs to be made IN ADVANCE!!
So the question will come up next year: Is Turbo-hill GOING TO BE a good or bad idea?

We ride not to die, but to live! Take away everything that is hazardous and you also remove lifes thrills. Not everybody can get their kicks from an exciting game of chess..
Safe from harm might mean being alive, but alive is not always living!
Your children can fall of a swing and get hurt, play in the street and get run over. But you dont lock them up in their rooms, do you?

This is life. Not always safe and no-one gets out alive!
So what can you do but try to enjoy the ride to the grave?


Many people will evaluate what they did last saturday and learn from it. All the rest of us can do is try to pick up some lessons and do better next time.

Regards,

 

[high time]

I for one, am proud of most all of the mountain riders.

If the public could see how much safety, survival and avalanche safety has been going on in the last few years, all initiated voluntarly by sledders themselves. They would see, that inspite the dangers of the sport, we do try and help anyone who wants it. This and other avalanches will spon even more awareness.
Is it enough? No......How could it ever be? But we try.

Our clubs in the Midwest even do training and have beacons, probes and other gear for those who want to borrow it. I think we can expand it to more with better posting on these forums, but it is available and that is quite a feather in our cap. Now let's expand it and make sure our buddies get it before they get in harms way.

Owen

 

[Ske-Bum]

The news report showed how well his staff are trained and how they check snow conditions frequently, Mike himself said that snowmobilers need to be regulated or there will be more deaths

Unfortunately there is no comparison to an operation like that
They have complete control of the people they take out, much more of a controlled environment

The only way to compare what they do is to just have the heli drop customers wherever they want to go
Wonder what would happen then

Ok, I'm new on this site and have kept quite and just read up to now.

I have first hand experience with Weigle and his special brand of heli-skiing.

First of all he takes intermediate skiers into intermediate terrain and then controls them with an iron fist through his group of guides. God, help you if you want to actually ski something half way challenging, because that won't happen. You will stay next to the other guys track and make cute little turns down the hill. Boring. The terrain they have access to is stunning, but all you will do is look at it. What I'm saying is that something as steep at the hill at the avalanche scene, would never have been skied even under the best conditions. Ever, don't even ask.

Anyway to get on the TV and say regulate this or regulate that is exactly what I would expect from a control freak like that. All I can hope is that no one in BC will take him seriously and add regulation because of an accident.

How many people have died heli-skiing with him?? Going to play in the mountains is dangerous, whether it is on skis or a snowmobile.

 

[sled_guy]

Yup, and if better decisions had been made at Turbo that day then Weigle wouldn't have anything to say.

This isn't about Weigle, it's about our community continuing to make bad decisions.

sled_guy

 

[scarlier]

avy

There have been a ton of great posts in this thread, along with some disappointing bashing and tasteless views. The eyes of the country are on our sport, and everyone (media included) can read what is being said here, and be guaranteed they will only take the nasty, as bad news makes good publicity. Ever hear of the poker rally that raises ten thousand dollars for local charity making national news? Of course not. I didn't know either of the deceased personally, but live in the same community that Shay grew up in, and have friends in common...everyone says the same thing "great guy" "bigger than life" "tough as nails" the exact qualities that would draw an individual to the back country and this sport. To question an individual’s decision to put himself on the slope of a mountain is to question his right to live, similar to questioning a skydiver, a bull rider, or a race car driver....we simply don't have the authority. The tragedy and catastrophe come into play when there are others involved. Simply put if the words "multiple burial" are uttered mistakes have been made. The great thing about this sport is that there is something for everyone, from the family trail rider to those of us that need to challenge ourselves and feel that rush. The common need for back country/ avalanche education is greater than ever and education does not stop in the classroom.... I have heard the terms "tight knit" and "family" many times over in this thread....shouldn't we use the education, experience, and information that we have gained and pass it on to others that are perhaps making bad decisions on the mountain versus bashing in a forum...seek proper training learn snowpack characteristics, utilize the posted avalanche info, and above all share the knowledge.....the best way to truly honor all who have perished in the back country is to learn from these tragedies, stop giving those who don't understand our sport more ammunition, and drastically reduce the RIP threads in this forum.

very well put! would you mind if myself or my girlfriend read your posting at Shays wake. if possible could you send your name so we could put it in also.
thx again for your kind words.

 

[TIM]

this is off of the missoula, mt area avalanche report. It was a good read.

Recent Avalanche Accidents

Last Saturday, March 13, two separate avalanches took the lives of 3 backcountry riders. One near Priest Lake in the Idaho Panhandle Forest and the other 2 near Revelstoke, British Columbia. Although these incidents were a long distance from our area (Revelstoke is about 350 air miles NW of Missoula), initial reports indicate that buried surface hoar layers that have persisted for several weeks may have been the weak layer involved in these accidents. The snowpack in these areas is similar in many ways to ours.

The Canadian Avalanche Center has an excellent preliminary report on this accident at this website: Revelstoke Accident report.

Information about the avalanche in northern Idaho can be found on avalanche.org.

Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those who were lost in these accidents.

The accident near Revelstoke B.C. is noteworthy in that many, many more people may have died if not for the quick thinking and well executed companion rescue that took place immediately following the avalanche. Canadian and other news media reported that more than 200 individuals were on the site when the avalanche released, many of whom were in the direct path of the avalanche. The same reports indicated that more that 30 people were injured, many of whom were buried.

This is a time to reflect on the decisions we make when we travel in the backcountry. Not to assign blame. If we spend any amount of time in the backcountry in the winter, we will be exposed to avalanche terrain. Many of us seek out the steeper more exposed terrain because it offers a higher level of personal reward than the groomed trails and crowded, expensive terrain ski resorts offer.

But you owe it to your friends and family, not to mention the many dedicated people who volunteer their time to search and rescue organizations who put themselves at risk when the call goes out, to educate yourself.

The last avalanche advisory of the season will be issued on Friday, March 26, 2010. Have a safe weekend!