What did you do inside your avalanche? (Moved from General)

[WARY]

What did you do inside your avalanche?

We are looking for descriptions of what people did when they were involved in an avalanche. We are designing an avalanche air bag system and we would like to hear some first person accounts of what people experienced and what actions they took inside the avalanche.

How did you use your arms and legs? Did you have time to do anything at all? How was your visibility, could you see anything at all? How long did it take the slide to engulf you? How long do you think the avalanche lasted? Did you lose your gear? Were you completely buried or partially or even fully exposed after the avalanche? How trapped were you after the slide? What was the position of your body during and after the avalanche? Etc., etc…….

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Hardass]

I'll start here I was in a smsl but possibly deadly avvy a few years back. I shot up a hill and started side hilling, i was coming up to a wall of trees and was looking down to see where was a good spot to come down. Thats when i seen the snow pucker up i tried full throttle to get to the trees but the moving snow was pulling my sled out from under me. so i tried to jump and grab a tree but all i felt was the branches sliding through my hands and then it was lights out. not uncinsious but under the snow, and my first thought was and this was my exact thoughts, so this is how it happens. then i realized how fast it was carrying me down the hill and thought if i hit a tree it was going to bust me up so i pulled my self into a ball and then i thought i wonder if that swimming thing works and started thrashing like crazy. when i came to a stop i was buried upo to my chest facing down hill. i was completely out of breath and glad to see the light of day. Some guys came up and helped get me out. i just sat there and gathered my wits and trhought about what just happened.

Looking down the hill my sled was about 60 yards away and mostly burried with the hood bust up in about three peices. It took a bit to get it out as the snow had set up hard in nithing flat.

One person seen the whole thing happen to me. i have thought about it many times and still do. this was not a huge avvy but plenty to kill a man easily. i feel i was pretty lucky that day.

 

[xrated]

interesting read hardass....good to get some perspective.

 

[gtgame]

Hardass, just curious, do you think that "swimming thing" helped at all or just luck the way you ended up?

 

[Hardass]

I do beleive that i was lucky enough to think about the swimming thing Did it help? iT'S WHAT I DID SO I SAY YES. the fact is if i had not heard about the swimming motion years ago and had it not stuck in my head i would not even of had that thought..

just so you know this all happened so fast and the thought process that i described happened extremely quick. It would be interesting to know just how little time it took for that process from start to finish. i have looked at things differently since then, but i still ride and there is still risk.

I have been in on digging sleds out and seen the deceased out there on the hill. it really makes you feel sick whether you know them or not.

 

[catnfool]

around 2000 on Hash Mtn, MT- got stuck and was just pulling on my ski to turn around when the snow slid out around my cat. Thought, "Oh yeah, that will help me out!..." when the wave hit me in the back. It was at least a 200 yard break about 3-4' deep at the top. I was slammed forward and started swimming like crazy. Pretty soon, I surfaced and yelled to my buds that I had a beeper(they heard me; something to remember in this situation!!) There was only one 5" dia. tree on the slope, and I was swimming right behind my Summit, getting glimpses of it thrashing around, hitting the only tree and thought "Better stop swimming so I don't get tangled up with THAT!". I stopped swimming and avoided hitting the tree with my shoulder, but it was a BAD MOVE, it felt like I dive bombed, along with getting covered with another wave of snow around the same time. I was yelling every time I broke free and saw sky. I think I was covered by four waves; hard to say for sure. When I started to get close to the bottom, I felt it starting to slow down, and remember thinking "Oh great, NOW I'm dead; what's my family going to do?". I swam(or crawled- I was BEAT) for all I was worth, and when it stopped, it spit/slimed my upper body to the surface, so I was able to dig my legs out.
At this point, I thought it was over until I saw everyone running to the other side of the hill and remembered the guy on the Exciter who was stuck when I took a stab at the hill yep, I was STUPID.
Brad Bell had been watching him from the get go or he would be dead right now; no beepers on the hill except mine and everyone else watched where the slide started except Brad, mr exciter's riding partner. All we could see was the windshield of the exciter, but Brad had him spotted GOOD!! He didn't second guess, just started digging right under the sled. We found his head about 2' under his ski and got his head dug out and his helmet off and mr exciter said "Nice of you guys to dig me out..." THATS IT!! NO screaming like a little girl or anything!!

Lessons learned; one guy climbing at a time, beepers all the way around, and WATCH YOUR BUDDYS BACK! It was a terrible feeling thinking I had just killed a guy by climbing/triggering the slide while he was stuck.
Sorry for the long read; just hits me a little hard thinking about it. bruce

 

[catnfool]

the wierd thing was being able to "feel" it get easier swimming right before you surfaced, and when the wave hit, a crawl was even hard to maintain.

 

[2fun4u]

!!!

i think thats kind of poor taste to post about something so serious

WOW - I gotta agree with you hein on this one - really poor taste. I don't find anything funny about this post nor do I think it appropriate to make light of everyone's experiences.

I think those of you who have been through an avalanche are extremely strong to post what you went through to hopefully help the rest of us.

Thank you for that!

2fun

 

[Bubba700]

To those that have posted experiences, Thank you, any info into these things and what a person can expect when they happen may mean the difference between life and death for some.

 

[Hardass]

Fact is these type of conversations do help a lot,it puts info in your mind that you may call on to use some day. the swim thing i did not even sled when i heard that i think i was in grade school and may be going on a skiing field trip, and it was still in there. It is good to talk about it.I beleive chances are that what were talking about right here will porobably be used by some one else and alter the out come of there situation.

 

[CatWoman]

I have wondered a lot over these many years since it happened, who it was that almost killed my Brother, and if this person ever gave any thought to this incident. It gives me some peace of mind knowing you have given it some thought.

Thank you to all that are sharing your stories!!! We NEED these to be able to learn, and I hope that more peeps will share as well!!

*snip*
At this point, I thought it was over until I saw everyone running to the other side of the hill and remembered the guy on the Exciter who was stuck when I took a stab at the hill yep, I was STUPID.
Brad Bell had been watching him from the get go or he would be dead right now; no beepers on the hill except mine and everyone else watched where the slide started except Brad, mr exciter's riding partner. All we could see was the windshield of the exciter, but Brad had him spotted GOOD!! He didn't second guess, just started digging right under the sled. We found his head about 2' under his ski and got his head dug out and his helmet off and mr exciter said "Nice of you guys to dig me out..." THATS IT!! NO screaming like a little girl or anything!!

Lessons learned; one guy climbing at a time, beepers all the way around, and WATCH YOUR BUDDYS BACK! It was a terrible feeling thinking I had just killed a guy by climbing/triggering the slide while he was stuck.
Sorry for the long read; just hits me a little hard thinking about it. bruce

 

[Jmx571]

I have heard of the swimming Idea for many many years now. I learned it in a snowboarding school when I was about 12. Always wondered if it would work Im still paranoid about hills and try to stay away from them. Thanks for all the sharing everyone.

 

[Rock Star]

Bruce, that is quite a comment at the end. Proof that a mistake could have changed 2 lives that day. Sandy's brother and you! The fact it still tugs at your heart all this time later even w/a good result that day says a LOT. good lesson. I bet it never happened again! thanks for sharing.

 

[Keystone]

Its good to read this kind of stuff, a little reality check. been thinking about a ABS backpack do you think one would have helped?

 

[SAWYER]

Good posts everyone.

 

[WRECKLESS]

i was in an avalanche on new years day.. the snow was deep! the hill was steep! i was not aware of the avalanche conditions at the time so i wasnt really thinking about it. anyhow i was pulling this hill that no one had touched, i thought i would go over the top but my sled was not working so good that day so i had to buttonhook it and send it down the hill without me. just as i turned around to look up the hill at where i had whipped my sled around a 3 to 4 foot slab of snow came down and burried me instantly. i did not think to swim, i couldnt really move a whole lot. it was pitch black all i could feel was the snow moving around me, i knew that i was right side up and that i was moving very quickly. all that i could think to do was try and put one of my arms up and hopefully have something sticking out of the snow. when i did finally come to a stop i could wiggle my fingers as they were not burried however the rest of me was. luckily one of the guys in my group saw my hand and quickly came over and dug me out, i was not that far under the snow so it did not take them long to get me out.

none of my gear had been ripped off me, not even my helmate wich was not buckled..the snow was very soft i was not injured. just a little shaken up!
anyways hope this helps..

p.s. i was not wearing my abs because im stupid!!!...if i were though i think i probably would have had time to pull the trigger.

 

[AKSNOWRIDER]

thank you all so much for sharing what has to be painful memories...We always think oh it will never happen to me..yet it does..hopefully this will save someones life..thanks again

 

[WARY]

Sounds like struggling for the surface works.....

 

[SnowXTC]

WOW!!!

Thank you for sharing.

Hardass, your words are etched in the brain. I have all the gear and my plan is to never to have to use it.

Catnfool, your words were right on. It took a lot of gutts to admit what you did. I am sure you were not expecting the response Catwoman gave you. Thank God it was a good outcome.

This thread is awesome and has helped many. Both readers and those that have posted their experiences. Lets keep it going, give Wari what he needs to give us an excellent product.

 

[mtn_extreme]

Not an avy but something to think about:

Few years back I was climbing long steep hill and found enough traction to crest the top. Didn't plan on it as there were a number of others hitting the hill and no one was going over 3/4 up. Right at the top I realized I didn't know what was on the other side so at the last second decided to try sticking it right on top. It didn't stick and went over the top of me and headed down the hill with me sliding right behind it. Here is the strange part.....all the sudden the tail of the sled stuck and the front end stood up, I slid under the sled and then the sled fell back down on top of me. I was pinned and could only see snow. My hand was up against my face and so I started to wiggle my index finger. Some snow fell and I had a small vent hole that I could see the track thru. I cannot explain how helpless you feel when you cannot move a muscle. Anyways, it took 50 minutes for my partner to climb the hill (sled only made it about half way) and get me dug out.
Found out later that he assumed I had fallen off the back side of the hill as he couldn't see me. Also that all the other people just went on their way as if nothing had happened. I owe Rich my life and still ride with him today. I hope to never have to return the favor.
I guess my point is to watch out for other situations as well that could have someone in harms way and don't be afraid to help a stranger!

MX