C
CO_MapMaker
Well-known member
not sure if this was posted on here but this is one lucky rider
Where are their shovels?
- Thread starter CO_MapMaker
- Start date
I saw this on another site... and they said they were in flat lands. They found a tailing pile from mining and decided to try it out (that's what was posted on the other site) I guess that most people that ride there don't carry any avalanche gear or a shovel.... I'm not going to rip on them.... but my view of it "it's better to have it and not need it- than it is to need it and not have it"
A very good video of what can and does happen, even on the little stuff, and how big the consequences can be! If his friends had not been watching him and got him dug out and able to breathe in the first couple of minutes the weight of the snow would have collapsed his chest and suffocated him. It doesn't take a mountain to cause deadly consequences. The man upstairs was sending them a polite warning that day.
I wonder if they now ride with beacons probes and shovels?
We need to learn from this and educate others. Encourage your friends to get prepared and refuse to ride with those that aren't. I have three full sets myself, so the cheap bast-rds I sometimes might ride with are covered also.
I wonder if they now ride with beacons probes and shovels?
We need to learn from this and educate others. Encourage your friends to get prepared and refuse to ride with those that aren't. I have three full sets myself, so the cheap bast-rds I sometimes might ride with are covered also.
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Once the snow sets up(within seconds), it's not gonna collapse on him. It's the snow that is above and covering his head that melts from breathing that creates a shell that won't let air permeate and this is what could possibly kill him. In this case, his helmet is at the surface and I don't believe that he would have suffocated. Lets face it, if he can scream for help, he can breathe.
Tailing pile or not, that area is no different than the mountainous areas we all ride and should have been treated as such. Here in Colorado we have had 2 fatalitiesthis year in slides that were less than 150', the one was only 30'. 30 feet, people!
Tailing pile or not, that area is no different than the mountainous areas we all ride and should have been treated as such. Here in Colorado we have had 2 fatalitiesthis year in slides that were less than 150', the one was only 30'. 30 feet, people!
I agree with all your points also and should have been a little more detailed in my previous post. If you happen to be exhaling when the snow is stopping and setting up you only have that much volume / room for inhaling air. If you start to panic / hyperventilate with such a small intake volume you will not get enough oxygen as you need to survive. This phenomenon feels like your chest is collapsed, well because it is. If you puff your chest and gut out as the snow is settling this extra volume will gain you time for the rescuers to locate you and get at least a air channel dug to you while they work to dig out the rest. I can not stress the need enough for all who spend time outdoors in the winter to be Avy aware. I've lost many friends and acquaintances needlessly to this ever-present danger. I don not avoid the terrain that is likely to be an issue but I'm very conscious of the danger and always have a plan B and C in case the need arises.
