2011 / 2012 Valemount Info and Updates

Uzeste

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Well this is the story
Please don’t make fun of my writing skills I am not a poet!!

It all started Thursday around noon. I was doing a side hill just along the trail and I pulled on the sled to come up threw some trees. When I did this the sled bogged out which made the sled go flat and fall down the hill. I tried to come up again and the sled would not go which ended up dropping me even farther down the hill. So after this happen my buddy came down to help me and we both worked at the hill all day trying to get out. It was becoming dark, we couldn’t get out by sled and we didn’t want to try to walk out in the dark risking getting in more trouble. Then by radio we told are buddies to go for help thinking that someone would come and show us another way out because we new we weren’t in very fare. It this point we still did have radio communication.

We then made a fire and worked through the night keeping it going and keeping warm. Day light came and we were tired from not sleeping and only drinking and eating a bit. We did have food and water we just didn’t have a lot and did want to use it all. Then the first helicopter came and we thought great here is help. It circled around 4 or 5 times but didn’t land. So we though ok hopefully they will send someone down to show us the way out. Also at this point in time one of are radios had died and my riho was not coming in properly we could not understand anyone. So we did not here to walk out. At this point we were safe and had a good fire. We had talked about leaving and trying to get out but we thought help was coming and when you are in trouble and people know where you are the best thing to do is stay there and not make the situation worse. So because we did not have any communication from anyone or help we just sat there and waited and waited. Slowing eating and drinking what we had, keeping the fire going.

Then later in the day the other group showed up, were we happy to see them. They were not search and rescue but they were someone. They gave us a little extra food and water which was nice. Also because they were fresh they worked on the hill trying to get out and also were not successful so they decided to spend the night with us which was a great help keeping the fire going.

So then in the morning of the next day we decided because we had help, and we were starting to give up on anyone coming to help us that we had to dig deep and get are selves out. We had spent enough time down there without anybody or any help.

Then we started to work at the hill again we got the sled back up to where we were working at the hill two days before. Then around 9AM the first helicopter came and a guy jumped out and we said we need help. His comment was I thought you got out yesterday. We said no we are still here and need help. Then he said we will send another helicopter because we don’t have room. At this point we decided to keep on working at the hill because we did not have a lot of confidence that someone would come and we were getting out one way or another. Then about a half an hour later another helicopter came with constable Moe and Curtis and they help load us up and get us out of there. Thank you for that.

We may have not made all the right decisions but we know we were in trouble and didn’t know how to get out, we had a good idea of how to get out but one of the biggest decisions was to leave the fire or not. We knew we were safe at the fire and we thought if we took the risk of leaving the fire and things did not go our way, we would be taking the chance of get in even more trouble, to the point of never getting out of there.
 

Uzeste

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Are complaint wasn't that they didn't deliver food and drinks are complaint was we were down there for 48 hours and we never herd nothing from anyone. When we knew, people knew where we were the hole time and yes I guess we were fairly prepared we made it two days and were in pritty good shape. Why did it take until Midnight to find out we did not walk out? If we walked out we should have been out long before that. All we wanted was someone to tell us anything and we would have done it. We wanted to walk out we just didn't know if it was safe.

Couldn't agree with you more Treedragon, "It's always good to be prepared". I too would like to know the whole story. I sent the helicopter in there on Friday morning, in bad flying conditions, to find these guys. When they were located the instructions to them were to walk to their friends, around 500' away. They had radio communications with each other. The avalanche conditions and weather prevented both ground and air rescue on Friday. Just after midnight Saturday morning I was informed that they had not walked out and three more sledders had joined the original "campers" and the rest of the group was planning to join them in the morning. Well, I gotta tell you, it's starting to sound like lemmings going off the cliff. Fortunately the weather allowed us to fly on Saturday morning and pluck the five of them out. Their complaint to the rescuers that I didn't deliver food and drinks on Friday was hilarious, sorry folks but I'm in the rescue business not the catering business. Be Prepared! If you want to sled in steep terrain have a plan to get out when you bury your ride. If you would rather keep your sled company than walk to safety DON'T expect a helicopter to bring you out.

When the brown stuff hits the fan and someone needs to be found or rescued call the POLICE right away! They will alert the Search and Rescue team and good things will start to happen. Be aware that while everyone is entitled to rescue we can't offer rescue every day, when avalanche conditions and weather have us stuck in town you will have to be self sufficient until conditions improve. Be Prepared!

All-in-all the snowmobilers in the McBride and Valemount riding areas are very responsible. Looking at rider numbers and the number of calls for help that we get I'm surprised. Every year there are thousands of sledder visits, yet there are generally less than a dozen search or rescue calls for sledders, well done.

Practice with your avalanche safety equipment often, take an AST-1 course and insist your companions do the same, your life depends on it.

Ride safe,

Dale Mason
SAR Manager
Robson Valley SAR
 

Chrisco

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All I cans say is sorry bud..... If me and my group new were you were we would have came in and got you out we go in there for fun. We came in sat morn to were you were turing around at the bottem before the chopper came in but did not know you were on the shelf above us. At the turn around all you had to do is climb up the 15 foot bank on the left and through some trees and out into the big medow and home free. It sucks that you did not know were to go. I feel bad knowing that I could have drove you right out in 5 min and you had to spend 2 nights up there. Anytime you ever need someone to show you around give me a shout.

Thanks Chris
 

magnet

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where in clemina did this go down.....
i heard that it was somewhere behind goats ridge or something like that. Chris will be able to tell you 100% if you have been to the area you will know by his description of the place, chit i have never been there and i think i could find the place from his description lol
 

Treedragon

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If your unsure of the area hire a guide they are there to make sure this stuff does not happen glad your all ok tho and have a great story to tell!
If you can't afford a guide use a GPS and mark the truck/cabin/and turn the tracking on so if you get turned around you have some kind of reference on which way to go. I've had to use the GPS many of times to find my way back in a snowstorm, and make sure your radio/GPS is fully charged or you have extra batteries so if you do spend a night or two you have some form of communication. All and all being prepared and aware of how easily thing's can go side ways in the back country will give you a fighting chance , as help could be days away.
 

Shitfly

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Just looked at the webcam, gotta be an epic day out there, damn work..c'mon already Tuesday!
 

Caper11

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There is lots of concrete to ride on. Do some snow dances. Was pretty warm up top, spring like conditions.
 

slednek

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rode allan friday and clemina sat. the weather was great and there was lots of fresh to be had both days. It was getting pounded out pretty good so snow is needed.
 

mach123

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As far as I know it is a closed area, we were above there and stayed out because we were told that on sat. We just got home and it is pounded bad all over, it is so bad that we seen a 380 doo on a 121 with 5/8 lugs show up at hill climb. The weather was great but I would not waste my time going there soon, untill they get snow. Even the snow on the trees was melted off. Good luck anyways and hope there are no problems because people were down the ellevator area, they were heli sking on sat morning in there.
 

maxwell

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As far as I know it is a closed area, we were above there and stayed out because we were told that on sat. We just got home and it is pounded bad all over, it is so bad that we seen a 380 doo on a 121 with 5/8 lugs show up at hill climb. The weather was great but I would not waste my time going there soon, untill they get snow. Even the snow on the trees was melted off. Good luck anyways and hope there are no problems because people were down the ellevator area, they were heli sking on sat morning in there.

hey that was my gf LOL. too funny

anways.that area is closed. we had a good day at allan. really had to search for snow but i did find some. good weather,sunny day and the trails were great. no complaints here. the 3" was really grabbing in the crusty fresh stuff. fun fun
 

mach123

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hey that was my gf LOL. too funny

anways.that area is closed. we had a good day at allan. really had to search for snow but i did find some. good weather,sunny day and the trails were great. no complaints here. the 3" was really grabbing in the crusty fresh stuff. fun fun

LOL Well there was a different guy with her today, it was so nice she took off her boots and read a magazine, would of made a great pic. There was somebody there with a 3" lug riding to the right of hill climb, was that you Maxwell. LOL
 
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