Avy video from Valemount

[lilduke]

I knew there were the chutes/cliffs to the right, so leaned the sled to the left to try and move myself away from those as best as possible. Then once I felt the back end of the sled getting pulled down I went hard on the throttle to keep it popped up on top of the snow and knew I was going where the snow took me at that point.

Buddy at the top of the hill never once lost sight of me and was ready to drop down he said. Once I radioed up and things had settled down he knew I was ok he made his way around and the other half of our group came up from the bottom to help navigate me down.

Glad you made er. Could have ended a lot worse!

You'll never forget that one.

 

[rsmorin1]

Wow, scary! Glad it turned out well for you.

 

[tmo1620]

Here’s some photos for reference of another time it slid but much bigger. Some vehicle sized chunks at the bottom. We used to fly right up the center of this to get into the back or Westridge but take another route now



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There’s another route? Lol never knew that, we always go up that way as well, and yes sidehilling over the top of that cliff band is a bit nerve racking the first time lol. Glad your ok lunchbox, I may have ch!t myself as well if it happened to me

 

[ferniesnow]

Life is one big learning curve. Thanks for sharing and I'm thinking you are very lucky to just have brown stains in your underwear.

 

[maxwell]

There’s another route? Lol never knew that, we always go up that way as well, and yes sidehilling over the top of that cliff band is a bit nerve racking the first time lol. Glad your ok lunchbox, I may have ch!t myself as well if it happened to me

well, you can go way right on the lower angle slope and then run the ridge back ( sometimes ) if its not all rock. There's also a waterfall you can take up, or a hill you can drop from the first meadow. Really there is no good/easy/safe options LOL

 

[Bnorth]

Big convex roll. North aspect?

 

[maxwell]

Big convex roll. North aspect?

yep...east aspect

 

[tmo1620]

well, you can go way right on the lower angle slope and then run the ridge back ( sometimes ) if its not all rock. There's also a waterfall you can take up, or a hill you can drop from the first meadow. Really there is no good/easy/safe options LOL

Ya the last time I was in there the right was mostly rock and didn’t look good. I get ya, that makes sense, any way I’ve looked at all looks to have it’s own form of sketch

 

[sledneck__11]

Hear that from so many guys they just dont pull the shoot its in there head they dont need to and then it turns to be to late to pull it i have thought about it many times and still dont no what i would do in the heat of the moment, glad your ok man makes a person look more carefully before we make our own decisions

 

[Lunch_Box]

Well if I can say I learnt anything it's pull the bag first chance you get when you see the hill slide. You might not get another opportunity.

 

[Old Boy]

Well if I can say I learnt anything it's pull the bag first chance you get when you see the hill slide. You might not get another opportunity.

Also I would have been full speed to the right to get out of main slide. Have done it and seen friends do it. Every thing happens so fast. May be did not see it. Once out run a slide and hit the bottom so hard that that my head was driven down I at the bottom of motor. That ski doo had 18 hp I think? Just a old story. Be safe.

 

[Lunch_Box]

Also I would have been full speed to the right to get out of main slide. Have done it and seen friends do it. Every thing happens so fast. May be did not see it. Once out run a slide and hit the bottom so hard that that my head was driven down I at the bottom of motor. That ski doo had 18 hp I think? Just a old story. Be safe.

Everything to the right is cliffs. I was going hard left to get away from those incase I wasnt slowing down before them.

 

[gdhillon]

Man that gave me the chills just watching.

Glad you made it out alright!

 

[pipes]

you are one lucky dude. Glad you come out of that one unscathed.

Thanks for sharing that with us.

 

[tundra twin track]

Was the most uneasy feeling when I saw the hill crack and give way. But weirdly I felt calm(ish) through the experience. I thought of pulling my bag then decided it wasn't needed, huge mistake there on my end, as soon as I saw the crack and said oh fudge I should have had the bag pulled. Might never get another chance if things go worse. Glad to share the experience and hope no one else has to go through something like it.

Glad to see it turned out,I deployed my pack instantly when caught in Avy west of Columbia Icefeilds in 2008.Good thing as I was ejected off sled and knocked unconscious,great to see your talking about your experience .Had lost a friend in Blue River 15 days prior.

 

[tundra twin track]

Beyond the upper ridge when dropping into 2nd area with the Big Cornices on the left, seen a Cornice the size of a Super B Semi Truck break off and roll down on to flat area completely intact.

There was a Avalanche Safety Video filmed in Westridge 1996 called Beating the Odds.It was directed towards Skiers,Boarders and Sledders.Unknown to us the movie was being filmed that day and headed up,Was Big Snow Conditions and took us a few hours to get to Alpine,the drainage took some time.
There was a large Group not far from where the Avalanche where LunchBox was involved in,consisting of CAA level 2 Avy Crew,Film Crew,Boarders,Skier’s and One Lone 580 Powder Special.They Flew Sled in figuring there would be no other traffic up there.Mistakenly they picked up Sled by the rear and hanging nose down for trip up was completely flooded,with no spare Plugs we donated some and assisted them in getting it running.
One local individual disputed our story of riding up the drainage with the deep snow conditions and was sure we had Sleds flown in with Chopper