Clemina Avalanche Video

[RETODD]

Many distinct issues are being discussed here:

Entire group glad no one got hurt.
Posts mad that peeps put themselves in that position.
Posts mad that this gets to the public eye and risks our liberty in the backcountry.
Posts thankful that participant sharing the experience in hopes to learn.
Posts giving their experiences and views.
Posts defending the participant.
Posts scathing him.

We are a group of individuals whom are attracted to an extreme sport that arrive here from all walks of life…I’m not a fence sitter but find this thread one of the hardest to decide how I feel with respect to being for or against the defendant as that is what this has turned into.

I am not a mountain newbie nor and expert, I’ve taken the courses and own the gear. I’ve been in his ‘green-guy’ position as I’m sure most of us have BUT I’m also am VERY aware of the conditions this year as we all are and cannot over look that fact.

Urbanstyles, you are no longer a green newbie nor a pro, you’ve been given a second chance, you might want or re-evaluate the riders whom put you in that position, you need to educate yourself…but most of all…you will never need to be in that position again nor be the cause of negativity to the sport we all covet so dearly.

The rationale behind this forum is to discuss circumstances like these in hopes to inform those interested…big thanks to S&M.

 

[Scrambled]

Well put Toddbd01,we still have to remember this is a backcountry extreme sport mountain riding,as in any other extreme sport theres going to be deaths and lots of close calls,Im happy everyone in this group was OK and hope they learned,its the lessons we learn while being in the backcountry that make you better prepared for next time.I personally have taken the 2 day Avy course and it was very helpfull but I still think time spent out there to be valuble lessons just about every time I go out.Am I an expert,not in my mind you never stop learning,every situation you get into teaches you something,good or bad.So there is always going to be guys out there takin crazy risks because thats were they get there thrills and I cant disagree with them its there life,I just hope there ethier lucky or good and make it out alive but Im a thrill seeker to so we all take chances even if there a risk to life and limb that the way it is.By the way how come your avy course is so much $?I took it in Feb of this year,paid 150 for 1 day classroom,1day on hill and lunch both days.No matter what the cost I feel every mountain sledder should take it well worth it.

 

[ForeverRMK!]

READ THE POST THAT I QUOTED!!!! It was saying that if you trail ride you are safe from slides....

You've been in Toronto to long budd!!

 

[ForeverRMK!]

Question of the day,,, Why when people die in an avalanche they are praised about how much good they did for the sport but the survivors are just bashed to the ground and called idiots,pea brains,or retards?Is it because they were caught on tape,maybe we should ban video cameras from going on the hills then none of us would be idoits...I haven't seen to many people go to the mountains and not climb the hills,there are some but not to many!!

 

[Billy Boy]

Well now that the cat is out of the bag (so to speak) this would be a good opportunity to try and put a positive spin on this video and it sounds like the sledders who were involved have sort of done this and now that we have all rant and raved about this (including myself) we should also try to put a positive spin on this situation. This is a great learning momnet for all of us and hopefully only positive will now come from this by way of sledders becoming more aware of their sledding terrain, more of us taking or updating our avalanche training and have safety on the brain when you go out on a trip no matter where you go. Now for the media and the anti sledding world (one in the same thing) they will be dragging this video up for the next upteen years as proof to backup their anti-sledding dribble, so this is going to be an ongoing situation that the sledding community is going to have to deal with. Lets be careful out there and lets try not to give the anti-sledding world any more amo to try and shut us down. Enough said on this subject.

Billy Boy

 

[raustincat]

he was riding an M1000 not sure what mods were done to it all i know it was an m1000

 

[urbanstyles]

it was not an M1000. It was a race gas turbo M8.

 

[ferniesnow]

it was not an M1000. It was a race gas turbo M8.

For a newbie you're holding up well. All the best trying to decifer the chaffe from the grain and it is nice to see that you are keeping positive....

 

[urbanstyles]

I/we are comfortable in the valuable lessons we learned and how not to repeat the mistakes. I'm not going to seek vindication by others or take the condemnation to heart too hard either. Those that choose to take valuable information or lessons away will do so. There is no pleasing those that will not.

 

[LID]

Lots of people, like the ones in the news they refer to as "experienced sledders," thought avalanche transcievers were an unneccesary expense just a few years ago. Lots still think it's a good idea to mount their shovel under the hood because the backpack is uncomfortable. This vid/situation should be a lesson to people new to the sport, like urbanstyles, that you need to learn from people with experience and knowlege of how the snow works, not a guy sledding for 2 seasons that has a really cool sled. That knob at the top was one of two spots more likely to trigger a slide, the other was where it stepped down a layer in the middle.

Don't think the greenies haven't been working their PR guys to the max all season on how to spin these tragedies into cutting down on access for sleds. Their prime directive is to have NO motor access into these areas at all(Yellowstone To Yukon Conservation Initiative - Wildlife Conservation - Wildlife Corridors - Rocky Mountains - Grizzly Bears), winter or summer, so they'll use anything to work at that goal. Mountain caribou were in the news in 97 as declining, long before sleds could get to the places they go now, but they've still used that to get our areas closed, even though the animals are declining just as much in parks where there are no sleds. They're a powerful lobby and have the ear of too many city-dweller politicians, who have the same uneducated, inexperienced opinions of sledding that all these posters commenting on CTV, CBC, Globe and Mail, etc have. The greenies make more sense to the politicians than we do so we better watch our image. To them, getting sledding shut down due to caribou and avalanches, would be like getting Al Capone on tax evasion.

 

[LID]

And thanks to urbanstyles for telling the honest story from the bottom. Good thing you guys made it out.

 

[blastoff]

I/we are comfortable in the valuable lessons we learned and how not to repeat the mistakes. I'm not going to seek vindication by others or take the condemnation to heart to hard either. Those that choose to take valuable information or lessons away will do so. There is no pleasing those that will not.

Holy sh!t Urbanstyles your a hero you got more thanks than posts. Keep your chin up, with your commetary on this so far you seem like you have GOOD common sense. Other than some of the people bashing you have have been straight talking here.:d:d:d

 

[Alberta Boy]

You've been in Toronto to long budd!!

OMFG.. I will give you the same answer... read the post that I originally quoted!!! Do you want me to cut and paste the post for ya???

 

[POWDERCHOWDER]

well said snoqueen. It's so easy for people to pass judgment.

speak for your self youwould not see me climbing that hill or going anywhere close i would be where the camera man is.

 

[Fullthrottle]

Thanks for chiming in...
Yes, it was a lack of knowledge on your part, but whomever you were with shouldn't have put you in that kind of danger. Most importantly...the fella climbing the hill shouldn't have been there to begin with!
I really think that users should have to have a license for back country use (ie: proof of avalanche awareness training or something to that degree). That way everyone would know the basics and couldn't plead ignorance...and whether or not they choose to use it up to them. Unfortunately it's not those that perish in the back country that are left to deal with the tragedy...the real victims are those that are left at home to grieve...

Completly agree with you. You should have proof before you can go up...

 

[Summiteer]

Completly agree with you. You should have proof before you can go up...

I disagree, while I believe you have to be a bit dim to go into the mountains without that sort of training, it IS a free(ish) country and folks need to take responsibility for their actions. The last thing we need is to have to spend (tax) money to hire folks to sit at the bottom of every hill checking for Avy qaulifications...impractical.....
Maybe if you are sledding in an area that would be considered unsafe at the time by accepted Avalanche criteria, and need rescue due to avalanche, you pay for rescue......I'm guessing most, if not all SAR outfits have personnel qualified in assessing level of avy hazzard.

 

[maxwell]

Completly agree with you. You should have proof before you can go up...

yeah i dont think so.

its allready a big enough hassle to go sledding and its the reason only a fraction of people do it. costs a fortune and takes time. have to buy the sled at a rediculous price then deal with the retarded prices on parts and maintenance..fill it with oil then gas.load it into your expensive rig to get it there then fill that with gas hook up your expensive trailer and were off. but wait!! dont forget your overpriced abs pack, avalanche beacon, shovel probe backpack and 2 way radio(cant put a price on your life right? dont try and tell me it costs 1000 to fill a pillow with air). alright now were on our way. fuel up 4 times get to the hotel, pay for that eat out for dinner. get your trail pass a final expense. BUT WAIT NOW DO YOU HAVE YOUR 3458546345$ 15 LEVEL AVALANCHE TRAINING? yes just what we need is a another espence and another hassle..sure its a good idea to have...but basic knowledge and common sence it plenty enough to keep you safe on the hill for the weekend. even a 5 minute talk with your experienced buddy you will learn alot. this is why not everone snowmobiles and why we are such a dedicated group. i have no problem paying for all that stuff but lets face it thres alot involved to go mountain sledding. so add another step its just that many more new people will not get involved and im sure it sounds stupid but some people would probly just stop going all together. id rather see proof that your not a stupid driver before your allowed to make the 5 hours journey. lets not even get started with the economic issues this brings forward to small towns like valemount that absolutely DEPEND on our business. it has been hurting enough this year with the economy and bad snow conditions. throw another twister in there and see what happens. dont get me wrong im not saying dont get avalanvhe training..just stating...play safe and smart there wont be an issue.

 

[JoHNI_T]

you preachers need to leave this guy alone, first off this is a huge lesson for many other peeps out there including myself, and respect the fact urbanstyles has the balls to man up and admit his wrong, urbanstyles I will take ya out any day you sound like a strait up guy, is this hill not the hill climb hill (sorry never riden there) that many have riden over and over again.....????? are they fawcking idiots to, like many of you have stated...?????

stop slamming this guy who has admited his mistake many times... your day will be your day so enjoy what ya get, I would have better odds of living longer if I stayed home every day but really that would kill me,

my 2 cents

 

[maxwell]

yes thats the old hillclimb at clemina..not a good one to be on..hence the 6" tall treess can anyone tell me what that means? lol!! but yeah lay off this guy jeezeee

 

[RETODD]

you preachers need to leave this guy alone, first off this is a huge lesson for many other peeps out there including myself, and respect the fact urbanstyles has the balls to man up and admit his wrong, urbanstyles I will take ya out any day you sound like a strait up guy, is this hill not the hill climb hill (sorry never riden there) that many have riden over and over again.....????? are they fawcking idiots to, like many of you have stated...?????

stop slamming this guy who has admited his mistake many times... your day will be your day so enjoy what ya get, I would have better odds of living longer if I stayed home every day but really that would kill me,

my 2 cents

Don’t get the comment????

There are only a couple of posts 'slamming this guy' the rest of us and the majority are using this as ‘some good old learning’ and discussing the situation…