Well here we go...
As one of the sledders involded in an avalanche this weekend, and being fully burried, and can self attest that it not an experience that ANYONE wants to be part of. Im not exactly sure of the name of the area that we were riding in, but if you take a right at the cabin coming from the trail, and follow up the valley once you get into the alpine all the way around, we were hanging around in that area. ( if you climb up that hill you can see the glacier where the Heli Skiers hang out) We knew the conditions were bad, so we weren't hanging around on ANY big slopes, or south facing for that matter. I've been in the area for 5 years now, always at clemina, and NEVER seen this hill break. Another rider with us had been there for 20+ years. Never seen it slide. As I sidehilled up at a fast pace (Not much slope) It broke from under me. I turned out to go down, and unfortunately slammed the throttle in. I hit the first wave on the bottom and it threw me into the air, and in front of the sled, which ran me over. It all ended in the matter of 15 seconds, and I was breathing hard 3 feet under the snow. Although I had a bit of room, I knew that if I didnt relax my breath's it wouldn't be much longer for the pass-out stage. As my father was watching this unfold, he knew exactly where I was. It was just about immediately that they started digging me out. (beacon by the way worked incredibly) It took about 2 hours for me to recover the oxygen levels in my body. I had a migraine for the duration of the day.
I dont want to say that I don't want to sled anymore, it's a huge passion of mine. I'll say that it's been a HUGE eye opener, and that snow conditions are going to have to be pretty close to perfect to head out there again.....
Thank you all.
As one of the sledders involded in an avalanche this weekend, and being fully burried, and can self attest that it not an experience that ANYONE wants to be part of. Im not exactly sure of the name of the area that we were riding in, but if you take a right at the cabin coming from the trail, and follow up the valley once you get into the alpine all the way around, we were hanging around in that area. ( if you climb up that hill you can see the glacier where the Heli Skiers hang out) We knew the conditions were bad, so we weren't hanging around on ANY big slopes, or south facing for that matter. I've been in the area for 5 years now, always at clemina, and NEVER seen this hill break. Another rider with us had been there for 20+ years. Never seen it slide. As I sidehilled up at a fast pace (Not much slope) It broke from under me. I turned out to go down, and unfortunately slammed the throttle in. I hit the first wave on the bottom and it threw me into the air, and in front of the sled, which ran me over. It all ended in the matter of 15 seconds, and I was breathing hard 3 feet under the snow. Although I had a bit of room, I knew that if I didnt relax my breath's it wouldn't be much longer for the pass-out stage. As my father was watching this unfold, he knew exactly where I was. It was just about immediately that they started digging me out. (beacon by the way worked incredibly) It took about 2 hours for me to recover the oxygen levels in my body. I had a migraine for the duration of the day.
I dont want to say that I don't want to sled anymore, it's a huge passion of mine. I'll say that it's been a HUGE eye opener, and that snow conditions are going to have to be pretty close to perfect to head out there again.....
Thank you all.
