FALLOUT: Avalanche-Turbo March 13,2010

[BC Sno-Ghost]

The garbage from the ...I'm sorry I have to use the word..."Stupid" is getting rampant. Check out some of the comments on the following forum out of Kelowna. One person even went as far as posting, "they got what they deserved". I contacted the Moderator in regard to that comment and she didn't think it was inappropriate. Free to sign up and post your own remarks.
Castanet • Massive avalanche near Revelstoke today - View topic

 

[Summiteer]

The garbage from the ...I'm sorry I have to use the word..."Stupid" is getting rampant. Check out some of the comments on the following forum out of Kelowna.
Castanet • Massive avalanche near Revelstoke today - View topic

Sometimes there is no other word.......

 

[Pinner]

Smart mouth columnists... The guy is just provoking us...

I started a rant and deleted it, if his readers want to believe his ignorant, inexperienced, foolish, banter about something he has never experienced or even thought of before, that's fine, those boys, his fans, won't be taking off their city shoes anytime soon anyhow.

And he mentions the government will step in and make sure fatalities don't happen...

ensuring we do whatever we can as a province to make sure fatalities do not take place,” said Heed.

Does that include not letting bad drivers from the city out of city limits?

(I'm thinking the smart mouth columnist would fit nicely into that category)

It’s an uphill battle, given the disdain for avalanche safety, and the need for rescue agencies to spend energy and resources saving silly people — not due to any unforeseen mishap, but because of wilful ignorance.

This guy probably can't get down an icy sidewalk without tripping over his lisp.

 

[teamti]

Useful thread from Snowest -100 Things We Can Do To Be Safe. 100 Things We Can Do To Be Safe. - SnoWest Forum

 

[themoresnowthebetter]

Avalanche tragedy result of irresonsible behaviour

By MINDELLE JACOBS, QMI Agency

Last Updated: March 16, 2010 12:00am

Predictably, some observers are already dismissing the human element in Saturday’s killer B.C. avalanche, describing it as just a freak accident.

When sudden tragedy occurs, it can be comforting in a strange sort of way to explain it as an act of God that couldn’t have been prevented.

Some accidents clearly can’t be foreseen and averted. But many can and the wall of snow that tore down Boulder Mountain near Revelstoke during an unsanctioned sledding event is a perfect example.

The Canadian Avalanche Centre warned of a high avalanche risk in its daily bulletin that day. Organizers of the informal annual event, in which sledders race up the mountain as high as they can, went ahead with it anyway.

Catastrophe followed when a massive avalanche buried scores of snowmobilers. Two Alberta men were killed — Shay Snortland, who was sledding at the top of the hill, and Kurtis Reynolds, who was watching the action with a crowd of others at the bottom.

About 30 others were injured, some seriously. No, this was not just a natural disaster or an act of God. It was a tragedy triggered by irresponsible behaviour.

Two widows and four children have lost their husbands and fathers because safety concerns were overlooked for the sake of thrill-seeking.

“These guys that do high-marking are really extreme risk-takers,” explains Don Voaklander, director of the Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research. “It’s kind of like (climbing) until you stall your plane.”

While the sledders charging up the mountain may have been willing to risk their lives in an area known to have a high avalanche risk, the people below may not have known they were in danger, he says.

“Clearly the organizers didn’t keep (the observers) out of the danger zone,” says Voaklander. “If there’s any chance of a slide at all, that’s where the bulk of the snow that builds coming down the hill is going to end up.”

Maybe there’s no safe place to watch so-called high-markers. But people should be aware that just watching these activities is a high-risk activity, he says. “It’s not just doing the sledding itself.”

Snowmobile deaths are becoming increasingly common because more people are buying souped-up machines and craving bigger thrills, he adds. “Rather than just riding on the trails enjoying nature, they’re doing weirder things.”

It’s time that penalties were levied for reckless sledding behaviour, he says, adding that the snowmobiling community, government and avalanche experts should reach a consensus on what’s considered an infraction and what the consequences should be.

“If you go over the unreasonable line, there should be sanctions,” he says. “These people do these high-risk activities and then we have to pick up the tab for all their hospital costs and search and rescue.”

Snowmobilers in Alberta and B.C., by the way, don’t have to wear helmets and there is no minimum age limit for sledding in B.C. Go ahead, put a six-year-old on a snowmobile and send him off. Can’t be any harder than a video game, can it?

And where’s the main organizer of the Revelstoke sledding event? As I write this, he hasn’t been heard from. I’d say he has some explaining to do. We do need sanctions to prevent tragedies like this but don’t hold your breath. People will continue to die and nothing will change.

“Everybody made a choice to go there,” says Les Auston, of the B.C. Snowmobile Federation.

Yup, just an act of God.

mindy.jacobs@sunmedia.ca

 

[shepp]

Although I'm not sure if charging the parents of children injured by the avalanche is the right thing to do, I can't help but say it was rather questionable parenting. I'm no perfect parent either, but going out in high hazard and sitting your children in the run out of an avalanche path that multiple sleds are highmarking...? That said, I am extremely thankful no little ones were killed, and wish them a speedy recovery, and hope they will be able to snowmobile SAFELY in the mountains.

I also think a huge thank you is owed to Doug (don't know his last name) who is an employee of the ski area, and was able to make the call for rescue assistance. Without this assistance, more people would have died for sure.

 

[SledMamma]

Maybe this has already been said on this thread... but how about a recap of all the people killed in avalanches on ski hills and in the backcountry... Weren't 7 kids killed on a ski trip avalanche a few years back? Where was the public outcry then. What we need is some very well researched and well evidenced rebuttal. Perhaps a fund needs to be set up to go towards advancing knowledge of what it is the sledding is really about and preserving our substantial investment in sledding, as well as the substantial tourist dollars that are generated by sledders every year.

 

[Bogger]

Earlier today I forwarded susie's letter and my own thoughts to mindy jacobs at the sun

 

[Transporter]

Unless there are some sledders in the media in Alberta they will never report anything positive about snowmobiling in the mountains.All they know is the term highmarking and avalanche.They do however support mountaineering and hiking and cross country skiing in the back country.

 

[JoHNI_T]

Maybe this has already been said on this thread... but how about a recap of all the people killed in avalanches on ski hills and in the backcountry... Weren't 7 kids killed on a ski trip avalanche a few years back? Where was the public outcry then. What we need is some very well researched and well evidenced rebuttal. Perhaps a fund needs to be set up to go towards advancing knowledge of what it is the sledding is really about and preserving our substantial investment in sledding, as well as the substantial tourist dollars that are generated by sledders every year.

better question how many obeese people die every day and drag down health care now theres a REAL PROBLEM my media friends,, theese obeese people ruin our healthcare, the parents have 10 year old kids weighing in at 175lbs now thoose parents should be charged... and there are many thousands of theese people.... disgusts me poor children dont know any better and how many warnings do theese people get, every day I hear dont eat this dont eat that but I dont see any charges being laid,,, I just see huge people ordering the biggie size in the drive thru.... governemnt should shut down theese fast food franchises first,, that would save WAY more lives.... just saying


man this pisses me off.... this is a free country so lets deal with the real problems like un-employment and big obeese un healthy people,,,,


every one will die some day so let us live in this free coutry so we can live and die doing what we love, with who we love,,,,, this is our choice

 

[Bogger]

If you posted that 2 years ago Ray would have come over and kicked your azz....................


Bwaahahahahaha

better question how many obeese people die every day and drag down health care now theres a REAL PROBLEM my media friends,, theese obeese people ruin our healthcare, the parents have 10 year old kids weighing in at 175lbs now thoose parents should be charged... and there are many thousands of theese people.... disgusts me poor children dont know any better and how many warnings do theese people get, every day I hear dont eat this dont eat that but I dont see any charges being laid,,, I just see huge people ordering the biggie size in the drive thru.... governemnt should shut down theese fast food franchises first,, that would save WAY more lives.... just saying


man this pisses me off.... this is a free country so lets deal with the real problems like un-employment and big obeese un healthy people,,,,


every one will die some day so let us live in this free coutry so we can live and die doing what we love, with who we love,,,,, this is our choice of freedom,,,, please respect that.

 

[JoHNI_T]

If you posted that 2 years ago Ray would have come over and kicked your azz....................


Bwaahahahahaha

the truth will hurt some people,,,, I said obeese not a few extra pounds......lol

 

[Summiteer]

Smart mouth columnists... The guy is just provoking us...

I started a rant and deleted it, if his readers want to believe his ignorant, inexperienced, foolish, banter about something he has never experienced or even thought of before, that's fine, those boys, his fans, won't be taking off their city shoes anytime soon anyhow.

And he mentions the government will step in and make sure fatalities don't happen...



Does that include not letting bad drivers from the city out of city limits?

(I'm thinking the smart mouth columnist would fit nicely into that category)




This guy probably can't get down an icy sidewalk without tripping over his lisp.

Read his column again.......It appears that you are the type of person he is talking about in his column.........

 

[bobsledder]

whats with all the people jumping down powderpuffs throat ... i have never met her but in reading some of the things other people have said about her she sounds like a great woman ... if the club put up the pice for a daily trail pass that day to cover the costs of cleaning up the aftermath this event would create ..that is there business ..... there is a reason why they want to distant themselves from it ....makes me sick the way some people are getting portrayed in this and yet they had nothing to do with it ....

Ya, I don't get it either... I have met PP and she not only is a very nice person she is a true ambassador for snowmobiling and works hard to keep riding areas open for us. There is a lot of pressure to close down areas and people like her need our support.

 

[maxwell]

not sure if anyone read this.......

 

[psnider]

It is sad that this tragic ACCIDENT happened. But it has and we all have to learn to carry on. Blame who??????????????????? It was going to happen at sometime between when the snow fell thursday night and a week from now or 2 weeks but it was GOING to happen.
Yes the experienced people should of looked at the slope a little harder and yes the people out there with LITTLE experience should not of been there or brought there by their friends. I did not go back to turbo until almost a yrs worth of MOUNTAIN riding under my belt. And my buddy that i sled with said he would not take me back there until i had more experience and knowledge. Wow i sure thank him now after being there on saturday.
I have put 2600 miles on my sled in boulder in 2 years. I have been to other places but i feel so much safer at boulder even with what happened on saturday. i hope everyone else feels the same and starts to tell others and show others how safe it is. Lets have a media riding day to show them the positive side and the scenery you can see on a nice blue day.I would volunteer up for that day.Maybe someone out in revelstoke could arrange for this to happen. I believe most people on this site that ride in revy would be up for this. Then they can decide for themselves before they call the pot black.
The tragic ACCIDENT at turbo was not part of the BIS and hopefully someone actually in revelstoke stands up for this sport and tells the media and RCMP this. The only thing for saturday was sugar bowl , super bowl and the bull pen. This has been told on here a numerous times maybe its time the rest of the media world finds this out.
Its time for us to take responsibility for what we do ourselves.And admit our own mistakes. I and my buddy ventured too far off on friday into the trees and got stuck to far back and was getting dark. We tried to find a quicker way back to trail and i and my sled fell into a 15 foot crevis nose first and he got his sled burried. We had to walk out to trail in waist to chest deep powder uphill. It took us 5 hrs to get back to the trail . We could hear the groomer and followed the noise and popped out onto the trail about a minute before the groomer come around the corner. He was a lifesaver and drove us to the bottom to where our truck was and told us that SAR was just about to head out to look for us.They were in parking lot getting ready to come up and start looking. Whose fault is this o-zones? I don't think so. I was up there for the BIS why would it not be his fault? It was totally 100% my fault for going off the trail that far at the end of the day. I even told charlie the groomer guy it was my fault and accept all resposibility for it. If i was sent a bill from SAR for it i would deserve it. Did i learn from this? YES i did. I will never go off like that at the end of the day.Especially when its going to be dark soon. I think we all learn from our mistakes but we have to admit to them before we really do learn. I want to thank charlie ,cathy and the rest of the guys that that had been on the outlook for us.
So lets all stand up and learn from this and not point the finger at anyone else except ourselves. What happened was not o-zones fault.And make sure all involved here points this out to the public and everyone else.
Thankyou, Paul AKA " Bullwinkle"

 

[EH TEAM]

If sled rescues, injuries and accidents are costing the health care system too much and causing too many deaths then it is time for Kash Heed to put a full ban on cigarette smoking. Now there is a death machine that is burdening our health care system and taking life after life after life.
They will never be able to put a closed sign on the areas I ride when the danger is high or extreme if they don't know the area exists! Good luck Kash!

Avalanche tragedy result of irresonsible behaviour

By MINDELLE JACOBS, QMI Agency

Last Updated: March 16, 2010 12:00am

Predictably, some observers are already dismissing the human element in Saturday’s killer B.C. avalanche, describing it as just a freak accident.

When sudden tragedy occurs, it can be comforting in a strange sort of way to explain it as an act of God that couldn’t have been prevented.

Some accidents clearly can’t be foreseen and averted. But many can and the wall of snow that tore down Boulder Mountain near Revelstoke during an unsanctioned sledding event is a perfect example.

The Canadian Avalanche Centre warned of a high avalanche risk in its daily bulletin that day. Organizers of the informal annual event, in which sledders race up the mountain as high as they can, went ahead with it anyway.

Catastrophe followed when a massive avalanche buried scores of snowmobilers. Two Alberta men were killed — Shay Snortland, who was sledding at the top of the hill, and Kurtis Reynolds, who was watching the action with a crowd of others at the bottom.

About 30 others were injured, some seriously. No, this was not just a natural disaster or an act of God. It was a tragedy triggered by irresponsible behaviour.

Two widows and four children have lost their husbands and fathers because safety concerns were overlooked for the sake of thrill-seeking.

“These guys that do high-marking are really extreme risk-takers,” explains Don Voaklander, director of the Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research. “It’s kind of like (climbing) until you stall your plane.”

While the sledders charging up the mountain may have been willing to risk their lives in an area known to have a high avalanche risk, the people below may not have known they were in danger, he says.

“Clearly the organizers didn’t keep (the observers) out of the danger zone,” says Voaklander. “If there’s any chance of a slide at all, that’s where the bulk of the snow that builds coming down the hill is going to end up.”

Maybe there’s no safe place to watch so-called high-markers. But people should be aware that just watching these activities is a high-risk activity, he says. “It’s not just doing the sledding itself.”

Snowmobile deaths are becoming increasingly common because more people are buying souped-up machines and craving bigger thrills, he adds. “Rather than just riding on the trails enjoying nature, they’re doing weirder things.”

It’s time that penalties were levied for reckless sledding behaviour, he says, adding that the snowmobiling community, government and avalanche experts should reach a consensus on what’s considered an infraction and what the consequences should be.

“If you go over the unreasonable line, there should be sanctions,” he says. “These people do these high-risk activities and then we have to pick up the tab for all their hospital costs and search and rescue.”

Snowmobilers in Alberta and B.C., by the way, don’t have to wear helmets and there is no minimum age limit for sledding in B.C. Go ahead, put a six-year-old on a snowmobile and send him off. Can’t be any harder than a video game, can it?

And where’s the main organizer of the Revelstoke sledding event? As I write this, he hasn’t been heard from. I’d say he has some explaining to do. We do need sanctions to prevent tragedies like this but don’t hold your breath. People will continue to die and nothing will change.

“Everybody made a choice to go there,” says Les Auston, of the B.C. Snowmobile Federation.

Yup, just an act of God.

mindy.jacobs@sunmedia.ca

 

[maxwell]

Avalanche! | CBC Archives

 

[Longhorn]

Re: Candles to Remember 2010......

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi everyone!

I am a little disheartened with the following:

Sherry (Smiley) had started this fundraiser Feb 26, now after this latest tragedy here is where the numbers stand.

The fundraiser to date orders submitted is as follows
Total 160 candle sets sold
Over half of them sold are from non snowmobilers.

Sherry has put herself out there to the media, stating that not all snowmobilers are "Bad" "redneck idiots" She was trying to raise a good news story for US SLEDDERS stating that we care........
But yet when trying to raise money for OUR SPORT we can not pull together.... Why is this?

How sad is it going to be when the Media asks for the total numbers raised and She will have to state that We as snowmobilers only raised $1000.00 for the Canadian Avalanche Center.

These are the people that put out our bulletins...... It's sad to watch how this past weekend has turned into yet another verbal boxing match between the sledding community and the media/and non sledders. From where the numbers stand now it’s fair to say the media and non sledders are going to come out on top again.....

Sherry has been defending the sledding community with her heart and soul and is having to put on a smile when talking to the media while they have tried attacking her on our personal tragedies (which was for the most part not aired) and questioned whether snowmobilers actually care about safety.

I am very proud of Sherry for starting this fundraiser as she has finally found a way to turn not only our personal tragedies but the sport as a whole into something positive. This fundraiser is supposed to be for us to REMEMBER ALL OF OUR FALLEN COMRADES and to remind us of how fragile our own lives can be.

Can we please turn this verbal boxing match around? I think and hope our actions can speak louder than our words.

I know sledding is thought of as a "GUY" sport but the intention behind this fundraiser is what really matters. I understand that a lot of the "GUYS" out there are uncomfortable with the idea of buying and or selling candles, but come on we (females) are not going to think any less of you in this case.We will really think more highly of you for putting yourselves out there for a good cause.

Sledders say that they stick together and support each other, must I remind you that Sherry is trying to do a good thing for all of us and that she is a sledder (born and raised). We have a week and 4 days left of this fundraiser let’s try and bring the numbers up so we can be proud of ourselves as a sledding community and show the non sledders/media that we do care and are trying to make a difference.

Hats off to Sherry for taking a stand and starting this (not saying this as her mother but as a fellow sledder)

A much needed "GOOD NEWS STORY"

Terry Beck

Could not have said it better myself Terry, I too am quite disappointed in the support we have received. There have been numerous phone calls between myself and Sherry as well as other. Sherry has been working EXTREMELY hard on this and its not easy. I was on location for the interviews on Sunday with Global and CTV, and needless to say there were points I knew she was getting upset but she held it together.

Our website is up now, its a very simple site, and yes this year we do ask for cash and cheques, however we will look into other methods of payment next year.

Whats it going to take to encourage you guys? We have awesome prizes on the floor for top individual sellers, and an even better prize for top group award. Currently from snowandmud, I have received 2 orders, for a total of 7 candle sets, with more in limbo.

Lets step up as a COMMUNITY and do something good, we need to get awareness out there, but without funding its not going to happen.




Proud to be supporting Sherry and everyone in this effort.

Tyler Geddes

Wow, I have debated and debated, but I dont see anyone else answering the above posts...Then I started, and deleted it once again, then thought ok, I have to at least tell you how 'I' feel...

The 'thought', the effort, the website, and the cause, I truly cant say enough about what you guys are trying to do, but you had to imagine that candles would be a tough sell the the snowmobiling community. I fully support the cause, and of course your efforts. But the bottom line here is that in my normal everyday life, I am a pipeliner...I hang out with pipeliners, equipment operators, truck drivers, consultants...I have no market to sell candles to...

I say this with the utmost respect for your efforts, and this is not a slam, or negative in ANY way, but I really wanted to explain my point of view on the fundraiser. This will be a weird reference Im sure, but I know people that switched their brand of beer when Canadian was giving away t-shirts...everyone has a use for a t-shirt, not all of us have a use for a candle.

My hats off to you for the effort and commitment to try and make this work, raising money for a great cause!

 

[Untouchable]

Anybody heard from Ozone? maybe it's time for him to come forward and explain to the uneducated what happened at Turbo on Saturday.