How do we keep going

[sledneck_03]

How come I still go? Well for starters there is this inherient human trait that none of us truely believes it will ever actually happen to us!
Secondly, for myself it's what I love, it's the only place or thing that I do that I truely lose myself in, the mountains call to me so strongly that I can't imagine not going! I never feel as alive or at home as I do in the alpine! So when I hear that "call" I go!

 

[sledneck_03]

Its not just the mountains. In Ontario we have speed freaks that will pass you on a corner, stop just over a hill on the trail and not pull over,pass you on a hill,turn around on a curve,take the inside of a curve and the list goes on. I have rescued many sledders ill prepared with nothing but thier sled. not even a bottle of water or duct tape. Thinking they can go 100 miles with a track that has broken rods and no lugs left,rear axle broken, broken idler wheels,no extra fuel, food,sanity etc. All at - 30,duh ! I have been out west 3 times with my bro and we played safe and this is respect and logic thinking to ride another day. Peace be with the Families. Don

100 mph and trees a couple feet away is perfectly safe tho... Specially after a day of beers at the warm up shack.

Im in sask so very aware of trail issues. Seen people stopped on top of hills, after corners and whole family's having a lunch break all over the trail like wtf people.

Lakes are here fully freeze but get huge ice ridges, dont think many have died but long hospital visits and totalled sleds are common, also a big one is low snow here is culverts in the ditch. Known lots that caught a ski and had major injuries as well.

Also in manitoba a father and son hit each other on sleds on the trail and died.

Was reading of a guy that was in an induced coma after hitting a barbwire fence and has brain injuries now in manitoba too.

The point is people from here dont think anything of sledding here being dangerous at all, but it is just as dangerous as the hills. Ive been told to "be safe" going west next week by more non sledders than anyone! Thanks, i was planning on not being safe but now that you told me be safe ill just have to do that!

 

[scotts]

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I think I hear them right now actually!!

 

[Joholio]

To the OP.

You load your sled and drive west until you find your happy place and forget about sh1t til monday morning

 

[summitstef]

Im going west from sask like ive done since 09. This tragedy at mcbride is nothing new but hits harder than ever. As a 29 year old with a 3 year old and 2 month old the wife didnt want me going before and specially not now. My parents keep heckling me on it as well.

No matter how much i reassure them and how much they know my groups safe and experienced, the fact it can happen to anyone isnt reassuring.

The way i look at it is the highways are so dangerous and no one stops using them. A few weeks ago a young family like mine got killed (parents and kids) at a notoriously dangerous intersection that we use often. Has my family and wife stopped going that way? No. Makes me more nervous thinking of my family using it more than going west but i suppose as them never going to the mountains they will never understand...

You are not alone in getting grilled by your folks. Case in point: Last Monday, I stopped in to have dinner with my folks and they began in on me on how I shouldn't be going to the mountains anymore and that how I have family obligations and responsibilities with my 3 kids and my wife. I had a trip planned to go to Golden for this weekend with my crew and chose to keep quiet about it.

Then on Tuesday afternoon, I get a phone call from my Mother in tears telling me that my Dad just had a stroke and is in the hospital and with that, I had to cancel to stick around and help out my parents.

I have been doing a ton of thinking and had a conversations with a lot of people over the past 5 days as to what has happened to my Dad. He went through life altering personal event that could may have been prevented with him having a regular check up. So Prevention and education is what is key here to making informed life decisions as I think this applies to all aspects whether it is for personal health or recreation. and with this, I can't stop living or doing what is enjoyment on the premise that just because I'm snowmobiling in a certain area such as the mountains, I'm going to be killed by a slide.

Further to this, I asked my wife what her thoughts and feelings are on what I like to do for fun. She told me that I can't stop living on the premise of "what if". She is satisfied and reassured that my riding group and I take precautions and decided to take an avy course this year and that we have all the essential safety equipment when we ride in the back country.

When conditions are high yeah, it is a crap shoot..IF you disregard and ride in areas that YOU damn well know are prone to risk. Unfortunately, the only news that is reported lately is BAD news about anything further adding to the old adage that "nobody moves, nobody gets hurt…"

 

[Skegmeister]

Any of us can be the most safest, snow savvy AST 9.0+ trained sledhead and still get caught in an avy because somebody above us we do not know triggers it.
Never let your guard down and keep everyone's eyes wide open watching all of the time.

 

[pistoncontracting]

People not knowing before they go out is definitely the issue. How is this possible with all the media and publications talking snow safety???
It seems people cannot even figure out how get to the parkng lots without being told.

Its not my responsibility to look after them. Maybe the dealers should step up an ensure the purchaser has the proper training before selling them a machine that could kill them.....

This is definitely some of the problem, and on a much larger scale then just snowmobiling. I'm curious why you feel it's the dealers fault any more then your fault? Why the dealer, they are simply the middle man. But perhaps the 'dealer' is you sometime, when you sell the machine privately.

Are you saying then, that if I sell someone a snowmobile privately, that it is MY responsibility to provide them the owners manual, ensure they understand it, and perhaps some level of avy training? And then what? Many that have died HAVE had avy training, and a fairly well rounded knowledge of conditions and their equipment. Then what? Who do we blame then?

The only place to get real knowledge of the back country is in the back country. You get it while watching not only the safe ones, but also the careless ones. The novice will learn as much from the experienced, as the experienced will from the novice.

I think with every solution we come up with in hopes of solving a problem, just creates another problem. Direct day to day interaction will solve a number of problems, including this one. Guys go out, buy a sled, buy all the gear, take an avy course, and call themselves a 'mountain rider'. And why not, the sled says 'terrain dominator'. Many unknowingly in some cases, through caution to the wind, because we have given them such confidence, they are an accident waiting to happen.

I know I was. And I'm betting many more on here were as well, they either won't admit it, or ignorant to the fact. I learned the most, while doing something stupid, was called out about it right then and there. Those lessons will never be forgotten, because they are what saves a person life.

So take a minute, 5, or even an hour. Just because you might not know them, doesn't mean somebody else doesn't. Maybe you'd get as much out of it as they would

 

[snopro]

I agree Troy. The dealer shows you the operation of the sled , how to get to area's and offer suggestions on where the best riding may be based on experience level but all the dealer can do is explain to the customer what equipment he needs for the backcountry. They are not certified to teach safety! BRP and there dealers has offered 3 hour free avy seminars from trained instructors but all we can do is suggest you take your AST1 and 2 courses.