Is technology endangering people and riding areas?

[Modman]

Not endangering them so much for the most part, but have people forgotten or lost their adventurous nature due to the advancements in technology? The internet is a great thing but lately I've been starting to wonder about how much info does more damage than good and if we are not the explorers we once were. Are people giving out too much information and possibly putting others in harms way also? Scrolling through the riding areas section, its easy to read threads where lots of people ask "so how do you get there?" and they want detailed instructions on each turn, everyone seems to want photos, a map or GPS locations etc., so they can ride right up to "area x", like some of the mainstream areas are no longer good enough. Don't get me wrong, the internet can be used to fine lots of great info about riding areas, terrain types and park boundary's, snow conditions etc. but what happened to wanting to explore on your own, not knowing if you can make that ridgeline, etc or not? To me it kinda takes the adventure out of it if you already know someone else logged the route for you last year on their Garmin.

Lots of newbies and lurkers in the sport can scroll through pages and pages of areas and see pics, make assumptions and then pick up some GPS co-ordinates and log them in, and follow someone else's tracks right up the hill. They don't know the specific hazards of the areas they are riding and often times, years of experience are mis-represented when someone says "you need to be experienced to go in there", you'll hear the response "oh yeah I've got lots of experience....".

Then we see these threads about how someone got stuck or they ran into someone who was lost or got in way over their head, or you happen to be the guy who helps them off the hill..... and they tell you that they read about this place on the internet.......but obviously they didn't understand just what they were getting into. The newer sleds with better technology also played a part in their getting into places they shouldn't be....

This thread isn't targetting anyone, nor is it designed to incite a riot, I hope it starts a positive discussion. Back in the old days we used to just go and ride, no GPS, no internet. To me that's what it's about, the adventure of it and the unknown. Because of that I tend to shy away from the technology side and just go ride. Maybe I'm just old school?

 

[JaySimon]

I imagine the new sled technology will get people into trouble far faster than a GPS unit will. Pretty hard to take a 136" track powered by a 700 where anyone can get their new machines on a big snow day. Personally, my GPS stays in my pack, only to be used if we get into issues. Explroation is still alive... :d

 

[raceu4it]

now there's a deep subject and i concur that u're right. no further comment.

 

[fat tire]

Exploring is half the fun, but I like being prepared.....always have a gps in case the memory fails and human nature takes over.....Also I think the tools we use beyond our ability is the true culprit.........lots of new riders strapped to big power with big ambition....and low technique.

 

[oler1234]

Not endangering them so much for the most part, but have people forgotten or lost their adventurous nature due to the advancements in technology? The internet is a great thing but lately I've been starting to wonder about how much info does more damage than good and if we are not the explorers we once were. Are people giving out too much information and possibly putting others in harms way also? Scrolling through the riding areas section, its easy to read threads where lots of people ask "so how do you get there?" and they want detailed instructions on each turn, everyone seems to want photos, a map or GPS locations etc., so they can ride right up to "area x", like some of the mainstream areas are no longer good enough. Don't get me wrong, the internet can be used to fine lots of great info about riding areas, terrain types and park boundary's, snow conditions etc. but what happened to wanting to explore on your own, not knowing if you can make that ridgeline, etc or not? To me it kinda takes the adventure out of it if you already know someone else logged the route for you last year on their Garmin.

Personnally i think it is a lost art for someone to go and explore new areas and find new places to ride. Most people revert to what they know and is the easiest to get too. And lets face it who wants a bad day when your buddies are out having a blast crackin pow and your stuck on roads or trees leading no where. But belive me there is no greater feeling than breakin into a area that only sees 0 to 5 sleds a year, yes they do exist and there are plenty left to be found. With the sleds being produced in the last 5 years, it doesnt get any easier either really. Back when you had a 500cc sled it would take all day or longer to break some areas. Also this type of riding is completely diffrent i think, there is no word to describe it. Brings boondocking to a new level i think as it is all unknown terrain, whereas playing in the trees at say quartz can get repetative and with known terrian it takes te challenge out. Myself i have found plenty around radium and golden, been out approx. 15 times so far and only paid for a trail pass 3 times now :d

 

[fnDan]

Exploring can be the best part of sledding.
It's much more fun to look for openings in the trees and make your own tracks than to always follow someone else's. Sometimes it is reassuring to come across tracks and know that whew! someone else was here too.
A GPS is great when exploring because some areas don't offer any landmarks and everyone's tracks look like your tracks. It also lets you know what your limits are during the day depending on the time and how far you've travelled to get where you are. I think there's a limit to the number of people in group when exploring, otherwise you don't cover very much ground.

Someday's though, it's nice to go to the familiar spots and just play.

People should share coord's for staging areas and cabins only. Get to the other spots within your ability and not a track someone shared online. If I really want to go to these secret spots or almost unknown I'll ask someone that knows or we'll find it eventually. More information should be shared about the hazards and risks to help less experienced riders/groups decide if it's a good idea for them.
Like every other sport, you learn a lot when riding with someone better than you instead of reading their posts and looking at their pictures online.

Sleds don't ruin the environment, people do. (selfish people)

 

[magnet]

Not endangering them so much for the most part, but have people forgotten or lost their adventurous nature due to the advancements in technology? The internet is a great thing but lately I've been starting to wonder about how much info does more damage than good and if we are not the explorers we once were. Are people giving out too much information and possibly putting others in harms way also? Scrolling through the riding areas section, its easy to read threads where lots of people ask "so how do you get there?" and they want detailed instructions on each turn, everyone seems to want photos, a map or GPS locations etc., so they can ride right up to "area x", like some of the mainstream areas are no longer good enough. Don't get me wrong, the internet can be used to fine lots of great info about riding areas, terrain types and park boundary's, snow conditions etc. but what happened to wanting to explore on your own, not knowing if you can make that ridgeline, etc or not? To me it kinda takes the adventure out of it if you already know someone else logged the route for you last year on their Garmin.

Lots of newbies and lurkers in the sport can scroll through pages and pages of areas and see pics, make assumptions and then pick up some GPS co-ordinates and log them in, and follow someone else's tracks right up the hill. They don't know the specific hazards of the areas they are riding and often times, years of experience are mis-represented when someone says "you need to be experienced to go in there", you'll hear the response "oh yeah I've got lots of experience....".

Then we see these threads about how someone got stuck or they ran into someone who was lost or got in way over their head, or you happen to be the guy who helps them off the hill..... and they tell you that they read about this place on the internet.......but obviously they didn't understand just what they were getting into. The newer sleds with better technology also played a part in their getting into places they shouldn't be....

This thread isn't targetting anyone, nor is it designed to incite a riot, I hope it starts a positive discussion. Back in the old days we used to just go and ride, no GPS, no internet. To me that's what it's about, the adventure of it and the unknown. Because of that I tend to shy away from the technology side and just go ride. Maybe I'm just old school?

ya your way old school,:d your still rockin the 670:d j/k
but agree with your post 100% before the goos tower area hit the interweb nobody went out there. a guy could ride everywhere and never see a track, brother in law has been riding there for years now, he said they would go every weekend alwqys good cause nobody else hit the area. now its pounded out every day by new peeps heading out.

 

[jhsummit]

First off... Great thread!
There is no doubt that the last 5 years has been huge in advancing the sport. Lighter, more powerful sleds, chasis that make the tough moves easier. All of those things I have really enjoyed and taken advantage of. What I really don't understand is how someone can walk up to you, call you, email you and ask how you got somewhere. People do this all the time.
To me, the best part of riding is figuring out how to get somewhere, figuring out how to loop canyons, creeks and the back bowls to put together the craziest ride ever. To me, asking a rider where he went and how he got there is like asking a hunter where he killed his trophy bull elk. You just don't do it.
I don't know if it's so much the technology that get people into trouble as it is there lack of respect for other riders, lack of respect for the terrain and consequences and a total disregard for the unwritten rule of not following other groups.
I know around here a big thing that people have started doing is parking where a guys truck is that they know rides the bigger country and following his tracks in. Would you follow a guy on a horse into the mountains that is heading out for a week long hunt? To me it's the same thing.
I would NEVER discourage someone from getting into the sport. I like seeing more people riding and enjoying the mountains. A day in the mountains does a guy a lot of good. I would never turn my back on someone at the pub that asks about how to make their sled run better, what sled to buy, or what the next mod should be.
Now I won't lie... I have a GPS in my pack, and God for bid I'm ever in the situation where I have to heli a buddy, or myself out of the mountains, then, and only then, will I turn the dam thing on. Until that time, it's me, my riding buddies, a topo map and our ability to read and evaluate terrain.
Thanks for the great thread!

 

[snoqueen]

This is a great thread, and will lead to some good discussion for sure!

Well, I can tell you that technology is advancing in this sport at warp speed rate.....and sledding is getting more and more popular, just when the environmentalists are taking over more and more of our riding areas!

My hubby and I have been sledding to the mountains since about 1989, back when paddle short tracks were king and there wasn't much available for avalanche awareness. You just went out and had fun!!

Advancement in technology has gotten us bigger and better sleds, and all the risks that come with it too. There are more and more people getting into the sport, and most of those head to the mountains (here in the West anyways). It is nice to have the new technology, GPS's, avalanche packs, etc.

We used to head to our favorite mountains spots and it would be and all day affair to break trail up the mountain, but it was so much fun.....I think the technology now has gotten in the way of that a bit. Technology has also created the sport called sledding to be an almost "elite" sport.....costing more and more money just to properly gear up and maintain big powered sleds.

I really hope with all this new technology that we don't lose the real reason why we love to sled.....to enjoy the outdoors, to see places where the average person doesn't get to see, to explore new areas, and challenge our riding buddies.

 

[DaveB]

I carry a GPS right handy in my front chest pocket....but my great explorer days are behind me. We used to look at those old backcountry map books....then just drive, find a log road, drive up until we got stuck, unload and ride. Found a few real neat areas this way. Nowadays I am quite content to hit areas I know....and get around 'em a bit better due to new technology....but no new exploring.

 

[buck50]

i don't think it hurts to ask people how to get to a certain spot! if they don't want to tell you, so be it. as for exploring, that's half the fun. been to revy many times and get to the cabin to see literally hundreds of sleds at the boulder cabin, all pouting cause the snow is pounded out. we fugg off and explore the trees not even 10 mins from the cabin and almost run out of fuel by mid day cause we are riding so hard. get back to the cabin and people are looking at us all strange asking where we got the snow on our machines. we tell them in the trees over that way, they just go huh, and sit back down!!!!!!! never could figur ethat out

 

[maxwell]

whats stopped my exploring is the fear of boundaries that didnt used to be there.
im always looking for new spots but at the same time i always hafve that thought in my head i dont "think" its out of bounds

 

[AirNorth1]

This message has been deleted.

 

[jhsummit]

Is technology endangering people and riding areas?

No.
Take it away and people get hurt.
No longer can the human brain operate on its own.

That is a disgusting truth. Technology has taken common sense out of the public. That is for sure. Don't get me wrong, I love a lot of new technology but people live and die by it and it shows.

 

[maxwell]

like what in relation to sledding specifically?

i think with the introduction of gps,airbags, beacon technology, spot etcetc. people are still playing it really safe.

yes there is the odd person that thinks he is invincible with these gadgets but for the most part not so

 

[jhsummit]

like what in relation to sledding specifically?

i think with the introduction of gps,airbags, beacon technology, spot etcetc. people are still playing it really safe.

yes there is the odd person that thinks he is invincible with these gadgets but for the most part not so

No, I agree with that. I use all of the new safety tech for the backcountry to a certain extent. I was kind of going off just about technology in general and how it has effected people. Nav systems, smart phones, kids portable dvd players, ipads, that whole deal. I got a little off the subject but I work in outfitting for rafting, horseback riding, sled tours, ect. People just seem to be more and more out of touch with the world around them.

 

[Sledderglen]

Technology and sled advancement is changing the future riding areas. Kakwa area for instance was setup years ago when machines we not able to go where they are going now. SO the BC government takes a look where these machines are now going compared to when the area was setup and change the rules. Certain elavation limits,areas closed redirected around,whatever but the point is as the machines get better more areas are opened which creates more conflicts with other users or animals. We have to be carefull we dont overdue our abvility to go where no man has gone before. It might just bite us in the butt later.

 

[007sevens]

It's been my thoughts that we somtimes ride machines in compition with each other to go further, faster, more HP. After all were human and most of us want to out do the next or show off the latest. I've said to my riding crew a few times that we should go back to smaller sleds and make mods on a smaller scale to see who's best. A lot of the fun back in the days of 700 136in sleds was found alot closer to the cabin than today because of that very reason, you couldn't go any further. I'm not saying that we should throw the 800's, 1000's, or turbos away, they have there place as well and are equally fun but some days they can be boring depending on conditions, terrain, and your partners ability to keep up. Why not have compitions with ourselves by going back in technology instead of always going forward. Lets face it, sleds right out the box are way better now then they have ever been and we are leaping forward with it.

 

[Sledderglen]

It's been my thoughts that we somtimes ride machines in compition with each other to go further, faster, more HP. After all were human and most of us want to out do the next or show off the latest. I've said to my riding crew a few times that we should go back to smaller sleds and make mods on a smaller scale to see who's best. A lot of the fun back in the days of 700 136in sleds was found alot closer to the cabin than today because of that very reason, you couldn't go any further. I'm not saying that we should throw the 800's, 1000's, or turbos away, they have there place as well and are equally fun but some days they can be boring depending on conditions, terrain, and your partners ability to keep up. Why not have compitions with ourselves by going back in technology instead of always going forward. Lets face it, sleds right out the box are way better now then they have ever been and we are leaping forward with it.

I agree. Wasnt that long ago you had to have a certain amount of SKILL to get up the hills. Now just point and shoot. When the skills are needed many dont have them. Sidehilling,switchbacking getting unstuck by yourself just a few examples

 

[jhsummit]

I agree. Wasnt that long ago you had to have a certain amount of SKILL to get up the hills. Now just point and shoot. When the skills are needed many dont have them. Sidehilling,switchbacking getting unstuck by yourself just a few examples

You need some bigger hills.