Lets all help keep people alive this year!!

[rwjk0]

Lets all share some hill climbing knowledge!!
I almost learned the hard way to ALWAYS BE LOOKING BEHIND YOU when you are coming down the hill after a climb. I slipped up once and almost got mowed over by an AVY. I didn`t see it until it was rolling past me. All I could do was nail the throttle and hope I didn`t crash. When it was all done and I went back to look, the snow pack was 15+++ ft deep and rock hard. I do not want to ever be there again. Help S&Mr`s come home after every trip!!!

 

[RETODD]

Good advice...I'm always looking down.

 

[sledhead5000]

Some common sense for those who aren't commonly sensible:
1. Don't highmark over someone who's stuck on a steep slope
2. Know & understand avy conditions/jargon, take an avy course, Welcome to avalanche.ca
3. Have good avy gear, know how to use it and do a beacon test in the parking lot in the morning.
4. Don't stop to watch right below where people are highmarking, stop off to the side.
5. When conditions are high or extreme, either stick to low angle slopes or stay home and drink till conditions are better.

Seems simple right? Last year was my first year riding in the mountains, and I saw every single one of these broken more than once.

Good thread. Pass the knowledge down and save someone's life.

 

[heavy d]

rep'd ya for that......makes for good conversation, and a way to lose complacency.

 

[Depsnolvr]

ride to the conditions, not the opportunity

 

[Luke The Drifter]

-Take an avy course
-Take a basic first aid course
-Carry lots of survival gear and prepare for the worst, never know when you might get stuck in the bush overnight and/or someone in your group gets hurt

Knowledge is power.

 

[fordoryamaha]

GPS can't hurt either, mine got me back to the cabin in a white out at renshaw two years ago

 

[Xtremist]

cant always look behind u.....some of the hills that ive come back down have been so steep your almost vertical. but i agree with the avy course, first aid, def the gps lol, etc

 

[ferniesnow]

Avalanche bulletin information "tells me where I can ride" and not when I can ride!

The information in the bulletins is produced by the professionals on facts provided by professionals in most cases. The persistant weak layers, the hoar, the crust, the rain events, etc. are all evidenced in the snow for the whole winter. Read it and believe it! When the hazard is getting into the High or Extreme area it is time to think about riding in the safe areas; trees (although not all trees are always safe), low slopes without risk above, and the major trails are normally safe. It is not a good idea to assume about safety; you must test it out or be very familiar with the daily conditions in the area you are riding. Revy is different from Golden and both are different than Crowsnest and Fernie. Wind loading, rain, hoar, sun exposure, etc effect the snow and each is different in a particular area.

Snowmobiling is a broad sport and we love it; boondocking, trails, lakes, high marking, jumping, powder, etc. We as a group or individual riders have to know the conditions; if the ice is thin on the lake it is unsafe and we go elsewhere, if the avalanche conditions are High or Extreme and many times even Considerable and we are looking for high marking we need to think about safer areas like the trees and low slopes.

I understand the weekend warriors! I have this trip booked, time off work, buddies are ready, etc. I'm all pumped! Just take the time to get the right information Welcome to avalanche.ca and then ride where it is safe.


Bring your group home alive!!

Get the avalanche bulletin sent to your mail box and read it everytime! Get with the program!!

 

[gm3d]

Great thread guys! If we know all these great "rules"... Why do we as sledhead5000 stated, see these rules broken over and over again? Guess I don't understand. One thing that I have to comment on is keep your wits about you. Save the booze and dope for a time when the sleds are safely locked in the trailer. Ride to the conditions and follow a few simple saftey rules and live to ride another day. You can't imagine what loosing a partner, friend, or family memeber is ike untill it happens. It DOES affect more that just YOU. Ride smart to ride another day! I really hope everyone has a great and safe winter. Cheers.

 

[rwjk0]

cant always look behind u.....some of the hills that ive come back down have been so steep your almost vertical. but i agree with the avy course, first aid, def the gps lol, etc

I am by no means trying to start an arguement of anykind, but it takes less than 1 second to shoulder check. It starts out being a pain in the azz, but once you force yourself to do it for a weekend it will become a habbit. Keep in mind that the average person doesn't ride a boosted 174" sled, so coming down something so steep that you can't look back for a split second shouldn't be a problem

 

[Dobir]

We quit high marking and try to stick to lower angled slopes..

 

[whickey]

Great thread guys. Let all try to be safe out there. I am going to add one more and that is assign rolls to the guys you ride with so that everyone knows exactly what to do in case of an avy, and practice the inplentation of those rolls with one or more not there as a practice. It will take five min each time your out and could make the difference.

 

[Trax 2 Treadz]

One person on the hill at a time..period!

No highmarking in avy chutes...we have seen this done many times. We have seen this too many times to count going across Koko claims.

One person across the chute at a time.

Don't stop and have a tea party at the bottom of a chute that has just slid....because the one 8 feet from it prone to slide too. Seriously saw this one last year!

Check your beacons...everytime you ride.

Know who you are going with and set out protocols before you go.

USE YOUR HEAD!!!

 

[raceu4it]

I'd be looking up first to make the call, rather than shouldering checking coming down. but then again i'm just a trail rider.:d

 

[sledderdoc]

In our group everyone is avy trained and everyone has veto power. This simply means only one person has to dissapprove and we all take off!!! simple as that no questions asked. Mountains are huge ........ always find somewhere to ride where everyone is comfortable.

Don't be pressured to ride in areas where your not comfortable. If your buddies don't understand then you need new riding partners.

 

[Trax 2 Treadz]

In our group everyone is avy trained and everyone has veto power. This simply means only one person has to dissapprove and we all take off!!! simple as that no questions asked. Mountains are huge ........ always find somewhere to ride where everyone is comfortable.

Don't be pressured to ride in areas where your not comfortable. If your buddies don't understand then you need new riding partners.

Excellent point SD!! It is very easy to get caught up in the group mentality and feel bad about backing out of a situation that makes us uncomfortable.

 

[Shibby!]

We quit high marking and try to stick to lower angled slopes..

Good stuff. I was never one to play on the slopes. I don't like it. I feel there is no reason to risk it, and start to feel uneasy whenever I'm way up there, or stuck on the side of the hill which is very rare for me.

Leave me in the trees and rolling hills and I'm 100% happy. Lots of features to ride that decrease avy danger almost by 100%, plus won't write off your machine if you have to roll it down the hill.

Then again, I also sled board, which also has me nervous, but I don't get out much for that reason. The last two years have been horrible for "safer" conditions. I can wait. There will always be another day.

Additional to this, I often see people hill climb when conditions are high or extreme. It makes me wonder two things: 1) Do people even follow the reports? 2) Are they that stupid?

I often hear a lot of avy talk about those doing it and they often have the headstrong idea they know everything and can predict snowpack. Let me tell you I also have yet to see any of these parties digging snow pits or analyzing snow conditions.

I'll take the pro's information on snowpack and my own and do my own thing. Often when we stop for lunch, or for other's smoke breaks I'll dig a pit for the hell of it. It's good to know and fun to play with. Gives you an excuse to get the avy tools out and play around.

 

[Canadianking]

This is a great thread all this information is perfect for me and my girlfriend who are considering are first trip to the mountains this year. We ride lots at home in the fields and do lots of quading but the more we can learn before we go is great.we are planning to go on a guided tour with a few other friends a couple that have been before a few times but we will definetly have the gear and coarses before we go. Thanks a lot for all the great info and keep it coming its very much appreciated.

 

[win]

Good stuff. I was never one to play on the slopes. I don't like it. I feel there is no reason to risk it, and start to feel uneasy whenever I'm way up there, or stuck on the side of the hill which is very rare for me.

Leave me in the trees and rolling hills and I'm 100% happy. Lots of features to ride that decrease avy danger almost by 100%, plus won't write off your machine if you have to roll it down the hill.

Then again, I also sled board, which also has me nervous, but I don't get out much for that reason. The last two years have been horrible for "safer" conditions. I can wait. There will always be another day.

Additional to this, I often see people hill climb when conditions are high or extreme. It makes me wonder two things: 1) Do people even follow the reports? 2) Are they that stupid?

I often hear a lot of avy talk about those doing it and they often have the headstrong idea they know everything and can predict snowpack. Let me tell you I also have yet to see any of these parties digging snow pits or analyzing snow conditions.

I'll take the pro's information on snowpack and my own and do my own thing. Often when we stop for lunch, or for other's smoke breaks I'll dig a pit for the hell of it. It's good to know and fun to play with. Gives you an excuse to get the avy tools out and play around.

X2