people oblivious to avy hazards please educate yourself!

[Destroyer]

Just a little story from what I saw at Owl Head the other day. The avy hazard was considerable to high and the sun was shining. There was some awesome fresh snow to play in. We popped out of the trees to see a group of guys poking at this huge hill. I should of of took a picture. It was a giant wide open face with a little cliff band at the top. Over that cliff band was a huge convex bowl of snow just waiting to come down. There was a large group of guys playing on this hill. They were kind of split into two groups spread about 100 yards apart. One guy from each group would go up the hill as high as he could at the same time as the other. By the time those two were back at the bottom the next two were on their way up with the rest of the group (approx 10-12 guys) sitting at the bottom pointed at the hill waiting their turn! I mean come on guys. I thought we were going to be digging them out. I was scared to even get close to them to say "hey that's not a good idea". Please educate yourselves, and make sure you come home after every ride. I'm not saying i've never made a mistake, or always make the best decisions, but that's unacceptable.

 

[JONSHOW]

Just a little story from what I saw at Owl Head the other day...

Whooo-boy. This one's gonna get lively...

 

[Marley]

Whooo-boy. This one's gonna get lively...

Always someone whining about someone else doing things that should never have been done.
When the post starts with "People..." you know there is a lecture coming...

 

[Marley]

Always someone whining about someone else doing things that should never have been done.
When the post starts with "People..." you know there is a lecture coming...

Not that there is anything wrong with lectures...

 

[pistoncontracting]

I mean come on guys. I thought we were going to be digging them out. I was scared to even get close to them to say "hey that's not a good idea". Please educate yourselves, and make sure you come home after every ride. I'm not saying i've never made a mistake, or always make the best decisions, but that's unacceptable.

So, did you go over and educate them, or just come here and tell about it??

 

[Destroyer]

told one guy in the group it wasn't smart. Beak me if you want but chances are someone on hear might read this and it could save someone from a tragedy.

 

[tex78]

Just a little story from what I saw at Owl Head the other day. The avy hazard was considerable to high and the sun was shining. There was some awesome fresh snow to play in. We popped out of the trees to see a group of guys poking at this huge hill. I should of of took a picture. It was a giant wide open face with a little cliff band at the top. Over that cliff band was a huge convex bowl of snow just waiting to come down. There was a large group of guys playing on this hill. They were kind of split into two groups spread about 100 yards apart. One guy from each group would go up the hill as high as he could at the same time as the other. By the time those two were back at the bottom the next two were on their way up with the rest of the group (approx 10-12 guys) sitting at the bottom pointed at the hill waiting their turn! I mean come on guys. I thought we were going to be digging them out. I was scared to even get close to them to say "hey that's not a good idea". Please educate yourselves, and make sure you come home after every ride. I'm not saying i've never made a mistake, or always make the best decisions, but that's unacceptable.

If I could rep this I would

 

[snopro]

I'd much rather read this thread than a RIP thread. Just sayn....

 

[Barker]

You can only worry about yourself or I should say your group. There is nothing you can say or do that will ever change these people. The best thing you can do is just leave and go somewhere else where you feel comfortable and not in harms way because these people don't think about others and never will its sad but that's the way people are now a days. 40-50 people got off a bus and watched a guy cut another mans head off with a pocket knife. Com'n They don't give a chit and they wont go out of there way to educate them selves about avalanches and saftey of others.

 

[Highfly]

Unreal. You would think by now people would be smarter than this. I personally would high tail it out of there. I don't need my daughter dealing with a recovery.... We probably would not be in that kind of terrain to begin with....

 

[pistoncontracting]

told one guy in the group it wasn't smart. Beak me if you want but chances are someone on hear might read this and it could save someone from a tragedy.

Not beakin' ya fella, just asking.

Came across a very similar situation last year. Almost the exact description you gave, only they were poking 1 at a time, and the group at the bottom was only 5 or 6. It was actually near the Coal Creek cabin at Fernie. To make things worse on that day, is there were a few guy that went around the back side, and were on the top of the cliffs. Massive cornice up there, just dying to come down.
Anyway, as we whatched from a distance cotemplating on going over and educating them, one guy went up and got stuck. Another rode up to help, stuck. A third guy went up, himarked the previous and cut across the hill and stopped.
Thats when we decided to go over, and explain to them what could happen. 2 of the three honestly had no idea, and the third (the hi mark guy) just agreed like a prick, and really showed no sign of actually knowing.

Needless to say though, the 2 seemed to steer clear of the big open slopes, while the third (hi mark know it all) repeated all day on other similar slopes.

So, although some guys are just ignorant, so guys out there truly are receptive to help from seasoned riders.
Good on ya for not just riding away

 

[Destroyer]

Yeah the group had no idea that they were in danger at all.

 

[SUMMIT TREE]

It's true that some people are simply unaware, but others simply don't care. I have met people that have been buried on more than one occasion and continue to ride like they have nothing to live for.

 

[b_doornenbal]

I have gone over and told people about the hazards and I have gotten back mixed responses. Some people say thank you and move off and other are ignorant and obviously uneducated. It's a hard spot to be in but all a guy can do is pass along the info and move on.

 

[Big nasty]

You can only worry about yourself or I should say your group. There is nothing you can say or do that will ever change these people. The best thing you can do is just leave and go somewhere else where you feel comfortable and not in harms way because these people don't think about others and never will its sad but that's the way people are now a days. 40-50 people got off a bus and watched a guy cut another mans head off with a pocket knife. Com'n They don't give a chit and they wont go out of there way to educate them selves about avalanches and saftey of others.

Really?? The best thing you can do is leave? you must be Joking? Let's think about this, so there is an avy and someone dies how would you feel if you didn't say anything and just went "somewhere else"? What's the big deal you go over tell them your thoughts and if they tell you to get bent atleast you can sleep better at night that you tried. IMO.

 

[maxwell]

Really?? The best thing you can do is leave? you must be Joking? Let's think about this, so there is an avy and someone dies how would you feel if you didn't say anything and just went "somewhere else"? What's the big deal you go over tell them your thoughts and if they tell you to get bent atleast you can sleep better at night that you tried. IMO.

until they say they are going to kick your ass and start chasing you around the mountain. happened to me. just sayin LOLOL. i just let natural selection take place now. terrible attitude i know....

 

[rknight111]

Was in Valemount at clemina and danger basin came down just after I warned everyone of this, they brushed me off and not 1 minute later the whole hill slid. luckily they rode it out. But the group seemed a bit freaked from there experience. I think there words were "we will be taking some avalanche training"

 

[maxwell]

Was in Valemount at clemina and danger basin came down just after I warned everyone of this, they brushed me off and not 1 minute later the whole hill slid. luckily they rode it out. But the group seemed a bit freaked from there experience. I think there words were "we will be taking some avalanche training"

always happens when the snow is hurting. Only good snow is always left on the dangerous hills that most everyone else knows are unsafe. when the snow is great the compliance is generally pretty good

 

[DaltonW]

until they say they are going to kick your ass and start chasing you around the mountain. happened to me. just sayin LOLOL. i just let natural selection take place now. terrible attitude i know....

kinda feel like there might be more to the story here then "hey, that's probably not the smartest idea with current snow conditions." but im just guessing.

 

[Modman]

Really?? The best thing you can do is leave? you must be Joking? Let's think about this, so there is an avy and someone dies how would you feel if you didn't say anything and just went "somewhere else"? What's the big deal you go over tell them your thoughts and if they tell you to get bent atleast you can sleep better at night that you tried. IMO.

Why? Do you stop and tell every idiot driver that you see what they are doing wrong? unlikely. Sometimes people need to start learning for themselves, there is a world of material out there about avy education (google comes to mind....), there are even signs along the highways FFS. This isn't a 3rd world country, so do some homework. If these people can't figure it out, well... personally I don't feel like its the responsibility of everyone else in the mountains to babysit them. We've had these discussions on here before, if people are not educated about the backcountry then they shouldn't be there, plain and simple... and they shouldn't be relying on others to come and tell them what is right and wrong. They've already made the first mistake then if they've left the truck without this knowledge. Something happens though and we always hear that the person had "significant backcountry experience"... after living my life in the mountains, generally I disagree.

Sorry if you feel this is a cavalier attitude by some folks but some of us have already been there as Maxwell posted. I've tried also (and was super polite about it) and got a big middle finger as I walked away from the belligerent attitude and reception, and not only were the guys we approached climbing a big sketchy hill, the hill they were on WAS OUT OF BOUNDS! In addition, the same hill has slide multiple times and also almost killed a guy in 1997. So please tell me why someone would risk their personal safety to approach this group and get told to fawk off (or worse), then have to watch them regardless and if the hill comes down, have to again risk their safety to potentially rescue someone who failed to heed their warning in the first place?