Snow Conditions

[intmid8or!]

this is a snow condition thread with no snow conditions, you guys wrecked it, reported posts

 

[rknight111]

101110101101 welcome to the site, sorry some people are just bored, we either need snow or some hot temps to melt all the snow so we can all quad, boat, bike, etc. Sometimes the search engine on the upper right does suck. I had a google search bar that searched only the site that worked better. I will ad this to my list to fix list for the (dale dalueg) broken site.

 

[ferniesnow]

................. Are there places you go, that do not require any avalanche gear? I like hills.... but am trying to avoid the added expense of avalanche gear for now, when there are a million places I can explore without it to get started.

Just about anywhere west of the Divide and quite a few places in Alberta are avalanche prone. IMHO, all riders should have a beacon, probe and shovel. Some people don't know the hazards above them (cornices or avalanche history) and are oblivious to the hazards. We have seen slides that have brought down 200 year old trees (this area never ran this far in 200 years) and slides across groomed trails that have never been seen before. Some groomed trails have continuous battles with avalanche debris. Then when you are riding on those hills, do you know what it above you or what the layers are like?

I do not go anywhere without my beacon. I refuse to take people out of the parking lot without a beacon. If they are newbies, I will give them a quick demo on the rescue process. There are days, I could ride in the valley bottom, but I would still have my beacon and have it turned on. Small cuts on the side of the road could slide and push a sled and rider over the edge and down the slope into a bigger avalanche and then what.

For what it is worth, I see peeps riding avalanche chutes without helmets and no avalanche gear. I used to take a minute and talk to them but got told to F-off too many times. Enough was enough.

Like mentioned above, it doesn't have to be expensive. There are cheap ways of doing it (kijiji, rentals, friends lending you a loaner, etc..). If you are serious about riding in the mountains, it will be expensive to be prepared and do it properly. All the best.

 

[tater]

Snow sucks. Everywhere! Except Colorado and East!

 

[imdoo'n]

I just signed up to this site in order to access the forums and see if I could find out the current snow conditions for Cataract Creek. My initial search of the forums turns up this thread. Tell me, are answers like this typical for this site? If so please remove my account.

no idea why you are responding like this to a thread that is a year old? maybe give it a break, no idea what the circumstances where or why this was posted. for the most part help Is usually a post or a pm away, besides it is the internet, very easy to mistake remarks for what they are. I get that all the time. take a breather, a year old post is just that "old". try again, lots of good people here.

 

[ferniesnow]

no idea why you are responding like this to a thread that is a year old? maybe give it a break, no idea what the circumstances where or why this was posted. for the most part help I usually post or a pm away, besides it is the internet, very easy to mistake remarks for what they are. I get that all the time. take a breather, a year old post is just that "old". try again, lots of good people here.

Hey, that's pretty sharp for an ol' fart that doesn't like cold and snow.

3 pages and some distinguished members missed that key point! I'm impressed with the ol' imdoo'n.................

 

[rotormech]

Originally Posted by 101110101101
................. Are there places you go, that do not require any avalanche gear? I like hills.... but am trying to avoid the added expense of avalanche gear for now, when there are a million places I can explore without it to get started.

Sell your sled now!!!

 

[imdoo'n]

Hey, that's pretty sharp for an ol' fart that doesn't like cold and snow.

3 pages and some distinguished members missed that key point! I'm impressed with the ol' imdoo'n.................

we doo tend to forget new people have trouble on here, we seem to see the same old questions ie 1/2 ton truck decks etc. and this site is broken, or at least my key board is!!!!

 

[tex78]

Understood.... but that can't be expected from someone who has signed up 10 minutes ago. I have what ... 7 posts compared to 56,000... I've never done any sledding in BC and would *love to*. Are there places you go, that do not require any avalanche gear? I like hills.... but am trying to avoid the added expense of avalanche gear for now, when there are a million places I can explore without it to get started.

Welcome too....



One thing I'm going to say, if u don't want to buy avy gear, then ditch bang


If u want hills and mountain's and scenery, then buy the life saving gear because u just never know...

Even if u ride the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains ( ranger, hummingbird, onion lake ect) , because of temp swings and Chinooks, the snow isn't as powder but more like sugar and slides way easier... Way more prone to slide


Use ur head, play safe, u will ride back

 

[101110101101]

You will get flamed for even suggesting riding anywhere west of Saskatchewan without the minimum avy gear.... that said many who have it wouldn't know WTF to do with it if they needed to use it.

I'm not familiar with the southern areas, Doug (fernisnow) is a guru down there and would be able to advise where and when is best to ride. Keep an eye out on kijiji for used gear all you really need is the shovel/probe/beacon which can be had used for under $200 if you look around, then it's just a mater of training and practice but it all comes in time. Lots of places in the sled towns rent gear as well $35/day for the package usually. unfortunately this year is a chit snow year west of Moncton NB......

Let them flame..... spending $800 to go to Cataract Creek, Sundre, farmers fields, and ditches does not require any avalanche gear....... there's literally a million places to go where it's a total waste of cash. I'll stick to those places for now.

 

[101110101101]

Just about anywhere west of the Divide and quite a few places in Alberta are avalanche prone. IMHO, all riders should have a beacon, probe and shovel. Some people don't know the hazards above them (cornices or avalanche history) and are oblivious to the hazards. We have seen slides that have brought down 200 year old trees (this area never ran this far in 200 years) and slides across groomed trails that have never been seen before. Some groomed trails have continuous battles with avalanche debris. Then when you are riding on those hills, do you know what it above you or what the layers are like?

I do not go anywhere without my beacon. I refuse to take people out of the parking lot without a beacon. If they are newbies, I will give them a quick demo on the rescue process. There are days, I could ride in the valley bottom, but I would still have my beacon and have it turned on. Small cuts on the side of the road could slide and push a sled and rider over the edge and down the slope into a bigger avalanche and then what.

For what it is worth, I see peeps riding avalanche chutes without helmets and no avalanche gear. I used to take a minute and talk to them but got told to F-off too many times. Enough was enough.

Like mentioned above, it doesn't have to be expensive. There are cheap ways of doing it (kijiji, rentals, friends lending you a loaner, etc..). If you are serious about riding in the mountains, it will be expensive to be prepared and do it properly. All the best.

Nope... not serious about riding in the mountains at all... and never claimed to be...... flat land, cut lines, ditches, fields, and so on are all plenty of fun.

 

[101110101101]

https://www.snowandmud.com/images/styles/snow/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by 101110101101 https://www.snowandmud.com/images/styles/snow/buttons/viewpost-right.png
................. Are there places you go, that do not require any avalanche gear? I like hills.... but am trying to avoid the added expense of avalanche gear for now, when there are a million places I can explore without it to get started.

Sell your sled now!!!

Dream on...... do you think anyone in Ft. McMurray has avalanche gear for sledding in Ft. McMurray? The answer is no. This attitude that you MUST want to go in to danger zones and mountain areas simply because you own a sled, is silly.

 

[101110101101]

Welcome too....



One thing I'm going to say, if u don't want to buy avy gear, then ditch bang


If u want hills and mountain's and scenery, then buy the life saving gear because u just never know...

Even if u ride the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains ( ranger, hummingbird, onion lake ect) , because of temp swings and Chinooks, the snow isn't as powder but more like sugar and slides way easier... Way more prone to slide


Use ur head, play safe, u will ride back

Here is a picture of some of the hills I am referring to. Was there a couple weekends ago. Kids were tobogganing..... the trails went on for more miles than I could possibly explore. Other than the mountains I could see off in the distance there is literally zero chance of avalanche. I am perfectly fine staying to places like this. I'll always make it back...... trust me.

 

[101110101101]

Just about anywhere west of the Divide and quite a few places in Alberta are avalanche prone. IMHO, all riders should have a beacon, probe and shovel. Some people don't know the hazards above them (cornices or avalanche history) and are oblivious to the hazards. We have seen slides that have brought down 200 year old trees (this area never ran this far in 200 years) and slides across groomed trails that have never been seen before. Some groomed trails have continuous battles with avalanche debris. Then when you are riding on those hills, do you know what it above you or what the layers are like?

I do not go anywhere without my beacon. I refuse to take people out of the parking lot without a beacon. If they are newbies, I will give them a quick demo on the rescue process. There are days, I could ride in the valley bottom, but I would still have my beacon and have it turned on. Small cuts on the side of the road could slide and push a sled and rider over the edge and down the slope into a bigger avalanche and then what.

For what it is worth, I see peeps riding avalanche chutes without helmets and no avalanche gear. I used to take a minute and talk to them but got told to F-off too many times. Enough was enough.

Like mentioned above, it doesn't have to be expensive. There are cheap ways of doing it (kijiji, rentals, friends lending you a loaner, etc..). If you are serious about riding in the mountains, it will be expensive to be prepared and do it properly. All the best.

100 miles in any direction... all powder, no avalanches.....

 

[dabensmiller]

The moment you start thinking it wont happen to you is when crap goes south. Ease up on the hostility and have an open mind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FR-GH9_hS98

 

[101110101101]

The moment you start thinking it wont happen to you is when crap goes south. Ease up on the hostility and have an open mind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FR-GH9_hS98

I literally have zero hostility.... I also don't need to hear crap like "sell your sled" because I don't need avalanche gear..... kindly climb down off the high horse, not everyone needs to go to the mountains to enjoy their sleds........ period, end of story.

 

[101110101101]

I'm curious.... if all of you make your kids wear avalanche gear when they go to the local tobogganing hill......... *rolls eyes*

 

[tex78]

U where looking into cataract area correct??? I have seen hills slough east of the forrest trunk road... So what does that tell ya


Any hill with more than 20 deg slope can slide, u just never no

That includes toboggan hills too

 

[101110101101]

U where looking into cataract area correct??? I have seen hills slough east of the forrest trunk road... So what does that tell ya


Any hill with more than 20 deg slope can slide, u just never no

That includes toboggan hills too

Well make sure you equip your kids then.... I'll just continue to exercise common sense and caution... It's a wonder I've survived this long being so "risky"..... I don't wear a helmet on my bicycle either.

 

[ferniesnow]

If you are a flatlander (no offence implied nor intended) and ride the prairies, there is little reason to have the beacon, probe, and shovel. If you are riding along side of the mountains (Cataract Creek area), do you have confidence/education towards your decision making to always be out of harms way?

It is a touchy subject but the dudes on this forum pretty much insist on the proper equipment when one rides in or near to the mountains. I did use the search engine (without luck) to try to find a thread on an avalanche near the Banff Springs hotel that involved a tobogganing party. A father/son incident that ended tragically.