This just Pi**es me off...

[SledMamma]

Comments posted after the CBC article on the death of sledder in Prince George. Makes me see red. We need to start speaking out with common sense in these arenas and have a voice so that the misconceptions are not allowed to continue:

Ignorant comment:

While my heart aches for this individual's family, I have to agree with some of the other posters here. How many more BC (and Alberta) families are going to lose fathers, sons, and brothers this year due to avalanches? Yes, I listed male family members because they seem to represent the vast majority of death by avalanche, which is entirely preventable!!


Do these folks have some incorrect notion that they're infallible? Invincible?


How many more will leave children without fathers this year?


A friend of mine sarcastically remarked that this weeds the idiots out of the gene pool. All I can think of are the people who love the man who died, and how heartbroken they must all be right now.


My reply:

• I am the "rare" female you speak of. I enter the backcountry year after year on a snowmobile. I am not a crazy redneck. I am not an adrenaline junkie. I am a mother of 3, respiratory therapist and photographer. I choose to do what I do because it is the one place where my challenges and identity are limited only by my ownself, not by the constructs of society, career, and motherhood. I adore the mountains and the majesty of the great outdoors and I choose to enter, challenge and capture its confines based on a calculated risk. I'm not an idiot. I'm doing what so many are afraid to do... living... I don't need to be weeded out, or diminished because of my hobbies...
• I find it insulting the way people single out sledders when an avalanche happens, but when a skier dies, you classify it as tragic. I work with women of all ages in the backcountry, I lobby and promote safety and help raise money for backcountry awareness. I represent a larger minority than the small-minded might suggest. We the sledders are tired of the condolences being sent with the word "BUT" at the end of it; as if we deserve to die for our choices.
• If you die in a car accident because you err, as is human, should I demean your life or diminish your death with a qualifying statement???
• Sledders don't need to be weeded out, ignorance does.

 

[~Rowdy~]

"as a sledder, I don't go into the back country to cheat death, but rather to embrace life"
~Rowdy~

 

[~Rowdy~]

Snowmobiler missing after avalanche near Prince George - British Columbia - CBC News

Here is the link if anyone wants.

 

[takethebounce]

As with anything that happens in which the media can make into a story, there will always be the arm chair commentators who have never experienced anything to do with such traggic events that feel they can justify making such comments.

Its great to respond to these keyboard jockeys, yet most time it fuels our anger further as they have no appreciation for what we try to do as a community. Much of backcountry sledding involves high risk, high reward. Not the high risk in being in an area that could be considered dangerous, but just getting to those areas at times is a risk. As sledders many of us brave the dangerous hiways to get to our destinations. Yet we do not hear stories on how people, sometimes families going on a ski trip cause a multi car pile up on the TransCanada as they were driving their SUV too fast for conditions. I am ony picking on one group I know, but as they are only picking on one scenario that involved the loss of a life, a family member, they disresprect those people in doing so.

I hope comments don't get out of hand on here, but soon enough the media trolls will be searching for anything that fuels their stories.

Too add, we never hear about the near 100+ deaths a year from snowmobiliers who fall through lakes, or who run into farmers fences in the East. Attention is focused on Avalanches. Even the people on the East Coast think Avalanches is the biggest contributor to snowmobilier fatalities, when its not even a fair number to compare. What about boating deaths and drownings? This is news that will continue to be news. Skiers/Boarders/Climbers fatalities will never attract the attention we do on a motorized activity.

 

[JoHNI_T]

ya best response for the negative media and coments is NO response.... why throw fuel on a stupid fire

 

[plio7]

Very well said momma......don't think it could have been put any better than that

 

[SledMamma]

ya best response for the negative media is NO response.... why throw fuel on a stupid fire

I guess my point of view is that "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" and by posting intelligent and rational arguments, our tiny voices might not throw fuel on the fire, but rather snuff it out. If we all remain quiet, then the politics of the day continue on without us, and next thing you know our industry is regulated to the point of decimation and our backcountry riding areas are closed.

You can't put out the darkness by remaining unseen...

 

[JoHNI_T]

I guess my point of view is that "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" and by posting intelligent and rational arguments, our tiny voices might not throw fuel on the fire, but rather snuff it out. If we all remain quiet, then the politics of the day continue on without us, and next thing you know our industry is regulated to the point of decimation and our backcountry riding areas are closed.

You can't put out the darkness by remaining unseen...

sorry your response was well written and thoughtful I was justy quickly agreeing with takethebounce about starting big debates on line about avalanche safety I agree someone has to speak up just hate the jibber jabber people claiming their safer and smarter etc etc....
cheers

 

[SledMamma]

sorry your response was well written and thoughtful I was justy quickly agreeing with takethebounce about starting big debates on line about avalanche safety I agree someone has to speak up just hate the jibber jabber people claiming their safer and smarter etc etc....
cheers

Don't apologize at all. I get what you are saying for sure- any comment off the cuff or carelessly phrased response becomes fodder for the other side. Careful construction of our public identity is the key. And you are right, anytime any of us claim to be safer or smarter than anyone else, we do ourselves no favors, because eventually we will be proven wrong. Its a fine line we walk; and really, its quite sad that we can't be left to enjoy our sport as safely as possible and consoled for our losses like any other sport would be...

 

[Skadi]

Very well stated Richelle!!!

 

[AprilO]

As with anything that happens in which the media can make into a story, there will always be the arm chair commentators who have never experienced anything to do with such traggic events that feel they can justify making such comments.

Its great to respond to these keyboard jockeys, yet most time it fuels our anger further as they have no appreciation for what we try to do as a community. Much of backcountry sledding involves high risk, high reward. Not the high risk in being in an area that could be considered dangerous, but just getting to those areas at times is a risk. As sledders many of us brave the dangerous hiways to get to our destinations. Yet we do not hear stories on how people, sometimes families going on a ski trip cause a multi car pile up on the TransCanada as they were driving their SUV too fast for conditions. I am ony picking on one group I know, but as they are only picking on one scenario that involved the loss of a life, a family member, they disresprect those people in doing so.

I hope comments don't get out of hand on here, but soon enough the media trolls will be searching for anything that fuels their stories.

Too add, we never hear about the near 100+ deaths a year from snowmobiliers who fall through lakes, or who run into farmers fences in the East. Attention is focused on Avalanches. Even the people on the East Coast think Avalanches is the biggest contributor to snowmobilier fatalities, when its not even a fair number to compare. What about boating deaths and drownings? This is news that will continue to be news. Skiers/Boarders/Climbers fatalities will never attract the attention we do on a motorized activity.

I completly agree with you!

 

[T-team]

I dont see anything WRONG persay, with being an adrenaline junkie.. I know I am! And anyone on this website that says they dont LOVE the rush they get while doing that stuff is full of %^&*. You can still be an adrenaline junkie but just keep your wits about you and think ahead! But I agree with you sledmamma... The way they always type it out in the papers.. is we are brainless adrenaline crazed retards that point the sleds at a hill... and duct tape the throttle down until something slides.. Or even better... when they explain "HIGHMARKING"... "The practice where two snomobilers race thier machines up a hill seeing who can get the highest"... Like .... When the F do we ever do that? Wake up in the morning... "hey man... you wanna go highmarking? Ya lets go highmarking...... Hey GUYS WERE GOING HIGHMARKING IN THE MOUNTAINS!" That term should have gone out the window after they stopped calling the sled after it... Its just been used to bash everyone in the industry. you NEVER EVER hear the term highmark anymore unless its someone talking about how stupid mountain sledding is.

 

[MATTIAC]

found this online. its old, but it goes to show the amount of reported accidents and deaths on sleds out east. I dont know why the media has such a damn hard on for avalanche incidents, they are as tragic as it gets, and don't wish it on anyone, and its 9/10 mother nature that causes it. we do our do diligence, we try and be as safe as we can and it still happens, its life.

 

[Barry Barton]

As with anything that happens in which the media can make into a story, there will always be the arm chair commentators who have never experienced anything to do with such traggic events that feel they can justify making such comments.

Its great to respond to these keyboard jockeys, yet most time it fuels our anger further as they have no appreciation for what we try to do as a community. Much of backcountry sledding involves high risk, high reward. Not the high risk in being in an area that could be considered dangerous, but just getting to those areas at times is a risk. As sledders many of us brave the dangerous hiways to get to our destinations. Yet we do not hear stories on how people, sometimes families going on a ski trip cause a multi car pile up on the TransCanada as they were driving their SUV too fast for conditions. I am ony picking on one group I know, but as they are only picking on one scenario that involved the loss of a life, a family member, they disresprect those people in doing so.

I hope comments don't get out of hand on here, but soon enough the media trolls will be searching for anything that fuels their stories.

Too add, we never hear about the near 100+ deaths a year from snowmobiliers who fall through lakes, or who run into farmers fences in the East. Attention is focused on Avalanches. Even the people on the East Coast think Avalanches is the biggest contributor to snowmobilier fatalities, when its not even a fair number to compare. What about boating deaths and drownings? This is news that will continue to be news. Skiers/Boarders/Climbers fatalities will never attract the attention we do on a motorized activity.

very well said i've seen to many peaple sit on the couch and bitch about life instead of living it. Lost a brother years ago and he sat on the couch,then lost a good friend he was 65 all he told me is he had no regrets because he had a good time getting their and to make sure I do the same because life is to short so we should enjoy it and imbrace it not be scarde of it . The peaple that bitch about our sledding don't understand us we will always miss the peaple who get killed but we understand why they do what they do. I've been taking my kids to the mountains for 8 yrs now and i've had health problems on and off and the best thing my daughter said to me one time is if we never get to go again we had some great times when we did, so if this is what I get to leave behind when i'm gone I think it's great. We never go their to get hurt we go their for the challenge and the thrill and the enjoyment of meeting other peaple who enjoy doing the same thing. The media are the worst for blowing a story up is normal, had a insodent with the media yrs ago and thats all they do because thats what peaple want to hear and the reason they go after snowmobilers is avalanches are scary and they sell papers thats it.

 

[takethebounce]

found this online. its old, but it goes to show the amount of reported accidents and deaths on sleds out east. I dont know why the media has such a damn hard on for avalanche incidents, they are as tragic as it gets, and don't wish it on anyone, and its 9/10 mother nature that causes it. we do our do diligence, we try and be as safe as we can and it still happens, its life.

And that is only one State. Every US State keeps track of their incidents. Multiple that by about 8 times to get a more real number of sledding accidents out East. The true numbers are out there, I have found them in the past.

We actually have a very safe sport and a very responsible community of sledders, but safe doesn't sell, tragedy does.


I feel bad for the friends and family of the lost sledding community members we have each years as they see these media reports and they know inside that their loved ones were not reckless, or careless, but someone who truely loved what they were doing.

 

[medler]

Good response Richelle...Very well written,

 

[whickey]

Comments posted after the CBC article on the death of sledder in Prince George. Makes me see red. We need to start speaking out with common sense in these arenas and have a voice so that the misconceptions are not allowed to continue:

Ignorant comment:

While my heart aches for this individual's family, I have to agree with some of the other posters here. How many more BC (and Alberta) families are going to lose fathers, sons, and brothers this year due to avalanches? Yes, I listed male family members because they seem to represent the vast majority of death by avalanche, which is entirely preventable!!


Do these folks have some incorrect notion that they're infallible? Invincible?


How many more will leave children without fathers this year?


A friend of mine sarcastically remarked that this weeds the idiots out of the gene pool. All I can think of are the people who love the man who died, and how heartbroken they must all be right now.


My reply:

• I am the "rare" female you speak of. I enter the backcountry year after year on a snowmobile. I am not a crazy redneck. I am not an adrenaline junkie. I am a mother of 3, respiratory therapist and photographer. I choose to do what I do because it is the one place where my challenges and identity are limited only by my ownself, not by the constructs of society, career, and motherhood. I adore the mountains and the majesty of the great outdoors and I choose to enter, challenge and capture its confines based on a calculated risk. I'm not an idiot. I'm doing what so many are afraid to do... living... I don't need to be weeded out, or diminished because of my hobbies...
• I find it insulting the way people single out sledders when an avalanche happens, but when a skier dies, you classify it as tragic. I work with women of all ages in the backcountry, I lobby and promote safety and help raise money for backcountry awareness. I represent a larger minority than the small-minded might suggest. We the sledders are tired of the condolences being sent with the word "BUT" at the end of it; as if we deserve to die for our choices.
• If you die in a car accident because you err, as is human, should I demean your life or diminish your death with a qualifying statement???
• Sledders don't need to be weeded out, ignorance does.

[/QUOTe

Great responce. Unfortunatly some people think that if you go into the back country then you die in and avalanch. Which is the same as if you drive a car you die in a car crash. It get a little hard to listen to. But I agree we can't stay in the dark but we can't light the world on fire as a result of uneducated people.

 

[KatMan]

If anyone's up to it, I would ask writers of one sided crap like the CBC article to an open discussion/debate on their misconceptions and ignorance to the facts, publicly, so we can get our side of the story out.

My guess is they will not take you up because they KNOW what the real facts are, and those facts/stats don't make headlines.

 

[Harp]

Very well Said!!!

Thank You.

Comments posted after the CBC article on the death of sledder in Prince George. Makes me see red. We need to start speaking out with common sense in these arenas and have a voice so that the misconceptions are not allowed to continue:

Ignorant comment:

While my heart aches for this individual's family, I have to agree with some of the other posters here. How many more BC (and Alberta) families are going to lose fathers, sons, and brothers this year due to avalanches? Yes, I listed male family members because they seem to represent the vast majority of death by avalanche, which is entirely preventable!!


Do these folks have some incorrect notion that they're infallible? Invincible?


How many more will leave children without fathers this year?


A friend of mine sarcastically remarked that this weeds the idiots out of the gene pool. All I can think of are the people who love the man who died, and how heartbroken they must all be right now.


My reply:

• I am the "rare" female you speak of. I enter the backcountry year after year on a snowmobile. I am not a crazy redneck. I am not an adrenaline junkie. I am a mother of 3, respiratory therapist and photographer. I choose to do what I do because it is the one place where my challenges and identity are limited only by my ownself, not by the constructs of society, career, and motherhood. I adore the mountains and the majesty of the great outdoors and I choose to enter, challenge and capture its confines based on a calculated risk. I'm not an idiot. I'm doing what so many are afraid to do... living... I don't need to be weeded out, or diminished because of my hobbies...
• I find it insulting the way people single out sledders when an avalanche happens, but when a skier dies, you classify it as tragic. I work with women of all ages in the backcountry, I lobby and promote safety and help raise money for backcountry awareness. I represent a larger minority than the small-minded might suggest. We the sledders are tired of the condolences being sent with the word "BUT" at the end of it; as if we deserve to die for our choices.
• If you die in a car accident because you err, as is human, should I demean your life or diminish your death with a qualifying statement???
• Sledders don't need to be weeded out, ignorance does.

 

[SledMamma]

If anyone's up to it, I would ask writers of one sided crap like the CBC article to an open discussion/debate on their misconceptions and ignorance to the facts, publicly, so we can get our side of the story out.

My guess is they will not take you up because they KNOW what the real facts are, and those facts/stats don't make headlines.

I have asked them before-- as you predicted, they are not interested. It would hurt their "WOW" factor to film and interview a normal 30-something mom who is well educated, gainfully employed, of well-spoken English dialect, has a full mouth of teeth, giving back to her community, and passionate about the back-country and sledding! That image just wouldn't sell...