Tree Wells

[NathanLarson]

How dangerous and deep are they usually? Ive heard of people dying in them and Ive seen people walk into them and climb trees, then fall off the tree and into them, and walk away fine on YouTube. How cautious should I really be?

 

[kimrick]

Tree well safety is very important!
Branches do not allow the snow to build up around the main tree.
They can be deep and swallow you up.
Go to the link provided and review. It is based on skiing but great overall information..Had a sled buried quit deep in a tree well and took a few of us a few hours to recover.

Tree Well and Snow Immersion Suffocation (SIS) Information :: Home

 

[lilduke]

They can be very deep, seen people fall down them and I have fell down them myself,, very scary. Be careful around them, thats forsure.

 

[tex78]

Like this

 

[tex78]

Even with teather, he was under sled and track still rubbed tree

 

[kimrick]

Like this

Alot deeper though!

 

[thegeneral]

This was at Boulder last January. Had he gone in head first it may have ended very differently.

 

[John Cambell]

They can be fatal. I know, they seem harmless, but if by some chance you fall head first and the snow comes over you, it can be fatal. Most times your riding partner may not see you in time. Think of how many times riding you are separated. To some degree, this happens all day

Best rule, is to always be aware and never under estimate them

 

[old mountain man]

I know it was fatal for a fellow in Blue River a few years ago. He fell in with his sled on top of him. Sled did not shut off and it killed him.

 

[lewey]

a guy died on whistler last february in a tree well. happens at ski resorts a lot more than you could imagine.

 

[John Cambell]

So true. There are many tragedies around tree wells. I tend to be always aware and very cautious. They should be respected just like avalanche awareness.

 

[tex78]

Seen a guy a few years ago, went in head first, big dude ... Took 5 of us to get him out, all u could see was his feet flapping

 

[gdhillon]

scary stuff for sure. Any of you guys carry that avalung thing, I am surprised this is the first time ive ever read about it

 

[ACP]

4 or 5 years ago we staged at Ground hog one of the guys in our group knew the truck unloading beside us, we all talked for a while getting ready and then headed up the trail together, we went separate ways. When we approached our truck to load at the end of the day a lone sled came down, that was the last time this young man seen hi father.

Worst snowmobiling day I ever had.

 

[thegeneral]

I ride with with a guy that wears one. He says it's unlikely that he would get it into his mouth while tumbling in an avalanche but he figures it doesn't hurt to have every tool at your disposal.

scary stuff for sure. Any of you guys carry that avalung thing, I am surprised this is the first time ive ever read about it

 

[ferniesnow]

The deeper the snow pack, the deeper the tree well. Even the little ones p*ss me off!

Lots of times when you are stuck and you are looking for purchase with your feet so you can lift and then one leg goes into a buried tree well. Tabernac!

 

[tex78]

The deeper the snow pack, the deeper the tree well. Even the little ones p*ss me off!

Lots of times when you are stuck and you are looking for purchase with your feet so you can lift and then one leg goes into a buried tree well. Tabernac!

Or that one tree u don't see is the one holding u up from going deeper buy the twig and berry's

 

[Rbrduk]

A few years ago, we were showing a couple guys from sask around. First time to the big hills. We gave they the safety talk about avys, trees, etc. Well one of them gets stuck and when he walked around to the front of his sled, found a tree well and he was looking at his a-arm. Could have been worse, but funny now.

 

[jaredszakacs]

I got lucky in boulder 2 years ago was going to make a turn around a tree for a new line and get sucked in fell off into tree well and down about 7 feet luckily the sled never fell in with me and the guys we were riding with seen me drop down. Tree wells can be super scary

 

[lsone]

4 or 5 years ago we staged at Ground hog one of the guys in our group knew the truck unloading beside us, we all talked for a while getting ready and then headed up the trail together, we went separate ways. When we approached our truck to load at the end of the day a lone sled came down, that was the last time this young man seen hi father.

Worst snowmobiling day I ever had.

ugh ****ty deal.