A message to all Snow & Mudders. Be safe out there. my season was just cut short.

[talkinghamster]

On Friday Nov. 22nd i was enjoying all the fresh snow the edmonton area had gotten, the ditches were great! i had a lot of fun in the couple days it snowed. unfortunately for me there where a ton of hazards in the ditches.

i hit a downed road sign that was completely buried and undetectable to the eye.
my ski got clipped under the mounting posts and somehow was the only part of the sled that caught.
It stopped my sled dead in its tracks and i hit my bars and flipped over the sled and my back landed on the sign.

I had split my left kidney in half, my spleen was severely damaged, and i was internally bleeding.

at first i thought i just busted a rib and thank god i was close to home so i got unstuck and rode 5 minutes to home and collapsed in my front door. luckily a family member was over and drove me to the hospital.

i just spent 12 days in the hospital and received two blood transfusions, and got some kidney work done (forget the proper medical term) luckily the doctors did not have to remove my kidney or spleen like they thought they would have to in the first place.

im not trying to make this a sob story about me, but i do want to remind everyone TO KNOW YOUR LOCAL DITCHES AND WATCH FOR HAZARDS. if you see a hazard PLEASE TAKE TIME TO GO AND MARK IT.

my parents went back to the ditch i crashed in and found 2 more downed road signs in the ditches. both of them just as un suspecting as the one i hit.

these could easily kill somebody.

i am bummed out that i will not be riding this season, but it could have been a lot worse.

that being said, anyone want a good deal on a 2013 Pro-RMK?

 

[Ride Whistler]

Re: A message to all Snow & Mudders. Be safe out there. my season was just cut short.

I hope you have a quick and full recovery! Glad you made it...

 

[maxwell]

Re: A message to all Snow & Mudders. Be safe out there. my season was just cut short.

ditches scare the piss out of me. so many markers, culverts, rocks,random holes etc.

 

[SLEDBUNNYRACING]

Re: A message to all Snow & Mudders. Be safe out there. my season was just cut short.

That's quite the story, glad your healing as the other options would not have been good.

Great "Heads Up" to those who may have forgotten about stuff in the ditches.

Here is to a quick recovery.

Cheerz.


Sent - but who really cares????

 

[cancritter]

Re: A message to all Snow & Mudders. Be safe out there. my season was just cut short.

thanx for heads up...woulda never thought about it...another reason t be cautious after a 30year absence from snowmobiles....get well soon

 

[JoHNI_T]

Re: A message to all Snow & Mudders. Be safe out there. my season was just cut short.

thanks for the friendly reminder!! Hope ya heal up quickly

 

[the_real_wild1]

Re: A message to all Snow & Mudders. Be safe out there. my season was just cut short.

I found a pipe sticking out of the ground at a 45 degree angle the other day. This is before the last bit of snow. I have to figure out how to mark it. I can't use the flagging they use for underground stuff. Need something more permanent. Hope you heal soon. Where were you riding?

 

[talkinghamster]

Re: A message to all Snow & Mudders. Be safe out there. my season was just cut short.

yea ditches are usually very hazardous and im not much of a ditch rider. i just had the itch.

i had two trips planned the weekend of the accident and the following one.

needless to say next winter i will be investing in a tech vest and try to avoid local riding.

 

[talkinghamster]

Re: A message to all Snow & Mudders. Be safe out there. my season was just cut short.

I found a pipe sticking out of the ground at a 45 degree angle the other day. This is before the last bit of snow. I have to figure out how to mark it. I can't use the flagging they use for underground stuff. Need something more permanent. Hope you heal soon. Where were you riding?

in between Edmonton and Acheson.

the ditches there may look good since there is a lot of snow and they are wide, but after going back to look it is a mine field out there.

 

[the_real_wild1]

Re: A message to all Snow & Mudders. Be safe out there. my season was just cut short.

I tell everyone that comes to ride with me around home to take it easy and watch for stuff. Even the culverts are covered now and you can't see them.

 

[BIGFOOT]

Re: A message to all Snow & Mudders. Be safe out there. my season was just cut short.

Thank for your story, Hope your recovery good well !

 

[Bogger]

Re: A message to all Snow & Mudders. Be safe out there. my season was just cut short.

Hope you heal quick....

Ditch banging makes up 75%+ of my riding. Always have to take her slow when laying fresh tracks and we try to mark obsticals as we encounter them.

 

[snow_farmer]

Re: A message to all Snow & Mudders. Be safe out there. my season was just cut short.

Ditches scare the crap out of me too. About 5 years ago I was ripping down a ditch that I had rode a million times and I hooked my ski in a buried toilet bowl that someone had thrown out. I was lucky to end up with some bad bruises and a totalled the sled. But it made me realize just how lazy some people are and that you always gotta be ready for the unthinkable to happen. Just glad to hear your healing good and it wasn't worse. Here's to a healthy, speedy recovery!

 

[tex78]

Re: A message to all Snow & Mudders. Be safe out there. my season was just cut short.

A few years ago we used to ride the medicine river at day and night .... Was down the same strech on a sunday , went for a ride after work the monday night .... Going a fair clip to boot ... Buddy was just in front of me , out the corner of his eye he seen a fence line across the river [ fawking farmers ] .... He pointed but it was too late .... Thank god we both put our wind sheilds back on [ it was -25 ] and the line went up and over just enough we both passed through [ cause we hit it at the same time ] ...

We cut the line , strung it up around the fence , went back the next night and left a note .... Do it again and u will pay , u just about killed someone ....

It is 100% illgal to have fence across rivers ect for this reason ...... Farmers just do it in spite .... Fawkers

 

[craptabulous]

Re: A message to all Snow & Mudders. Be safe out there. my season was just cut short.

A ftiend of mine totaled his sled last year 20 feet into a ditch he hit a rock .

You have inspired me to buy a tekvest

 

[medler]

Re: A message to all Snow & Mudders. Be safe out there. my season was just cut short.

Hope you heal up fast


Sent from my iPhone using

 

[Old-Soul]

Re: A message to all Snow & Mudders. Be safe out there. my season was just cut short.

...... Farmers just do it in spite .... Fawkers

Farmers do it out of spite in hopes of what? Killing someone? Highly doubt that.

Glad you made it out OK man, coulda been worse! Situational awareness is key and I myself am guilty of being too heavy on the fun-flipper and not in the brain dept. from time to time. That's why I like the ditches way out back home, never seen a toilet in ours haha, but I still have to be careful for posts or culverts or spare tires (clipped a semi wheel that was under the snow when I was a kid, scared the piss outta me).

 

[tex78]

Re: A message to all Snow & Mudders. Be safe out there. my season was just cut short.

farmers do it out of spite in hopes of what? Killing someone? Highly doubt that.

Glad you made it out ok man, coulda been worse! Situational awareness is key and i myself am guilty of being too heavy on the fun-flipper and not in the brain dept. From time to time. That's why i like the ditches way out back home, never seen a toilet in ours haha, but i still have to be careful for posts or culverts or spare tires (clipped a semi wheel that was under the snow when i was a kid, scared the piss outta me).

buddy of mine found out who the farmer was and had a chat with him .... He did it on purpose and said so himself ... Said he was tired of sleds going up and down the river .....

 

[Old-Soul]

Re: A message to all Snow & Mudders. Be safe out there. my season was just cut short.

buddy of mine found out who the farmer was and had a chat with him .... He did it on purpose and said so himself ... Said he was tired of sleds going up and down the river .....

Jesus. Sounds like he's less of a farmer and more of a psychopath.

 

[ferniesnow]

Re: A message to all Snow & Mudders. Be safe out there. my season was just cut short.

Here's to your healing process. It is good to hear that it isn't too bad and you will be around to enjoy sledding in the future.