Having "The Talk" with loved ones

[MOMMA]

For my immediate family, they've all been up to the mountains. Like others said they are often more concerned about the highways getting there than each day riding (I think). We always touch base with each other every day we got off the hill and in the morning as to where we're going. They trust my core group and know I have the right equipment with a sensible head. We check avy conditions, always scope out areas to best of our ability to ensure no harm. My dad and brother were in the Turbo avy a few years ago and that really put the power of the mountains into perspective (not saying they didn't respect it before). Communication is a big factor for my family, and when I take my solo trips there is a lot of communication which helps. Its when my other half goes without me that the re-assurance chain is weak lol but we're working on it and getting better. I know he's a very strong rider, very mechanically inclined, resourceful & a good woodsmen. He knows dangers and how to read the terrain well. He has all the gear (less a spot) and I trust him, and know what he's like on the mtn. That doesn't change whether I'm there or not, but there is always the 'chit happens' factor that not being there can make me nervous. And it's going to be that way for everyone. Knowing where he plans to ride and when he gets back down to the truck is the best peace of mind he can give me.

Communication.. HUGE.. especially.. knowing where we're going. The kids are used to me telling them exactly where we plan to ride. Before Kev and I were married, just long distance dating.. it was a bit stressful. More so for him than I. He would almost panic if I didn't text him coming off the mountain. "I'm off the mountain and safe". We both ride without each other frequently, often on the same day. Both of us expect the same courtesy even now that we are married. The "I'm off the mountain and safe" text means the world. If we stop for a beer with buds after a ride we'll let each other or the kids know that we are safe.
Now that we're not going to be riding from our doorstep we'll have to evaluate how we keep that same sense of peace. Different territories, the feeling of the "unknown" out there. I imagine the kids will be with us on many of the trips, so when we get back to the hotel, it will be the equivalent to us coming home after a ride, but for the times we're away, we'll have to develop another system that continues the same sense of peace and confidence.

 

[Jesse_01]

Oh and spend one night in a bottom of a ravine with only a wind breaker and you are a little more cautions lol.

 

[jpgmtech]

Most of my immediate family has been riding since the 70's and 80's. The machines we had were not nearly as capable, but the risk was very real. Dad has witnessed many avalanches in his years of riding - many small and a couple of extraordinary ones. It gives you a real respect and awe for what the snow can do. He has witnessed or been a part of the rescue of 4 men that have died in the hills over the years. We didn't have pieps, probes or shovels with us until the early 90's and later with the avy packs. And we have had one good family member and friend pass away in a freak slide. In retrospect, we've had more good friends die in traffic accidents.

But I worry less about Dad in the mountains than almost anything else. Probably the fact the we are all so very used to the backcountry. There are certain unwritten rules that we learned from Dad (and others) while we were still quite young. How to read avalanche conditions without someone's report, where to park (Dad watched the Big Iron slide, but was not in a danger zone. He spent most of his day that day in the trees and lakes away from the big hills.) and minimizing risk. There is a certain "old-country" kind of wisdom and sense with him that I hope I got at least some of. But because our whole family has been at this for so long, the risk has become something we understand and accept without worry. As been commented so many times, there is more risk on the drive there and back than in the hills!

The real trick is reassuring the family of some young guys who want to come riding with us for the first time! Aquaintences with a few steps of separation from us think we are crazy or dangerous. Often the good friend who passed away is brought up, with poorly-remembered "facts" surrounding the incident as justification. Hard to reassure people who are angry that we "sucked in" thier relative(s) for a "very dangerous" ride in the backcountry. But one thing on our side - more than 100 years combined of backcountry riding in my immediate family, not counting my extended one! Hopefully there are many more years in there - if we keep making intelligent decisions and avoiding undue risk. Really, that's not much different than almost any activity in life, is it?

 

[duck]

My wife always says.... Don't leave your brains in the helmet bag.....



life insurance is paid up.



I spend my time on the end of the camera..... seen too many avalanches, dug people and sleds out and rode my share down....its no picnic when mother nature decides to unleash her fury, big or little. Ride smart, ride safe

 

[Rbrduk]

I've taken my wife on one trip (her choice not to go again) to show her what we are up to when we go. She understands that we try to mitigate any potential danger, but she still worries. My mother on the other hand, worries all the time. I let her know only about half the time I go to keep her stress down.