Valemount Conditions and Updates 2019 2020

plio7

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Clemina today

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Max

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Did S&R get the guys out of the Allen creek drainage
 
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Brapster

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Was that just this afternoon?
Think they dropped in at around 11 or so. I saw a guy riding back in fourth in the burns, looking for his buddies found 1 of them and the other 2 had dropped down already they would move some and get stuck again. Was on the radio talking to them. Last time I talked to them they were making a shelter and fire. Hope they get out ok.
 

turboetech

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Sledded Allen Creek again this weekend epic snow conditions went back as far a Premier mountain range 3 ft of untouched pow road 2 days seen no one until out of gas and back at cabin where it was pounded flat and standing room only best snow this year so far be careful avalanche alley has not come down yet completely awesome time thanks Valemount/Varda and all that make this riding area possible
 

VARDA

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Wise words said above, please use a cautious approach. Our group was a bit larger and we chose not to go through avy alley this weekend simply due to the new load and stormy conditions. Remember, we dont need avalanche terrain to have fun and get stuck. Enjoy all of this great snow and ride safe.
 

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Depsnolvr

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Any word on the 2 guys stuck at allen?

Not speaking officially but this is my two cents. They came off of the mountain mid day today after spending the night on the mountain. We went out last night and after realizing the distance these two boys traveled downhill to nowhere, it was simply not possible to ever evacuate them by normal means. Robson Valley SAR heli dropped them snowshoes, radios, food and water this morning and instructed them to walk a very long way downhill to the only possible evac point.

We see this far too often people. If you realized you are F%^cked, the last thing you should do is F%^ck yourself more by traveling farther away from the last safe point. We are skilled at rescue and can help you out of many situations you think impossible. We could have gotten these boys off of the hill last night, but their ambitious efforts to proceed down to nowhere resulted in a stay on the mountain and a long delay in recovery.

Do not reply here to insult these people, you do no good with your negative comments. They are good people and there has been a lesson learned.... I promise.

Just please do every rescuer a favour and stop at the very second you realize you are over your head. The feeling we get from having to leave fellow sledders on the hill overnight is indescribable. I cannot think of one instance where proceeding farther into the depth of hell resulted in a faster recovery.

Ride safe
 
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Dawizman

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Not speaking officially but this is my two cents. They came off of the mountain mid day today after spending the night on the mountain. We went out last night and after realizing the distance these two boys traveled downhill to nowhere, it was simply not possible to ever evacuate them by normal means. Robson Valley SAR heli dropped them snowshoes, radios, food and water this morning and instructed them to walk a very long way downhill to the only possible evac point.

We see this far too often people. If you realized you are F%^cked, the last thing you should do is F%^ck yourself more by traveling farther away from the last safe point. We are skilled at rescue and can help you out of many situations you think impossible. We could have gotten these boys off of the hill last night, but their ambitious efforts to proceed down to nowhere, resulted in a stay on the mountain and a long delay in recovery.

Do not reply here to insult these people, you do no good with your negative comments. They are good people and there has been a lesson learned.... I promise.

Just please do every rescuer a favour and stop at the very second you realize you are over your head. The feeling we get from having to leave fellow sledders on the hill overnight is indescribable. I cannot think of one instance where proceeding farther into the depth of hell resulted in a faster recovery.

Ride safe

Glad they made it off safe. Thanks Curtis, SAR, and everyone else involved in the rescue efforts!
 

sledhunter

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The two men we (Robson Valley SAR) rescued yesterday ventured into terrain that they couldn’t ride back out of. To their credit they had radio contact with the rest of their group. Others in their group CALLED 9-1-1. That is the most important call. Don’t call your mom or a friend or the snowmobile club or anyone else until you have called 9-1-1 and asked for the POLICE. The police will call us. We will respond. Our Mountain Snowmobile Response Team is a team of highly skilled professionals with the resources to get you out.
As a mountain snowmobiler you have to be prepared to spend at least one night alone in the wilderness when you leave the parking lot. You owe that to your family.
Do not anticipate an immediate rescue. As a recreational rider you can take chances that we won’t. We will respond a quickly as we reasonably can.
Stay safe,
 

bk720

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Very good comments from both Curtis and sledhunter. I have been on hills late into the night before trying to get sleds out of sticky situations. It gets scary fast. For my own curiosity and assurance, can someone mark the location on a Allan creek riding area map as to where these guys ventured off to. I am not to to familiar with the area.
 

maxwell

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Here is a Map i Made. In my opinion, No one should be in the yellow zone. You could perhaps push the upper boundary lower slightly if you are an EXPERT rider. Not a self proclaimed expert rider. Other than that there is NO turnaround zones in the yellow zone. It is all offcamber,steep creek and tree riding. i bet 90% of snowmobile and rider recoveries come from this yellow zone. There are no flat spots to turn around, there are no easy ways out, there is no connector road that you can drop down too. The lower you go, the steeper it gets. And the brush and willows get thicker. Each of the 4 creek draws tighten up as you go down and if you keep following them down thats it for you. If you find yourself in this yellow zone, Stop, Do not pass go, do not collect 200$. Turn your sled around and beat a path out the way you came in.

Allan_Creekdraws.jpg
 

Brapster

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Here is a Map i Made. In my opinion, No one should be in the yellow zone. You could perhaps push the upper boundary lower slightly if you are an EXPERT rider. Not a self proclaimed expert rider. Other than that there is NO turnaround zones in the yellow zone. It is all offcamber,steep creek and tree riding. i bet 90% of snowmobile and rider recoveries come from this yellow zone. There are no flat spots to turn around, there are no easy ways out, there is no connector road that you can drop down too. The lower you go, the steeper it gets. And the brush and willows get thicker. Each of the 4 creek draws tighten up as you go down and if you keep following them down thats it for you. If you find yourself in this yellow zone, Stop, Do not pass go, do not collect 200$. Turn your sled around and beat a path out the way you came in.

View attachment 221533
I believe they were in the first ravine. On the right
 
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