Clemina Avalanche Video

[snoqueen]

Guys, yes the people involved knew they made a mistake here and im sure there glad there all still here and not #24 or #25. I know this pisses people off to see more people hi-marking in these terrible conditions. Im suprised to see this activity as well. I was in the mountains 2 weeks ago playing in the meadows in a mid slope and an avy hit. Just 10 minutes we were in another area and I took a few pokes at a different slope facing another direction. On the third I couldn't stop thinking of avalanches and all and decided to stop, that was enough, I should know better. And I wasn't that high up either. So I decided to play in the trees and meadows and we got bit anyway beneath another untouched slope. Its just not worth it, there will be better snow next year, and Im hoping I can ride without watching my back all the time.
Now these people came to share there experience and we should learn more from that rather than give every one crap. I think they got enough from everyone allready, and Im sure there a little spooked, and they probably allready checked out Zacstracs website. And yes the news is trying to find every story they can get right now, the best thing they can get for some footage will be everyone at the Avalanche course Lauri is putting on in Valemount this month, this will help this whole thing and wash the hype away.

Now, I'm not too sure but maybe this avalanche is the blessing in disguise for Zac's Tracs to put on this course in Valemount on April 18th & 19th....I signed up myself, my husband and our 12 year old son at the end of last week, but the numbers were quite low at the time. THEY NEED A MINIMUM OF 24 TO PUT ON THE COURSE. If this isn't going to put the fire under your butt and make you sign up and take it....I don't know what is. I'm just glad I have secured 3 spots in this course and next year me and my family will be all the more wiser for it. SIGN UP NOW if you haven't done so already. Click the link for info and registration forms.

ZacsTracs

 

[moto.racerx]

[/COLOR]

1. The other riders were of mixed experience. The guy actually riding the hill... this is only his second year.. brand new hot sled and always itchin to see what it can do. The other guys including the one that hit it just before have been riding for a number of years but I would not say they had any actual training on evalutating conditions.


2. Ever since I decided to by my sled in February of this year, I've been doing my research as best I can on the web... none of which prepars you for the real deal. I was hesitant looking at that slope before anyone hit it. But that being said, all the slopes in the area looked heavily laden with snow and I didn't know the real danger from the perceived. As far as what advertisement would get me to visit them? I've never much been one for marketing. If the information is presented concisely and clearly then I will read it, if not then I'm much more likely to skim.

3. I had done some practicing with my gear, but not nearly enough to be comfortable with it in an emergency situation. The way I see it, on such a grand scope of terrain, it's next to pure luck to find anyone anyway. By the time you trudge through waist deep snow or deeper, it's tough to make any real progress and you have such a limited window of time to get to them. I'm confident those in my group would have got to him, but I'm not sure I would have.


4. The issue with the courses is proximity to where we live. We are from Edmonton. I, personally, am much less likely to drive 6 hours to go on a course than if it was offerred somewhere locally. Cost for me is not even the slightest of issues. I bought a brand new sled as my first ride and the best gear I could find because I know the value of buying the best you can if you are going to rely on it. When I take my course before next season, it will be convenience much more than cost that dictates where and when I take it.

here is a course free from any location with internet



heres leduc


heres jasper


and 681 others
"avalanche training" edmonton - Google Search

 

[urbanstyles]

Thanks. I will certainly check one or more of those out before heading out again next season.

 

[maxwell]

what kind of sled was it anyways lol

news said M8 but my spidy senses tell me that was no m8

 

[urbanstyles]

2008 M8 w/ race gas turbo.. all kidding aside.. that thing hauls some serious ass..

 

[maxwell]

yeah i bet..well i can tell haha

 

[jayew118]

Watched a guy cheat death yesterday at the hill climb hill at Clemina.
Lucky for him he was ok. Here is a link to the video.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuU-vnh5M9s[/media]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuU-vnh5M9s[/YOUTUBE][/QUthat is wicked and very deadly playing with the reaper sometimes it is to fun to resist until you pay the price trapped under 4 feet of snow takin your last breath.

 

[blastoff]

I'm really not concerned about asserting my

It was not a chute.. it was on top of a massive birm. I'm not making excuses .. nor is he.. no one is.. it was a mistake.. I'm not sure what you expect from me. I was asked a question and gave as honest of an answer as I could.

Hey Urbanstyles Like I said earlier dont let any of these guys sh1t on you, telll them to get lost in the simplist terms. They are only looking to sh!t on you. I am on your side. Dont forget how many of these guys that are ragging on you had tooo may drinks one time in there life and had close calls. P!ss on them you only stated your piece here. I am on your side dude, CHEEERS.:d

 

[canuck02]

The quotes on the Globe and Mail site are incredibly ignorant and demonstrate the negative sterotypes that the Toronto liberal types have about sledding.

These guys made a mistake but the best thing you can do from a mistake is learn from it, we all make mistakes that's life.

 

[Alberta Boy]

So you have to be stopped and having a sandwich to be at risk of an avalanche on the trail. GOOD TO KNOW!!!!

READ THE POST THAT I QUOTED!!!! It was saying that if you trail ride you are safe from slides....

 

[redlineguy]

Wow...............

 

[intmid8or!]

vid is going viral, front page on Break today among other sites...

 

[fargineyesore]

We practiced with out gear at home before we left. We hired professional guides the first couple times and did lots of practicing/scenarios. No, not an expert, but use common sense and hopefully make smart decisions.

Man, if I was you I would have kept a very loooowww profile. This is going to be on every snwomobile website, every environmentalist/protectionist website, through government offices. I wouldn't want to be "that guy".

Just hope you do some good with the time you were lucky enough to be given.

Yes, maybe I am narrow minded. I lost someone I knew this year, and he WAS and expert. Enough is enough.

Some very experienced sledders (maybe this is the one you're talking about) have lost their lives this year. Very unfortunate, but it is risky in the mountains this year period. So I guess that they're going to close the back country to skiers as well? Don't think so. Don't be so self-righteous, and quit with the "sky is falling" routine about closures. Do you have ANY evidence that areas are going to be closed because of fatalities??? Closures have been because of wildlife so far. Provide the evidence and quit crapping on people. EVERYONE makes bad decisions once in awhile and this sport is RISKY no matter where you ride. You can crash trail riding and die.

 

[glengine]

First and foremost i'm glad to see that the guy is alright as he is extremely lucky.. But on the other hand what do people have to see or be told to make them wake up and smell the coffee.. Like the avvy hazard is in high yesterday in that area, and they are still out doing ignorant things like this.. Dont get me wrong i like to go and climb like most guys but i've put off alot of my climbin for the rest of this year since a while ago.. But i still go up the hills and have a great time and burn up all my gas.. We have lost way to many good people this year and dont want to hear of anymore.. This past weekend there was a big avvy course put on for all the S&R guys and the one main area that they found the snow was the weakest was on the steeper rock faces, and where are these guys in the most dangerous place.. PLEASE PEOPLE PLEASE come out to the hills and have a great time BUT STAY OFF OF THE STEEP ROCKY HILLS!! I have several trips to hills that i'll do yet this year including two this week, and will have a blast playin in the trees and the smaller hills, that aren't south facing slopes as it's been quite warm lately.. I really hope to see alot more guys out in the hills this year playing SAFELY..

 

[Guest101]

Alright,

I need to chime in here. As one of the 'idiots' at the bottom. Actually the one guy who's sled was burried from the run out. I agree that mistakes were made on this hill. But it was more from lack of knowledge than anything. That day was my second day in the mountains.. EVER. Should I have known to watch from a safer distance and to park with a way out? Yeah in hindsight, it seems pretty obvious. But anyone who says they start out a new activity or career or whatever and never misses something obvious.. is simply wrong. It's a mistake I'll never make again. There was two runs made at this hill before the one in the video. That's what cut the support away. Again, in hindsight, the guy riding should have just straight shot over the top, it's safe up there. Easy to criticize even your own actions after the fact. We thought we were safe sitting on the massive ridge at the base of the hill, ( and for the most part we were as it didn't roll out much past it) Lessons were learned, everyone involved was impacted by the severity of what happenned and will make much smarter decisions in the future. For myself, that will include an avalanche course. Call me an idiot if you like, I could really care less, but I agree with those that point out that education is the main factor, because trust me, some of that knowledge is not the sort that comes naturally to those starting out in the sport.

The third sentence says it all! Lack of Knowledge and experience! To many people these days from the east of BC come out here all reved up to climb some hills and shred the gnar and have no clue about terrain,wind,sun,etc and its effects on the snow. It is time to wake up people and educate yourselves before you make the trip out here to the big mountains of bc!

 

[ferniesnow]

We all make choices and those choices have to be influenced by priorities and responsiblities. In other words, CPR!

20 some years ago I used to harp on my students and my children about this concept. Now it is my grandson.

I have been riding for over 40 years but only 8 in the mountains. I live in the mountains and the learning curve was and is steep and consistent. I was not going to stop riding because of the dangers but I soon realized that I had to ride smarter to lessen the dangers. The Choice I made was more education. The Priorities were proper equipment and training. My Responsibilities were first of all, to my family, to my self, and my riding partners. For the most part that has worked; I have been in difficult situations and at the time I made a bad chioce. Learning about new areas can be a disaster! I definitely have a feeling/understanding for the weekend riders that get into places where they shouldn't be. I have a hard time understanding the hill climbers this year.

The difficult part of this is to find riding partners that have the same values and attitude. It is the same in the flatland or in lake country as it is in the mountains; helping buddies that are in distress is difficult at the best of times. Can you imagine a lake rescue at night and the buddy that has fallen through the ice, can't swim, and hasn't got a beacon? Most of the distress comes from making poor Choices.

I have ridden with many different riders over the years and it doesn't take me long to figure out if I want to ride with them or not (normally, just 2 rides; the first and last). I have made some fast choices and I'm not out to win a popularity contest! My life is at stake and all the trauma of having to rescue someone or retrieve someone who has a different attitude will live with me forever and I am strong enough to make a Choice. Fortunately, I haven't had to seriously rescue anyone. Saying that, I would stay to the bitter end in a rescue whether they were buddies or I just happened on a scene.

Good riding partners are not hard to find; you just have to be consistent in your attitude and values. I know there are a lot of variables in picking riding partners (relatives, transportation, guiding or knowledge of the area, socialization, and it can go on and on) but it has to be done! CPR is on your shoulders all the time!

I'm not an expert nor do I pretend to be. I ride in avalanche country, about 2500 kms/year and it is wicked avalanche country and I'm not bragging just stating facts. Trail riding to get to most of our areas can be a serious hazzard. We "lessen" the chances of disaster by practicing proper avalanche safety and this year in particular, it hasn't been and won't be hill climbing.
For me, riding the slopes this winter has not happened; I know what the snow is like and what it is going to do. When the side of the logging roads slide, you know the snow pack is unstable!!

This is a bit of a ramble but the "teacher" in me has once again come to the forefront. I apologize for the length but if it reaches some fellow sledders then it has been a slice; if it doesn't then in my mind I did my part.

Education is going to do it. We won't win with testosterone!

I'm glad Clemina turned out good for the people who were there and I am sure that the next time any of those people are in the mountains they will make better Choices.

 

[HRT Offroad]

The third sentence says it all! Lack of Knowledge and experience! To many people these days from the east of BC come out here all reved up to climb some hills and shred the gnar and have no clue about terrain,wind,sun,etc and its effects on the snow. It is time to wake up people and educate yourselves before you make the trip out here to the big mountains of bc!

I'm originally from the "Big Mountains of B.C.", but now living in Alberta. One thing that I have to say is that there is a higher percentage of Albertans that have avy courses under their belts than people from B.C.

When I lived in B.C. I was one of the very few that had any sort of back country avy training and had all the gear. One common thing that I still here is "I'm local to this area...I know where it's safe and where it's not"

Peolpe from B.C. die in avalanches too and are not immune from this disease...As a matter of fact, I lost a friend from B.C. to an avalanche just over a week ago...

 

[maxwell]

its odd..this year seems to be a 50/50 toss up. i see SO many hills that are tempting to pull but no one has touched them. good on us. but on the other hand im going through avalanche valley in allan creek and people are bustin over the top..like wtf....

it apears just like anything there is a safe and smart group and the other group.

 

[Guest101]

I'm originally from the "Big Mountains of B.C.", but now living in Alberta. One thing that I have to say is that there is a higher percentage of Albertans that have avy courses under their belts than people from B.C.

When I lived in B.C. I was one of the very few that had any sort of back country avy training and had all the gear. One common thing that I still here is "I'm local to this area...I know where it's safe and where it's not"

Peolpe from B.C. die in avalanches too and are not immune from this disease...As a matter of fact, I lost a friend from B.C. to an avalanche just over a week ago...

I am not saying people from bc dont get caught in slides all I am saying is from what I have witnessed over my 15 or so years of playing in the backcountry there are lot of uneducated people out there. Anyone can take two day avy course and say there educated but you know as well as I do that joe farmer who just took the two day course and has brand new 800 that gets out riding 5 times a year in the mountains is still going to that poke at that hill just to see what that new 800 can do! Seen it all to many times!! Not trying to start a BC/Prairies war here all I am trying to say is educate yourselves and make the right choices when your out there no matter where you are from! To many people have died this year because of lack of education.

 

[HRT Offroad]

I am not saying people from bc dont get caught in slides all I am saying is from what I have witnessed over my 15 or so years of playing in the backcountry there are lot of uneducated people out there. Anyone can take two day avy course and say there educated but you know as well as I do that joe farmer who just took the two day course and has brand new 800 that gets out riding 5 times a year in the mountains is still going to that poke at that hill just to see what that new 800 can do! Seen it all to many times!! Not trying to start a BC/Prairies war here all I am trying to say is educate yourselves and make the right choices when your out there no matter where you are from! To many people have died this year because of lack of education.



The third sentence says it all! Lack of Knowledge and experience! To many people these days from the east of BC come out here all reved up to climb some hills and shred the gnar and have no clue about terrain,wind,sun,etc and its effects on the snow. It is time to wake up people and educate yourselves before you make the trip out here to the big mountains of bc!

Thanks for clearing that up...I guess I must have misinterpreted what you were trying to say:d