safe areas to ride in the moutains

[imdoo'n]

list some of the lower risk(safer) areas in the mtn riding areas, maybe if we post some of them we may save a sledders life. i'm thinking smaller hills flat valley's minimal avi shoots.

GOLDEN -silent pass is mostly rolling and lower consequnce slopes. gorman =NFW, Silver mines NFW. quartz has relatvely flatter areas, only watch for avi paths on trail in. stay off the slopes


REVY - turbo NFW, you have to climb a bad slope just to get out of the parking lot at boulder, but some relativly safer areas.


FERNIE- the trail from coal crk to the rolling hills is relativly safe, some areas along the pipeline going north, south more dangerous.

add other areas or cut these up. the end result is what we need.

 

[JoHNI_T]

good post.... there are always safe area's to ride.... its not worth the gamble


If you think its not too safe just avoid it for anther day when more stable,,, dont risk it


tracks on a slope doesnt make it safe either fyi for newer people

 

[imdoo'n]

good post.... there are always safe area's to ride.... its not worth the gamble


If you think its not too safe just avoid it for anther day when more stable,,, dont risk it

tracks on a slope doesnt make it safe either fyi for newer people

those tracks sort of makes riders feel they are safe. thanx jt. any other ideas or tips

stay off sunny slopes, watch for whumping, snow cracks, snow balls rolling=big temp change.

one on a slope at a time, no riding up to help yer stuck bud.

 

[RXN]

McBride:
- Bell, got the meadows, and I have never heard of Bell sliding, (knock on wood)
- Renshaw, has safe easy play areas that are not hard to get into, and even safer ones near the cabin.
- Lucille, stick near the cabin, great deep snow between the trees. safe, simple and easy.

 

[HRT Offroad]

there are relativly safe or safer areas in the mtn riding areas, maybe if we post some of them we may save a sledders life. i'm thinking smaller hills flat valley's minimal avi shoots.

GOLDEN -silent pass is mostly rolling and lower consequnce slopes. gorman =NFW, Silver mines NFW. quartz has relatvely flatter areas, only watch for avi paths on trail in. stay off the slopes


REVY - turbo NFW, you have to climb a bad slope just to get out of the parking lot at boulder, but some relativly safer areas.


FERNIE- the trail from coal crk to the rolling hills is relativly safe, some areas along the pipeline going north, south more dangerous.

add other areas or cut these up. the end result is what we need.

I definitely wouldn't consider a good portion of Silent Pass a safe zone...JMHO Lots of steeper higher consequence stuff up there that linger above the safe zones.

 

[imdoo'n]

your right, i was thinking more around the lake and in the trees, definitly not on the north.

good call .

 

[TylerG]

Even though these are labelled as "safer areas" not known for sliding, things happen, please do not take this thread in such a way that you do not need to be Avy Aware!

 

[imdoo'n]

yes lower risk, would be more appropriate. there are very few safe areas, avis can travel great distances. gorman lake has been crossed more than once.

 

[HRT Offroad]

your right, i was thinking more around the lake and in the trees, definitly not on the north.

good call .

Can't remember where I saw the video up silent earlier this year, but it was a skier chick that was just dropping into some trees over a convex roll, and it let go. The snow is very complex this year...things that should go, are tearing out like wildfire. Freakin weird snow pack. When we were down in the Flathead last week, we did some snow analysis and tests...the early february surface hoar layer is very prominent and a major failing point. when I picked the test block up after it had failed...I flipped it upside down and the hoar layer was as perfect as the day it accumulated. CRAZY!!

 

[imdoo'n]

becoming very dangerous, small slopes are the only thing I'm riding, with smaller consequences. and as small an incline as possible. otherwise I'm riding flat land or not going at all.

 

[RXN]

Whitecourt, Swan Hills and Fox Creek are safer places,

 

[Depsnolvr]

This is a neat post, but Im also thankful for TylerGs post above. Naming areas as safe, unless they are completely flat and a great distance from any incline, could be quite misleading to the new rider. Problem I am seeing is that many of us grew up on snowmobiles and learned for many years before really hitting the mountain. Mountain snowmobiling is gaining popularity so quickly and many new folks are going out and buying the biggest and baddest new sleds without really gaining a respect for the mountain environment. Now im not labeling anyone, but I am seeing this a lot in the hills.

Going out to safe areas in High avalanche hazard can be quite educational, BUT you need to take the time to play in the snow, get a feel for it, slope cut VERY small rolls on the side of the trail on your way in, pull over and do a quick hand shear test, probe the snow for inconsistencies, do a quick test profile and compression test all this stuff can me done in a matter of minutes (these are things I do every day) ,but doing this in gentle areas as a beginner can help you picture your results on larger terrain.

We need to promote education, continual learning and PRACTICE within the mountain snowmobile community. We need to help our peers and promote safe decisions and sound practice on a daily basis, not just hammerin up the trail to the first hill without really paying attention to our surroundings. For example some other winter sport enthusiasts, plan for days or weeks before they go out into the mountains for a day, they follow weather, snow conditions and review the terrain they will be in, and Id like to see more of this type of thinking done in our community.

Remember ,just because an area may "have never slid before" or you dont see signs of activity, its still best to be able to make that decision for yourself. One of my mentors once said "Absence of Evidence is not Evidence of Absence!"

Play safe everyone and enjoy the snow !

 

[TylerG]

This is a neat post, but Im also thankful for TylerGs post above. Naming areas as safe, unless they are completely flat and a great distance from any incline, could be quite misleading to the new rider. Problem I am seeing is that many of us grew up on snowmobiles and learned for many years before really hitting the mountain. Mountain snowmobiling is gaining popularity so quickly and many new folks are going out and buying the biggest and baddest new sleds without really gaining a respect for the mountain environment. Now im not labeling anyone, but I am seeing this a lot in the hills.

Going out to safe areas in High avalanche hazard can be quite educational, BUT you need to take the time to play in the snow, get a feel for it, slope cut VERY small rolls on the side of the trail on your way in, pull over and do a quick hand shear test, probe the snow for inconsistencies, do a quick test profile and compression test all this stuff can me done in a matter of minutes (these are things I do every day) ,but doing this in gentle areas as a beginner can help you picture your results on larger terrain.

We need to promote education, continual learning and PRACTICE within the mountain snowmobile community. We need to help our peers and promote safe decisions and sound practice on a daily basis, not just hammerin up the trail to the first hill without really paying attention to our surroundings. For example some other winter sport enthusiasts, plan for days or weeks before they go out into the mountains for a day, they follow weather, snow conditions and review the terrain they will be in, and Id like to see more of this type of thinking done in our community.

Remember ,just because an area may "have never slid before" or you dont see signs of activity, its still best to be able to make that decision for yourself. One of my mentors once said "Absence of Evidence is not Evidence of Absence!"

Play safe everyone and enjoy the snow !

Well said Curtis..... Very important to promote the education, practice, and of course Awareness.

Check Welcome to avalanche.ca before you go out, Check the weather, test your beacons, so on and so forth. Little things can affect your days ride.

Let's all play safe, have fun, and live to ride another day.

 

[0neoldfart]

This is a neat post, but Im also thankful for TylerGs post above. Naming areas as safe, unless they are completely flat and a great distance from any incline, could be quite misleading to the new rider. Problem I am seeing is that many of us grew up on snowmobiles and learned for many years before really hitting the mountain. Mountain snowmobiling is gaining popularity so quickly and many new folks are going out and buying the biggest and baddest new sleds without really gaining a respect for the mountain environment. Now im not labeling anyone, but I am seeing this a lot in the hills.

Going out to safe areas in High avalanche hazard can be quite educational, BUT you need to take the time to play in the snow, get a feel for it, slope cut VERY small rolls on the side of the trail on your way in, pull over and do a quick hand shear test, probe the snow for inconsistencies, do a quick test profile and compression test all this stuff can me done in a matter of minutes (these are things I do every day) ,but doing this in gentle areas as a beginner can help you picture your results on larger terrain.

We need to promote education, continual learning and PRACTICE within the mountain snowmobile community. We need to help our peers and promote safe decisions and sound practice on a daily basis, not just hammerin up the trail to the first hill without really paying attention to our surroundings. For example some other winter sport enthusiasts, plan for days or weeks before they go out into the mountains for a day, they follow weather, snow conditions and review the terrain they will be in, and Id like to see more of this type of thinking done in our community.

Remember ,just because an area may "have never slid before" or you dont see signs of activity, its still best to be able to make that decision for yourself. One of my mentors once said "Absence of Evidence is not Evidence of Absence!"

Play safe everyone and enjoy the snow !

Well put. And yes, mountain sledding is gaining popularity VERY quickly. I can recall (not that long ago) when the mid week rides (and some weekends) had almost no sleds on the hill or in towns like Valemount, Golden, and McBride. Now it's a full house on weekends, weekdays are hit and miss depending on weather. Let's face it, the sleds have evolved rapidly - they will take even an inexperienced rider places where they have no business being. AVY training is a must, common sense essential to surviving in the backcountry. I for one tend to "overpack" compared to most riders, but I remember the days of frozen fuel pumps and analog EGT's if you could afford them. I honestly think we depend on the machinery more then we used to, and tend to overlook conditions sometimes. Spot messengers, GPS and avalanche backpacks tend to give us a false sense of security...play safe out there

 

[toddsphotos]

A new piece of information is being produced regarding this thread. it displays popular riding areas and what terrain it consists of. I have seen where this is going, and it has potential to be an amazing resource. watch it develop: New Trip Planner (beta) : Pre-Trip Planning : Canadian Avalanche Centre : avalanche.ca

 

[Powder Puff]

A new piece of information is being produced regarding this thread. it displays popular riding areas and what terrain it consists of. I have seen where this is going, and it has potential to be an amazing resource. watch it develop: New Trip Planner (beta) : Pre-Trip Planning : Canadian Avalanche Centre : avalanche.ca

The trip planner brochures are now available also at the trailheads at a lot of your favorite riding area trailheads.

Great post Curtis.

 

[pipes]

list some of the lower risk(safer) areas in the mtn riding areas, maybe if we post some of them we may save a sledders life. i'm thinking smaller hills flat valley's minimal avi shoots.

GOLDEN -silent pass is mostly rolling and lower consequnce slopes. gorman =NFW, Silver mines NFW. quartz has relatvely flatter areas, only watch for avi paths on trail in. stay off the slopes


REVY - turbo NFW, you have to climb a bad slope just to get out of the parking lot at boulder, but some relativly safer areas.


FERNIE- the trail from coal crk to the rolling hills is relativly safe, some areas along the pipeline going north, south more dangerous.

add other areas or cut these up. the end result is what we need.

WOW! great thread here imdoo'n. I'll leave it at that, I think you know what I'm getting at.

 

[Depsnolvr]

A new piece of information is being produced regarding this thread. it displays popular riding areas and what terrain it consists of. I have seen where this is going, and it has potential to be an amazing resource. watch it develop: New Trip Planner (beta) : Pre-Trip Planning : Canadian Avalanche Centre : avalanche.ca

yes, the ATES terrain rating project is an awesome piece of work. Our brochures and many other clubs as mentioned by Powder Puff are utilizing this work already. Great point, thank you for bringing it up. The CAC also now employs a Snowmobile Program Coordinator to help with developing and implementing these programs and linking them directly to the snowmobile community, not to mention the SledCom (a snowmobile advisory committee to the CAC), and there are now a few sledders on the CAA/CAC Boards as well. Things are progressing in the sled world and this thread is turning into another great tool for education.

Lets keep at it !

 

[imdoo'n]

i know it is not much, but what i thought off in short notice, it may give someone an option. sorry, i'd like to do more, just askin for info that only local area sledders would know about.

 

[deaner]

LOTS of safe tree riding in Creston boys! Come on down.