Teth-Air
Active VIP Member
I decided to post the different techniques separately so the discussion could then be around that particular technique and guys may get less confused as to which technique gets questions and answers about.
The wedge maneuver was developed about 13 years ago out of desperation. My son Colby was about 12 years old and him and I were riding Fernie area. It was snowing hard and there was about a metre of fresh snow on the trail. He was following and got stuck. He called me on the radio but by that time I was about 500 meters ahead. I was facing into a creek crossing when I heard him call. I had crossed this creek many times before so I headed across to turn around on the other side. The sled nosed into to the bank coming up out the other side. The more I tried to free it, the more it augured down. Both of us started digging our own sleds and it was a far walk between. It was at the 1/2 hour mark that I realized it was getting dark and this is when I started to worry. I could not budge my sled and the snow packed around it was set up really firm. All the weight was on the rear of the sled as it was partially facing up hill. I knew I had to pack a path out the other side. While packing in front of the sled I moved under to clear the snow under the belly pan and in front of the track. This is when it hit me, I could use the strongest muscles in my body and save my back. So I laid on my back and put my feet under the front bumper. I "wedged" myself under the sled and quite easily pushed the bumper up in the air, lifting the sled until my knees locked. Once locked I had the strength to hold it there with one leg while I used my second leg to push and pull snow to pack it under the lift track. Once packed the sled would stay in place. Now I moved farther under the sled to gain a better angle and this time push up on the bulk head. The sled lifted even higher and I packed more snow under the track. Repeating this technique several times and the sled was now vertical. From this position I pulled the nose down and the rear popped high out of the stuck. Now the sled rode out on it's own power.
We use this technique in our group regularly these days, Sometimes bringing the nose back down and other times flipping backward or sideways and rolling out. It is even easier if you have friends packing the snow under the track for you.
The wedge maneuver was developed about 13 years ago out of desperation. My son Colby was about 12 years old and him and I were riding Fernie area. It was snowing hard and there was about a metre of fresh snow on the trail. He was following and got stuck. He called me on the radio but by that time I was about 500 meters ahead. I was facing into a creek crossing when I heard him call. I had crossed this creek many times before so I headed across to turn around on the other side. The sled nosed into to the bank coming up out the other side. The more I tried to free it, the more it augured down. Both of us started digging our own sleds and it was a far walk between. It was at the 1/2 hour mark that I realized it was getting dark and this is when I started to worry. I could not budge my sled and the snow packed around it was set up really firm. All the weight was on the rear of the sled as it was partially facing up hill. I knew I had to pack a path out the other side. While packing in front of the sled I moved under to clear the snow under the belly pan and in front of the track. This is when it hit me, I could use the strongest muscles in my body and save my back. So I laid on my back and put my feet under the front bumper. I "wedged" myself under the sled and quite easily pushed the bumper up in the air, lifting the sled until my knees locked. Once locked I had the strength to hold it there with one leg while I used my second leg to push and pull snow to pack it under the lift track. Once packed the sled would stay in place. Now I moved farther under the sled to gain a better angle and this time push up on the bulk head. The sled lifted even higher and I packed more snow under the track. Repeating this technique several times and the sled was now vertical. From this position I pulled the nose down and the rear popped high out of the stuck. Now the sled rode out on it's own power.
We use this technique in our group regularly these days, Sometimes bringing the nose back down and other times flipping backward or sideways and rolling out. It is even easier if you have friends packing the snow under the track for you.
