Tree’d

 

It happens, even on short Sunday rides...

Trees are a safety hazard to snowmobilers. They can appear out of nowhere, and sometimes are big enough to do damage to the sled/rider…

Trees, any size, pose a threat to the well-being of riders. Smaller ones can get you off balance, knock you off your sled, or even yank you off your sled (all of which I’ve experienced firsthand!). Larger trees can do all of the above, plus bend/break your sled.

One of our friends in particular has been caused considerable grief by trees (not to mention picnic tables, stumps, etc…). Apart from numerous sled damages, the trees have also gotten HIM. I’m not sure about past cases, but on our last ride with him (ride 2/21/09), he managed to crash into a tree – face first. That ended up with a black eye, numerous scratches and bruises, and a lost contact lens…

On my main sled, I try and avoid trees. But on the Mod Elan, I search for new routes within them. Subsequently, I’ve gotten stuck countless times due to trees on the smaller sled. Learning experiences, you could call them…

Even though riding in the trees always ends the same, we still have to do it. Yeah, it might be because there’s good snow there, and the light is always contrasted, but more likely, it’s because we like playing with fire – and sooner or later, you get burnt…

Avalanches, and keeping a good distance

 

The avy. Note the track that set it off, as well as the track that goes around...

 

On our last ride, we encountered an avalanche where we least expected it: on a small sun-baked slope. It was near the end of the day, at a small hill near the base of Stony Pass. That hill wasn’t something you’d think would slide, especially considering how set up the snow was, but it caught us off guard, with a 75 by 100 foot slab sliding the length of the hill.

My dad was leading, and I was about a hundred yards behind. He wall-rode up on the slope like he normally does (show-off!), but by the time he was off of it, it started to slide – which was also the time I was pulled up to take the same line. If I had been much closer behind, I probably would have been in the middle of that slab – a reminder to keep a good distance between riders.

We try to keep a good distance apart when riding – so if something did happen, it would only get one of us. Although our primary concern is avalanches, it’s also a good idea to keep a “distance padding” between sleds for roost, whipping trees, sudden obstacles and stops, etc. Good judgment will keep you out of a lot of trouble…

Avy thoughts…

 

A natural avalanche. Note the sled track for comparison.

On our last ride, we stayed off of some terrain because of moderate avalanche danger, and a big natural avy.

The natural avy was on the slope above the two little cabins. It’s one we often play on, but it’s also got a 20 foot tall cornice at the top. Sometime before we got there, that cornice broke off. When it hit the slope, a 400 foot-wide slab of snow broke loose, and ran for about 350 feet.

The snow piled at the bottom was 4 to 8 feet deep on top of the base layer. Also, some of the cornice had slid in chunks. Those chunks ranged from the size of a sled to one the size of a car (no, that’s not an exaggeration!).

It was interesting to see how it slid naturally. After taking several pictures, we did highmark on the slid part because we knew it wasn’t going to slide again without new snow. But the avalanche itself was big enough to bury sled and rider, had you been there at the wrong time.

So the lesson here is: if something like this can happen on its own, it could definitely happen with you on it. Carrying your avalanche safety equipment is not an option (it’s a must). And when sleds cost $5000-12,000, isn’t living worth the extra $400 for the proper avy gear?

In the Backpack

 

One of the most important safety precautions for highcountry riding is carrying a good pack. It doesn’t matter how you bring it, as long it’s with you at all times (although I did forget my pack once).

On top of my normal gear (including an avalanche beacon), I ride with a backpack – which I either wear or strap to my sled. It has all my supplies, from water to food to survival equipment. Here’s what I carry in it:

• Water bottle
• Walkie talkie
• Food (snacks, sandwiches etc.)
• Shovel (I have another shovel mounted to my sled)
• Avalanche probe (collapsible)
• Survival kit (x2, with everything you need to survive for a while, including whistle, space blanket, compass, flashlight, first aid kit, string, duct tape, wire, etc.)
• Hillbilly raincoat (aka a garbage bag)
• Fire kit (matches, lighter, newspaper, fire paste, etc.)
• Spare gloves
• Spare goggles
• Small saw
• Spot  GPS tracker (i just got this, so I’m still learning it…)
• Camera
• TP

 

The contents of the authors backpack, as you would find them on a ride.

 

 

That’s what I carry in my pack on every ride. I figure it’s worth the extra 25 pounds to have all those life-savers along. Luckily, I haven’t had to use anything but the saw and shovel. But if I ever did get in a fix, I would be prepared to survive.

General Safety

 

Another part of backcountry riding is safety. Avalanches are the primary concern, but we also are prepared for about anything else – including spending the night out.

 

As far as safety measures, our packs have survival kits in them. Although it wouldn’t be fun, we do have everything we need to spend the night in the backcountry. Fire, is the most essential survival tool. We carry several fire starter kits, ranging from newspaper and a lighter to matches and wax-covered gauze. Next in the survival kit is a compact first-aid kit with essentials such as antibiotic ointment and a compass. Finally, in the “in case of broke down sled and having to spend the night out” kit are a few things such as a flashlight, and a space blanket. Mind you, these are just a couple of the things we carry in our packs for emergency use only – there’s a lot more we carry for each ride, such as food and water.

 

As far as avalanche preparedness, we carry beacons, collapsible probes, and collapsible shovels. But more important then the equipment, we’ve also invested time in avalanche classes. Equipment is important, but the knowledge to use it is essential. Most times, the best tool is good judgment – like staying off of the steep slopes after a big storm.

But sometimes, even the safest-seeming conditions have the potential for sliding. I know this firsthand from last march. We had climbed out a south facing chute several times earlier that day, but when we came back later, I took a different line and ended up turning back down on top of a small drift. When I dropped off of it, a slab broke loose from where I was to twenty feet in front of me. Even though it was only about four inches thick and only ran 40 feet (I didn’t know that when it broke loose!), it kept me riding in shallower terrain for a while…

 

Ride hard, and ride safe!!