Quandary Avalanche

[board]

Duph next time I see you you're getting a smack upside the head ! Thank God you are ok but I might change that. Seriously though glad you and Winter came out all right.

page 5 ! I can't believe I missed this. I need to get back on here more often

[PNWbrit]

But I have a bone to pick with the board. So, snowfire posts a TR earlier this season, including various precautions they took, and gets flambed by the board.

Errrrrr. is it just me or didn't that end up as someone making a fundamental although not obvious error in snow science "shallow snow pack always = less danger". Then having an pro/expert helpfully and politely correct him and point out he'd conducted investigations into fatal accidents on the exact same slope in similar conditions. After some argument pro/experts advice was ageed with.

That exchange of info and education is far more useful than the normal "which powder boards are sickest this season brah" and should be encouraged.

Duph immediately sacked up and admitted his errors on the day in question so no one needed to correct him. That's why these posts are so different in character.

[Buster Highmen]

I am NOT being defensive, asshole.

[Foggy_Goggles]

Snowfire is a she.

[PNWbrit]

Snowfire is a she.

my bad.....

[Ireallyliketoski2]

Let's not forget Bayes Law here*. THe most experienced people are the ones out there every day, so they're more likely to be involved when bad stuff going down. Probably does have something to do with the positive reinforcement loop, but I wouldn't be sloughing off the first hand knowledge that experienced BC travellers have just b/c they too are human and make errors.


*p(B|A) = p(A|B)p(B)/p(A)

That's what so terrifying about this whole thing. You read these BC trip reports every day and with each passing TR it's just a matter of time before something truly tragic happens and you won't see any replies with glad everyone made it out okay. The odds are there and the further we progress tragedy free the more the odds are stacked against us. Please everyone be careful, powder isn't worth losing a little finger over let alone your life.

Duph you are one lucky bastard, with so many terrible decisions made and coming out unscatched that's your get out of jail free card. Make the most of it buddy.

[summit]

Again, glad everyone was OK. Thank God.

Duph made mistakes. He recognizes them. I think he learned. Hopefully he won't make them again.

SAR was very glad we didn't have to go into the field. It was a dangerous day and it would have been unpleasant business.

Let's have another year without any dead maggots!!!

Here is Winter and Nellie (one of SAR's avalanche dogs) getting acquianted:

[jibij]

Sobering read, duph. Thanks for posting. It could very well save a life.

[freshies]

wow, glad you and winter are OK! always good to see these types of TR's (well, not really, no one wants to see anyone caugh in an avy) and the discussions that follow. i think that when one ventures out into their "back yard" (e.g. a peak/area one knows well), its easy to let your guard down. i know i am guilty of hitting the Donner Summit area solo w/my dog on lots of occassions - i know the area well, and the general rule of thumb in the Sierra is wait 2 days after a storm and all is OK (obviously, I check the local avy forecast first, talk to others that ski there a bunch and occassionally dig a pit, etc). It's easy to take for granted your knowledge of a local area and assume that its always gonna be OK if you play it safe when out solo, etc.

This was sobering.....Again, thanks for sharing and am so glad that you and your dog are OK.

[meatdrink9]

Great write-up duph. I'm certainly not going to judge you. We all takes risks in this sport. I think you did a ton of really good things on the hill that day. I'm glad to see everything worked out as well as it did.

BTW, that heli is Flight For Life (one of our clients). We're filming an Avalanche Safety video in a couple of weeks. Sounds like you'd be good talent or at least have a good story to tell.

[basom]

BTW, that heli is Flight For Life (one of our clients). We're filming an Avalanche Safety video in a couple of weeks. .

you mind if me and the AV guys project that on christina ricci's forehead when its done?


everyone said what i was going to say. glad you are not drown. very glad. be safe.

[meatdrink9]

you mind if me and the AV guys project that on christina ricci's forehead when its done?

How's about a Bighorn sheep having it's way with the whelk projected onto Cristina Ricci's forehead?

[Blurred]

How's about a Bighorn sheep having it's way with the whelk projected onto Cristina Ricci's forehead?

2 drops of pee....good shit mang.

[Kellie]

I'll second the thanks for a great TR and relief that you're both okay. I agree with MD9 that we all take risks out there . . . is an expert skier no longer an expert if they huck a cliff without adequately checking the landing and end up injured, or worse?!?! Danger is inherent in our sport. Knowledge, experience, and judgement are invaluable, and repeating mistakes is largely unforgiveable . . . but we all get to a point in our lives that we continue to push boundaries, have excessive confidence in our situation, and need a "reminder" of what we know - on or off the hill.

Props to duph for sharing and, more importantly, for reflecting. And may you have many safe turns in the future!

[Blurred]

I'll second the thanks for a great TR and relief that you're both okay. I agree with MD9 that we all take risks out there . . . is an expert skier no longer an expert if they huck a cliff without adequately checking the landing and end up injured, or worse?!?! Danger is inherent in our sport. Knowledge, experience, and judgement are invaluable, and repeating mistakes is largely unforgiveable . . . but we all get to a point in our lives that we continue to push boundaries, have excessive confidence in our situation, and need a "reminder" of what we know - on or off the hill.

Props to duph for sharing and, more importantly, for reflecting. And may you have many safe turns in the future!

There's a difference between being carefree and careless. Duph was the latter.

[basom]

totaly fucking amazing shit

i'm speachless.

that is pure, unadulterated beauty. i'm mezmerized. just wow.
beauty, a shit ton of beauty to the dome piece. fuck.

[tuffy 1O9]

It snows like a foot and a half. All that snow on 3 week old rotten snow. Avalanche danger was on high, and there was an avalanche warning in the area. Dumbass goes out by himself, and decides to ski. Not in the trees, but in a open bowl with NO natural anchors. He skies a 34 degree slope, perfect for sliding.

Being a complacent backcountry beater will get you killed, you almost scored a Darwin award Einstein.

Don't ask me to feel sorry for him.....Glad the dog was rescued. You should be locked up for doggie endangerment.

[iceman]

Sheep vs. Whelk?

That sheep is drown soon.

Hope Christina survives, she should live to breed.

[basom]

i'm the fake tuffy. hello everyone. i'm not real. i'm pretending.

..........

[seldon]

There's a difference between being carefree and careless. Duph was the latter.

It snows like a foot and a half. All that snow on 3 week old rotten snow. Avalanche danger was on high, and there was an avalanche warning in the area. Dumbass goes out by himself, and decides to ski. Not in the trees, but in a open bowl with NO natural anchors. He skies a 34 degree slope, perfect for sliding.

Being a complacent backcountry beater will get you killed, you almost scored a Darwin award Einstein.

Don't ask me to feel sorry for him.....Glad the dog was rescued. You should be locked up for doggie endangerment.

A faint resemblance? I hope not. You have more integrity than this Blurred, regardless of what you do with your other aliases (aliai?).

Glad you and Winter made it out alright. That's a very sobering picture and a very sobering story, specially for someone who wants to begin doing non-guided BC stuff this season in the US.

[Dr. Gaper]

Maybe a human partner would be more appropriate!

Why anyone would tour a 14er by themselves (or with their four legged woman) during the unstable pre-season is beyond me.

It could of been the other way around you know. Dog setting one off on you! Does your bitch have beacon skills?

[gimpy]

self-righteous people suck.

thanx for sharing duph. that hit home hard.

[Vets]

Glad to hear that both you and your dog are okay.
Your have me convinced to get better backcountry gear and take a class.

[meatdrink9]

Sheep vs. Whelk?

That sheep is drown soon.

ha ha.

Don't worry, the sheep is just giving the whelk a bukkake refill.

[bad_roo]

I can imagine being buried in an avalanche and seeing the shining light at the end of the tunnel. And it turns out to be a bighorn sheep mounting a whelk projected onto Christina Ricci's mekon.

Awesome. Just breathtaking.