How often have you backed away from a line?

**cab9** · 10-17-2006, 01:44 PM

Just wondering what the Mags the spend a lot of time in the backcountry think about this. Have you ever backed out of a line, due to avy conditions? Not overall avy hazard, but getting to your line and getting a bad feeling, or a weird instability/ wind load etc etc.
When I first moved to Whistler, we would drop into anything, and not think twice. We were the type that just moved to town no backcountry knowledge, but would poach all permanent closures, and venture off into the backcountry with no gear or knowledge.
I learned my lesson after getting caught in a slide in a super narrow chute, in a permanent closure. I was only partially buried, since the terrain helped push me to the top of the slide. My hand was visible and my friends were on me..but pure luck, since we had shovels to build booters, but no transceivers or probes.
Over the years, I took courses, bought gear and started analyizing routes, snowpacks etc. I have backed out of things that I wanted to ski, after getting to the line and realizing the conditions were possibly unsafe....and that is a hard thing to do.

Anyone else back out due to knowledge or experience?

**INDY GS** · 10-17-2006, 01:55 PM

I've backed away from many lines, and even abandon the idea of skiing BC at times because I didn't feel right about the condition or who I was with.

I know too many people who, just like you used to do, I'm guilty of it myself, who will just jump into anything without thought of the dangers. i had to have a long talk with a buddy, who was dead set on lapping Loveland Pass a couple of years ago, without any gear or knowledge.

2 winters ago in Utah, I was skiing with some guys I met in the line, they wanted to duck ropes, after we had pretty much tracked out the area around 9990 at The Canyons, they wanted to duck out in the area where that huge avy struck the season prior. I strongly urged them not to duck out, saying I didn't know enough about the area or conditions to feel comfortabe with it. We went our separate ways.

**truth** · 10-17-2006, 02:00 PM

Never, lines back away from me.

**Tippster** · 10-17-2006, 02:01 PM

Pretty much at least once every day I ski, lately. That could have something to do witht e places I'm skiing as well as my increasing sense of my own mortality.

**kidwoo** · 10-17-2006, 02:02 PM

Many times. Especially if I notice something like more windloading than expected, or wierd slabby behavior I wasn't expecting on the way to something.

Keeping a weather log can be helpful in at least being able to somewhat predict what to expect...... I've avoided areas just based on previous conditions.

**mrryde** · 10-17-2006, 02:05 PM

I've backed away from a few lift lines in my day

**Jim S** · 10-17-2006, 02:08 PM

Back away from lines? Hookers and blow?

**upallnight** · 10-17-2006, 02:09 PM

i'd be worried about someone who never backed away from a line. i think that the more you know/the more experience you have, the easier it becomes in your "home" area to know the conditions, the building of the season's snowpack, and which lines are likely to be in-play/safe based on what happened during the prior storm cycle (and post-storm cycle).

in other words, that experience can increase the odds that you will find something safe and not back away.

the wisest people, in my opinion, are the most observant and have the courage to modify their plan, even when it means leaving an objective for another day.

coming back home alive should always be the #1 priority -- not singular focus on 'skiing peak X'.

the mountains will always be there; we can always return another day.

(of course, these skills will also enable one to spot those days where we really can open things up in a big way. in many regards, skiing those tough lines is like waiting for the perfect wave -- you can't just decide to surf the wave when you want, you need to be skilled and in the right place to catch that perfect wave when *it* comes to you.)

**cj001f** · 10-17-2006, 02:10 PM

Never at Greydon Clark's house.

**MOHSHSIHd** · 10-17-2006, 02:12 PM

only one that I can think of. Vail Pass when that nasty dust layer was just shearing right off. The layer failed when we were simply cutting the R-block....chose a different way down thats for sure.

**truberski** · 10-17-2006, 02:16 PM

I did it today. Long line at Starbucks, new Barista, no Blueberry muffin, fugly chick at the register....shit was not happening.

**shera** · 10-17-2006, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by MOHSHSIHd

only one that I can think of. Vail Pass when that nasty dust layer was just shearing right off. The layer failed when we were simply cutting the R-block....chose a different way down thats for sure.

I heard you tried to back off a line at Berthoud once. That one is still getting talked about

**enlosandes** · 10-17-2006, 02:31 PM

I think I have back away from a lot of lines others have skied. It is obviously a personal decision. You know what they say, there are old backcountry skiers, and bold back country skiers, but no old and bold backcountry skiers.

**Johnny Deep** · 10-17-2006, 02:33 PM

I back off when it's longer than 2 minutes

**MOHSHSIHd** · 10-17-2006, 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by SheRa

I heard you tried to back off a line at Berthoud once. That one is still getting talked about

hahaha....I still need to see the footage of that hyper-gape action.

**mtnbikerskierchick** · 10-17-2006, 02:46 PM

Last March iskibc and I backed off of Dragontail Couloir in RMNP because new snow was sloughing too much. The conditions changed rapidly with elevation and as soon as they did, we turned around. Instead, we skied some lower terrain less affected by the new snow and wind.

**mmcpheet** · 10-17-2006, 02:52 PM

I can think of several times I've backed off due to a combination of avy conditions, bad feelings, exposure, or fatigue.

**Mofro261** · 10-17-2006, 02:53 PM

Que the Tom Petty...

People who refuse to back off an intended line are the same people that have no concept how to merge on a freeway. Like a zipper damnit! Like a zipper!

**baseWeldr** · 10-17-2006, 03:00 PM

seems like anymore its a backing away from sidecountry/BC in general during sketchy snow...
I also back away from southfacing springtime morning chickenheads routinely

**smitchell333** · 10-17-2006, 03:03 PM

Yes - more than a few times - sometimes its very difficult...esp. after hiking thousands of feet up. I've walked down windscoured ridges after finding dangerous conditions 30' to the right - that is difficult.

There is a tendency for enthusiastic skiers to "ignore the obvious" and continue into that coveted line no matter what. Add to that the fact that often even if one ignores the signs usually everything is AOK, the line is skied, and the feedback is that pushing along in the face of danger is good. Often those skiers who are willing to push and ignore danger are those who get a lot of big lines accomplished...until...

**grrrr** · 10-17-2006, 03:04 PM

I back away from lines all the time, even when they're safe. Just cause I'm chicken and not scared to say it.

**telepariah** · 10-17-2006, 03:05 PM

I have backed off when I probably didn't need to and I have also failed to back off when I definitely should have. Very lucky to be here today and hope I don't have to learn those lessons all over again. But I also hope I am getting smarter and better able to distinguish between the two situations I described above. Still damn fallible though.

**Dr. Gaper** · 10-17-2006, 03:12 PM

I've been stuck in lines INBOUNDS at Crested Butte that I wished I could have backed out of. Does that count?

**SLAYER** · 10-17-2006, 03:29 PM

If you haven't backed off a line you probably haven't spent too much time in the BC. That being said, I love ripping lines in the trees just as much as down an open bowl.