TR: A fall into King Ravine (Mount Adams, NH)

[I've seen black diamonds!]

What a kook. Someone needs to write a letter to BC mag.

[Mr brownstone]

Lotta jelly butthurtz here.

why not just be happy for the kid. Negative nancy's.

[PNWbrit]

Who reads the east coast articles in ski magazines anyway.....

[wolfelot]

Just when I thought this story had ran its course. Wow! Hajaha! Classic!

[Generalstark]

Lotta jelly butthurtz here.

why not just be happy for the kid. Negative nancy's.

Yeah, come on guys, be happy for the poor guy. Let's just all get along and sing a verse of Kumbaya shall we??

I for one am happy that this thread is still delivering.

[Mr brownstone]

I for one am happy that this thread is still delivering.

me too

[raisingarizona13]

Did I read that right?

His big mistake according to him was not climbing up the intended route but there was no mention of getting a late start and 40 degree temps?

Could it be that what gave out on this kid was because of how warm it was?

Also, the comment about how that if he had partners they all would have been in the same situation is a bit strange to me. It's pretty basic that if there are suspect conditions like being late on a 40 degree day on top of exposure you might want to space it out a little.

This is all BC 101 stuff.

I'm sure this was already discussed somewhere in this thread but I never had the patience to sort through it all.

[spook]

really disappointing that there was no mention of pre-clicked boots and the gun, though. the mag makes it sound like he's a victim of circumstance and stupid instead of just a victim of stupid.

[Mr brownstone]

He fell. Lots of people fall. So what's the issue here?

[Jonathan S.]

Someone needs to write a letter to BC mag.

Akin to rubbernecking, I couldn't resist:

To the Editor:

Although I enjoyed seeing you showcase one of my favorite New England ski routes (“Unlucky Number Seven: The Hard Way Down Mt. Adams, N.H.,” October 2014), the irony in Ortovox’s sponsorship of this feature is that the interviewed skier had no avalanche beacon, probe, or shovel. He has furthermore publicly stated that a standard alpine ski pole is an acceptable substitute for a dedicated sectional avalanche probe, and that a ski tail can substitute for a snow shovel. All this despite publicly posting an account the prior season of setting off some sort of snow avalanche in the same location (shortly after putting on his alpine downhill ski boots while still clicked into his alpine downhill bindings).

Despite the lack of any avalanche safety gear, the interviewed skier carried a rather heavy first-aid kit, complete with stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, and saline intravenous drip. Yet at least all this was merely harmless (but for the weight penalty), unlike his at-the-ready holstered Beretta Px4 Storm, which became a public safety hazard in King Ravine for a few days when the ski gear in his yard sale was joined by a loaded 9mm handgun.

Accounts of mistakes in the backcountry can be highly valuable learning exercises: I start off all of my avalanche safety courses with mistakes that I personally have made in the backcountry. But I am not sure if a backcountry skier can learn anything from this foray into the backcountry by a lift-served skier. The interviewed skier certainly deserves respect and admiration for the determination and fortitude he showed in his self-evacuation despite serious injuries and a long difficult exit route from the floor of King Ravine. But his avowed determination to return to King Ravine might not be so admirable.

Jonathan S. Shefftz
Amherst, Mass.
The author is an avalanche safety instructor for the National Ski Patrol and American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education, as well as a governing board member of the American Avalanche Association. In rather more tame terrain, he organizes the NE Rando Race Series.

[spook]

saweeet!!!

[I've seen black diamonds!]

Well done, Jonathan.

[Mr brownstone]

Somebody call the whaaaaaaaaambulance!!!!

jeesh, js, why take it so seriously? Let it go.........

[Jonathan S.]

jeesh, js, why take it so seriously?

Is this sufficiently less serious enough for you? --

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...20#post4270120

[Mr brownstone]

You shoulda added that pic from "the real mt adams" in your novel to bc mag, preferably after listing your professional avalanche credentials

bc mag did it right. Look at how much attention the article is getting!

and i highly doubt that the folks at bc mag are gonna give two shits about how the gnarcore faithful tgr brobrehs feel about an article about a slip and fall self evac in the nh bc.

[Jonathan S.]

bc mag did it right. Look at how much attention the article is getting!

At least we can agree on that!

[Mr brownstone]

At least we can agree on that!

agreed!

[Tri-Ungulate]

He fell. Lots of people fall. So what's the issue here?

Roj, I woulda thought you'd be all over the fact Lukyboy was wearing a helmut. Why doncha write your own letter to BCmag, eh?

[lynchdogger]

Somebody call the whaaaaaaaaambulance!!!!

jeesh, js, why take it so seriously? Let it go.........

Pure irony ... STFU you whiny bitch.

[Generalstark]

Who reads the east coast articles in ski magazines anyway.....

Probably the same people that post in east coast related threads....

Did the "Mt. Adams" part confuse you?

[spook]

brownstone is rog? man i'm out of the loop with all the aliai.

[spook]

honestly, i would have almost no interest in reading a magazine that would print such a shitty article obviously without any attempt to corroborate. how many places with any respectability just print what some nimrod says happened without checking it out with somebody. didn't the forest service or somebody have to go back to get his loaded gun? that's a pretty serious omission in my opinion.

[NoPostholio]

Did the "Mt. Adams" part confuse you?

It messes people up when they don't preface with real/fake -

[Generalstark]

He fell. Lots of people fall. So what's the issue here?

I assume you are joking but I will bite anyway.

My issue is that BC magazine chose to publish an article about this specific incident without providing much of the absurdly entertaining details of the story. Whether for educational purposes or for its pure entertainment value, they seriously f'd up IMO. The fact that they didn't do anywhere near the level of investigative journalism as found here within these pages is indicative of the poor quality work they are presenting these days. The photos are nice and all, but they sold out, and they were likely duped by the op.

Sure people fall and some live to tell the story and some don't. But the lead up to this fall and the op's handling of the aftermath is worthy of more than was presented in the article. I think more letters to the editor should be written......

[Generalstark]

It messes people up when they don't preface with real/fake -

All you have to do is read the title. It's all the medical marijuana isn't it.