Slightly puzzling article about ABasin's backcountry terrain

[Doug Briggs]

Now that I read this article I am going to ski this area without a partner or avi training.

See you in the spring!

 

[karlo]

So in 2016, it was backcountry, out of bounds and unpratrolled right?
And she and her husband go in solo, one at a time and describe this

The difference is, you'll be found next day, if not same day, and not in the Spring

 

[Chris Walker]

Yeah when I was young and immortal I would scoff at the warning signs on ski area boundary gates and blithely go through them alone without any gear or training.

I got an up close look at the consequences one day when one of the 6 victims alluded to in the article was brought to the Keystone medical clinic by helicopter just as I was walking by on my way to work at the Mountain House.

They brought out the stretcher with about six people frantically working on her, one guy doing chest compressions, everybody rushing, mass confusion.

Later we heard that she didn’t make it. She was skiing the gullies with a couple of friends when she got buried in a slide. Even though one friend went for help and the other was able to dig her out, it still wasn’t enough.

Even being a witness to something like that woke me up to the real danger out there. I figure I’ve cashed in all my karma and now I stay in bounds.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Yeah when I was young and immortal I would scoff at the warning signs on ski area boundary gates and blithely go through them alone without any gear or training.
...
Later we heard that she didn’t make it. She was skiing the gullies with a couple of friends when she got buried in a slide. Even though one friend went for help and the other was able to dig her out, it still wasn’t enough.

QFT. Trauma is often an overlooked consequence of being caught in avalanche. Suffocation isn't the only way to die. You don't have to be covered, either; just pushed over or into objects.

 

[Monique]

Guess I'm more used to the tagalong people - happens all the time in Europe. If you aren't skiing anything too sketchy it's no big deal. If you are you let them pass. Worse case if they don't know what they are doing and are sufficiently contrite you let them join your group and subsequently point them toward better areas for them to ski

Interesting. This adds to my impression that skiing off piste in Europe is the real Wild West.

 

[KingGrump]

The difference is, you'll be found next day, if not same day, and not in the Spring

For all intent and purpose, is there really a difference?

 

[Monique]

For all intent and purpose, is there really a difference?

For your loved ones, yes.

 

[Monique]

If I didn't care about how other people would be impacted, I don't think death would be scary for me.

Maiming, brain damage ... those are the things that scare me.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Interesting. This adds to my impression that skiing off piste in Europe is the real Wild West.

Except there are fewer cowboys in Europe. Most Europeans ski the piste while it is visitors from N. A. and Scandinavia that are rushing to out of bounds, but in smaller numbers than here in N. A.

 

[fatbob]

Interesting. This adds to my impression that skiing off piste in Europe is the real Wild West.

For context bear in mind that most of what you are skiing is moderate gradient open bowl stuff like Vail but with more rocks and a little more micro navigation to hit the right traverses. So most of the time a tagalong group will just be looking for intel on the best exit route etc where they haven't skied that area before. It's not all Cosmiques Couloir etc

 

[Core2]

I did some weed needles and skied out of bounds at Breck once but I didn't die.

 

[SBrown]

I did some weed needles and skied out of bounds at Breck once but I didn't die.

To be clear, I'm not holding myself up as any example of perfection or expertise ... I've skied backcountry (but not avalanche terrain, not even close) beaconless before, and done plenty of other things that I WOULDN'T PUT IN A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE.

 

[SkiNurse]

"But on Mother’s Day 2016..."
I just hope she wasn't part of our annual Mother's Day shenanigans.

 

[Tony S]

and done plenty of other things that I WOULDN'T PUT IN A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE.

There it is.

 

[François Pugh]

Yeah when I was young and immortal I would scoff at the warning signs on ski area boundary gates and blithely go through them alone without any gear or training.

.......
I figure I’ve cashed in all my karma and now I stay in bounds.

When I was young they didn't have any signs, but yeah, I did ski beyond the ski area boundary, alone and without a beacon, shovel or probe. Mind you since I was the only one there, the gear would not have done anyone any good anyway. At least I paid attention to the avalanche forecast.

There are worse things one could do, but like Steve Brown said, not things to write newspaper articles about.

If I didn't care about how other people would be impacted, I don't think death would be scary for me.

Maiming, brain damage ... those are the things that scare me.

I don't mind dying, but it would be most regrettable and embarrassing (for me) to die stupidly for no good reason.

 

[mdf]

Steve Brown

Cue @Ron ...

 

[François Pugh]

Cue @Ron ...

Sorry, @SBrown . Don't know where Steve came from

 

[Monique]

I know what I'm calling Susan next time I see her!

 

[KingGrump]

Cue @Ron ...

Not Ron.
How about another Steve.

 

[mdf]

Not Ron.
How about another Steve.

brilliant!