Avalanche strikes Revelstoke Snowmobilers

[bill barilko]

The snow is also like concrete,I have been buried in small ones up to my waist and it's allmost impossible to get away or pull yourself out,you might as well be buried in half solidified concrete and it's a very frightening experience....
This said though their is risks in any sport or activity,sledders and especially highmarkers tend to be thrill seekers...
It allways amazes me what kind of people are the first ones to start spouting off about these tragedys,like maybe it makes them feel superior because they dont do it or despise it,just amazing....

Thanks for the info, it's been decades since I was on a snow machine and conditions in the mountains where this all happens are so different from what I knew.

 

[damngrumpy]

This is not the same as an auto accident, by following the signs and warnings they could have avoided the danger period. Yes there is a certain amount of risk to us
all every day. That is why we wear seat belts and helmets and take care of our
machines and so on. That is why we don't drink and drive. We wear reflective
clothing walking at night. Cars have lights so do bikes so you can be seen.
At the same time when the level of risk rises, we don't drive on unsafe ice. and
if there is flooding we don't go into that area. As the risk increases we at least
have the smarts not to put our children in danger. These people were showing off,
according to some and nearly got more people killed. The level of risk is measured
is measured by the level of precaution and injury prevention. The fact is no one
should put children in harms way. I feel sorry for the kids who were put in that
position but I do not feel sorry for the fools who ignored the warnings or didn't
take them seriously. In addition I don't see why Canadians should pay the rescue
costs, the medical costs or the insurance costs for such disregard for safety and
It is unfortunate that people can't use their head, and yes the law should step in
and regulate the use of the back country.

 

[talloola]

This particular activity is in a catagory with others
which are high risk and dangerous, and doesn't fit in with
the everyday activities and sports that many do, or how
well we know our children, which has nothing to do with
what we are talking about anyway.
We take small risks everyday from the moment we get out of
bed, and driving a vehicle is probably the biggest one we
take, but just as the above post states, we take many
precautions, and do the best we can to prevent accidents,
but this group did not do that.
They chose to ignore the warnings and roar around and
stand around at the bottom of a steep mountain in avalanche
conditions, and that cannot be compared everyday life
activities we all do.
And, were they really children there too? That would be
very negligent.

 

[damngrumpy]

I have nothing bad to say about a level of risk in sport, auto racing and so on where
there is danger, but precautions of some kind are taken. I realize this isn't checkers
but stupidity is another category altogether. And yes there were children there some
of them were injured. According to news broadcasts tonight some say as young as
ten years old. Certainly some were pre teens and that is not excusable.
Hi risk sport as such is fine but not performed in an area where several people could
lose their lives by conditions no one had any control in, like a wall of snow consuming them

 

[wulfie68]

I feel for the families of the people involved but I don't feel much for the victims.

Comparing something stupid thats done as a recreational activity to something done like driving in bad weather is a ridiculous comparison when you consider that most people who DO drive in bad weather do it out a need to fulfill their responsbilities to their family, or their job or what have you. I don't know anyone who goes driving in blizzards for the hell of it.

And the bolded point about people "thinking" they were at a safe distance, shows just how ignorant the vast majority of people are about the dangers posed by avalanches. They have no concept of the physics involved.

 

[JLM]

This particular activity is in a catagory with others
which are high risk and dangerous, and doesn't fit in with
the everyday activities and sports that many do, or how
well we know our children, which has nothing to do with
what we are talking about anyway.
We take small risks everyday from the moment we get out of
bed, and driving a vehicle is probably the biggest one we
take, but just as the above post states, we take many
precautions, and do the best we can to prevent accidents,
but this group did not do that.
They chose to ignore the warnings and roar around and
stand around at the bottom of a steep mountain in avalanche
conditions, and that cannot be compared everyday life
activities we all do.
And, were they really children there too? That would be
very negligent.

I get so frustrated when I hear stories of people, who through sheer arrogance and ingorance risk their lives but more importantly the lives of those who have to go out to try to rescue them. To just brush off warnings whether it be skiing out of bounds or venturing out to areas where avalanche probabity is high is just the epitome of arrogance. Maybe it's time to hire more enforcers to be paid by heavy fines imposed on those who ignore the rules and warnings.

 

[Kakato]

Then no one should ever be allowed in the mountains in the winter because the risk is ALLWAYS there for an avalanche,just because warnings of a high risk are posted does not mean it's safe at other times,it's allways a risk.
More people die in car accidents,lets close all the roads down to then,hell,lets just outlaw anything that takes you off the couch.

 

[Kakato]

I have nothing bad to say about a level of risk in sport, auto racing and so on where
there is danger, but precautions of some kind are taken. I realize this isn't checkers
but stupidity is another category altogether. And yes there were children there some
of them were injured. According to news broadcasts tonight some say as young as
ten years old. Certainly some were pre teens and that is not excusable.
Hi risk sport as such is fine but not performed in an area where several people could
lose their lives by conditions no one had any control in, like a wall of snow consuming them

Thats why responsible snowmobile clubs sponser avalanche courses for their members,it's called educating yourself on the risks involved,cant say the same for most drivers who put my life at risk more then any avalanche ever will.

 

[JLM]

"More people die in car accidents,lets close all the roads down to then"

I have to question the logic there- virtually everyone rides in cars, but only a small percentage are involved in sports in high risk avalanche areas.

 

[Kakato]

"More people die in car accidents,lets close all the roads down to then"

I have to question the logic there- virtually everyone rides in cars, but only a small percentage are involved in sports in high risk avalanche areas.

if you took the number of drivers,figured out the deaths from irresponsible ones in car accidents,then figured out the deaths from avalanches and the amount of snowmobilers,then driving is a fairly high risk,the fatality numbers would be higher IMO if you werent sheilded by metal,airbags and with out the protection of a seatbelt.

 

[Johnnny]

I agree,w hen i was **** scared to fly on the plane from TO to vancouver someone pointed out that people in cars die more often then people flying,...

 

[talloola]

Then no one should ever be allowed in the mountains in the winter because the risk is ALLWAYS there for an avalanche,just because warnings of a high risk are posted does not mean it's safe at other times,it's allways a risk.
More people die in car accidents,lets close all the roads down to then,hell,lets just outlaw anything that takes you off the couch.

no, let's not do that, let's use our common sense.

 

[Risus]

no, let's not do that, let's use our common sense.

Common sense?? It seems that there is a lack of it these days...

 

[Kakato]

no, let's not do that, let's use our common sense.

More like education,most that get killed in avalanches are at the bottom of the mountain,a course would teach you to not be at the bottom of an avalanche chute,the trees bare of branchs are a good indicator your in a slide path yet the ignorant ones continue to sit at the bottom of a basin watching the hill climbs. Thats where education comes in.

I'm still more likely to be in a car accident caused by someone else then i am on a trip into the backcountry with some sledders if they know the same hazards I do concerning slides. Their are more safe snowmobilers now then ten years ago,every single club pushes for their members to take an avalanche course,cant say the same for motorists,most folks should'nt even be on the road but at least you can be defensive where moron motorists are concerned,you cant outrun an avalanche or pull over and let it just go by like you can with a tailgater.