Here’s a little wake up call and reminder that avalanches can happen at any time…no matter how many people have already skied the slope. All it takes is one small pocket of instability to trigger something bigger that can do a lot more damage. This guy got real lucky!
? Ski in small groups and one at a time.
? Think about route finding on ascent and descent.
? Dogs in avy terrain? NO!!!
? Are you truly in a safe zone?
? Is it smart to huck in the BC? NO!!!
? Recognize and respect signs of danger.
? Carry appropriate safety equipment.
? Ski within your abilities.
As a veterinarian who skis in the backcountry I have to admit I wanted to slap these idiots for putting dogs in danger. You made the choice to ski it….that’s fine. Leave the dogs at home.
DrZ
Agreed.
You should see the dog scene on Teton Pass!
Yikes, that guy found the magic spot, below the rocks where the snowpack was likely just a bit thinner and harboring some instabilities. Pretty calm partners. Just make sure everyone goes to receive before you start a search eh?
have a similar story. 6th skier down, drops a rock, hits a shallow pocket and boom, 1/2 mile wide slide breaks. I can’t believe how long he kept filming, seems a bit too calm for my liking.
if your interested in our stupid story
http://dongshow.wordpress.com/2008/07/01/sunburst-avalanche/
And I’ll agree, the dog scene is out of control here as well
BTW, great site Steve! Been visiting for a long time and never commented until now. I should point out that I have no problems with dogs in the BC as long as they are controlled (no pissin on my gear and stay away from ski edges). Even on the tours many of my buddies are using avy beacons on their dogs in the Sierras. Wonder how many in the Tetons are doing this?
No dogs on the pass? Why not? I am not trying to be a dick…just curious. Thanks…love the site
I didn’t say no dogs on the Pass. I said the dog scene is out of control. Meaning…people don’t control thier dogs well enough.
i agree with all that except the statement that it is not smart to huck cliffs in the backcountry. none of this ski mountaineering / freeskiing / meadow skipping stuff is very smart – is negotiating steep exposed slopes on skis with falls probably deadly – “smart”? no, it’s not smart, its fun and intense. so is hucking big cliffs in the backcountry.
Ummm, did anybody else think the dude with the video camera should have stopped filming earlier, and gotten a better line of sight on his buddy in the slide?
Yep!
I’m with bissell
that has got to be josh “huck neck” anderson?
Ummm…didn’t I rescue you out of the BC with a broken femur a few years ago? I’d keep my skis on the snow in the BC if I were you Josh. You’ve already used one of your get out of jail free cards.
Anderson indeed… do i know you? Better examples abound though steve, my skis never left the ground that day unfortunately :(.
Surprised no one mentioned that, besides the whole avie thing, this video is also an example of how not to huck.
huh, i know a different josh anderson at crystal mt.
To DrZ —
Dogs with transceivers? That strikes me as REALLY stupid when your human buddy gets buried and it’s time to switch to receive…
Mans best friend? 😈
Good point Daddy-
Sorry, should have clarified….they are using an old unit not picked up by the new beacons…dedicated to the dog.
-DrZ
Old beacons? Hmmm. Why don’t the new beacons pick them up?
Old Frequency…257?
no hucking? gimme a break. you post all these crazy videos and pictures on your website for the whole world to see and copycat. you are a search and rescue member and get annoyed when you have to go save people who screwed up. that’s your job, right? and then you say it’s a bad idea to huck in the backcountry, mainly b/c you’re tired of going out and rescuing people.
i understand why you say it’s not a smart idea, clearly getting hurt or putting yourself in the position to get hurt while you’re out in the backcountry is not smart. but for many of us, we go out to the backcountry or “sidecountry” and practice our hucking, practice flipping or whatever, on the days when conditions best allow. if you’re confident in the conditions and confident in your abilities, go get some.
Please don’t put words in my mouth paulE.