This isn't a question that you want to be asking yourself while you're kneeling in the snow, boots blown off from the impact of the crash you just had, while a steady pool of red stuff collects in the snow underneath you.
A little background...
I was out with a friend for a quick ride two Sundays ago. We were going to be gone for about 3-4 hours, riding over terrain that we were both very familiar with. We had reached the turnaround point and were on our way home again when BAM, all of a sudden, I'm looking at my gauges from a whole new angle, and thinking to myself "this is going to hurt". It did. Appears that I had ran into a ridge of ice about 18" high, left behind by some local ice fishermens camp. I had been riding in powder snow about 10 feet off the hard pack center of a fairly large river. It was still daylight when the accident happened, and I didn't see anything out of the ordinary in front of me.
Anyway, I had a long time to think about this during the past week I was in the hospital. I don't give safety nearly as much thought when riding as I should. The answer to the subject line in this post was, thankfully, yes. The river we were riding was alongside a major highway, and an ambulance made it to me in about 20 minutes. What would have happened if this had been somewhere more remote, like where I normally ride? I have cell service for about 1/4 of the trails I ride, the rest, no. I know that some of the warm up shelters have rescue sleighs, but not all, and I'm not even sure of which ones do. Do I carry enough stuff on my sled to help stabilize someone should something go south? The answer going forward will be yes. I also plan to take a few minutes before I head out on my next ride to consider a couple of "what if's", and have a plan in mind should the unexpected occur.
Hope that everyone that reads this can take a second to ask themsleves a few safety related "what if's" relative the the space they ride in. I got a nasty wake-up call that could have been a whole lot worse. I shattered 7 ribs, punctured a lung, destroyed a sled and feel like I got off lucky.
Ride safe everyone.
A little background...
I was out with a friend for a quick ride two Sundays ago. We were going to be gone for about 3-4 hours, riding over terrain that we were both very familiar with. We had reached the turnaround point and were on our way home again when BAM, all of a sudden, I'm looking at my gauges from a whole new angle, and thinking to myself "this is going to hurt". It did. Appears that I had ran into a ridge of ice about 18" high, left behind by some local ice fishermens camp. I had been riding in powder snow about 10 feet off the hard pack center of a fairly large river. It was still daylight when the accident happened, and I didn't see anything out of the ordinary in front of me.
Anyway, I had a long time to think about this during the past week I was in the hospital. I don't give safety nearly as much thought when riding as I should. The answer to the subject line in this post was, thankfully, yes. The river we were riding was alongside a major highway, and an ambulance made it to me in about 20 minutes. What would have happened if this had been somewhere more remote, like where I normally ride? I have cell service for about 1/4 of the trails I ride, the rest, no. I know that some of the warm up shelters have rescue sleighs, but not all, and I'm not even sure of which ones do. Do I carry enough stuff on my sled to help stabilize someone should something go south? The answer going forward will be yes. I also plan to take a few minutes before I head out on my next ride to consider a couple of "what if's", and have a plan in mind should the unexpected occur.
Hope that everyone that reads this can take a second to ask themsleves a few safety related "what if's" relative the the space they ride in. I got a nasty wake-up call that could have been a whole lot worse. I shattered 7 ribs, punctured a lung, destroyed a sled and feel like I got off lucky.
Ride safe everyone.
Mikey
TY 4 Stroke Junkie
Been there done that I'm glad you are ok let this be a wakeup call to all those who ride over thier heads accidents are exactly what they are named for a reason it could happen to anyone at anytime regardless of rider expierance and how hard they ride a friend of mine died by simply falling off his sled while riding about 20mph human beings are a very fragile machine and cannot be repaired in the field. RIDE WITH CAUTION ALL THE TIME REGARDLESS OF WHERE AND WHEN YOU RIDE.
And again its good to see you are ok and hope it dosent happen to anyone else ever. And Lakercr I by no means want you to think that I think you were over your head its just so many people ride without ever thinking of the concequences.
And again its good to see you are ok and hope it dosent happen to anyone else ever. And Lakercr I by no means want you to think that I think you were over your head its just so many people ride without ever thinking of the concequences.
No worries - I didn't take it that way. I've just gotten too complacent about safety and wanted to share a few of the things I'd been thinking..
Dukester
Pro
Hey PAL sorry to hear about your misfortune. You are in my prayers for a complete recovery. After we spent five days together, I left with the feeling that you were one of the nicest young men I know. God be with you and God speed.
Dan
Dan
JDKRXW
TY 4 Stroke Junkie
Lakecr;
#1- I'm glad the ambulance could get to you quickly and easily, and that they took good care of you.
#2 - This is exactly the type of accident that scares the crap out of me. Innocent enough and happening instantly when conditions are very reasonable. (as opposed to a couple of the crack-ups that we've read about on this board).
Thanks for the reminder about the 'what ifs'.
See ya on the trail.
#1- I'm glad the ambulance could get to you quickly and easily, and that they took good care of you.
#2 - This is exactly the type of accident that scares the crap out of me. Innocent enough and happening instantly when conditions are very reasonable. (as opposed to a couple of the crack-ups that we've read about on this board).
Thanks for the reminder about the 'what ifs'.
See ya on the trail.
4Fighter
TY 4 Stroke God
Glad you're OK laker 
Certainly something to think about. One of my relatives was seriously injured on Lk. Superior, up in Grand Marais a few years ago and they couldn't get a signal with their cell. Fortunately, someone with a working phone happened by. He hit a preasure crack and got launched.
I too came close to a 3' high ice ramp on the St. Mary's this past weekend. It was twilight and you could barely see it. Thank God I missed it. If it wasn't starting to storm and I would have let my guard down I probably would have slammed into it.
Certainly something to think about. One of my relatives was seriously injured on Lk. Superior, up in Grand Marais a few years ago and they couldn't get a signal with their cell. Fortunately, someone with a working phone happened by. He hit a preasure crack and got launched.I too came close to a 3' high ice ramp on the St. Mary's this past weekend. It was twilight and you could barely see it. Thank God I missed it. If it wasn't starting to storm and I would have let my guard down I probably would have slammed into it.
RX12FAST
Newbie
Glad you are O.K. Can't believe how fast this one can go. As you can see by my sig, this is my first sled that pulls 110+. Thanks for the posting.
welterracer
TY 4 Stroke God
man i know how ya feel... I came close to death myself..
They way i see it ,, better to be safe than to give up riding... You could get killed at any moment at anytime...On the road,, in a car,,, at work.. ETC ETC!!
They way i see it ,, better to be safe than to give up riding... You could get killed at any moment at anytime...On the road,, in a car,,, at work.. ETC ETC!!
Thanks Dan, and everyone else for their comments - I really appreciate that. I'm going back into the hospital tomorrow for some follow-up tests and to see if I'm going to need more surgery. Won't be back on the snow for a while, but that doesn't seem too important to me right now...
kmer
Expert
Dude :shock: ....Ditto on the 'thanks for the reminder' bit. Glad to hear it wasn't any worse. Sheesh. Heal quickly bud.
Swiss Sledder
TY 4 Stroke God
Wow, sorry to read about your accident lakrcr but certainly glad you came through O.K. Just get better first before heading out on the snow again. Thanks for the safety advice, which is something all of us need to think about.
For the other riders, I road with lakercr and can honestly say he rides in a controlled fashion. He has lots of experience on the trail, as well as on the snow cross circuit. This is a reminder that it can happen to anyone.
For the other riders, I road with lakercr and can honestly say he rides in a controlled fashion. He has lots of experience on the trail, as well as on the snow cross circuit. This is a reminder that it can happen to anyone.
This is somthing that is on my mind very often, and it affects the way I ride. I have been in the fire dept. for 26 yrs. chief for the last 5yrs. picking up the pieces after an incident really sends home the message.
Glad to hear you're OK
Glad to hear you're OK
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