I gotta share a scare I had.....

[Kachess]

I was reading about the death of a fellow trail riding over in the RX section and I thought I'd share an odd situation I found myself in while riding Revelstoke a few weeks ago. There had been no new snow for a few weeks so avalance danger was low and untracked was scarce. We finally found that by boondocking miles into the trees we could find some deep stuff and spent most of a day picking our way into some great untouched areas. I was riding with 800's and finally, with all the tinkering I've done on my sled, on this trip my sled became the one that would go anywhere. One of the 800's stuck his sled on an 8ft vertical face tucked in the trees. We all dug him out and went a hundred yards below to a clearing to rest in the sun. He dared me to give the face a try so I jumped on my sled and headed up. I ended up hitting the face at a slight angle, and when I saw I wasn't going up over it, jerked my sled to turn out, and saw a tree. Hitting the brakes, I rolled. I've rolled a number of times. I just stay on it and the sled rolls right over me and ends up upright. This time, because the hill face was only 8ft tall the sled rolled upside down, right on top of me, and punched me down 3ft into the soft snow. I found myself totally imobilized, my helmet packed full of snow, gasping, and the smell of gas dripping down on me. I attempted to move my arm to clear the snow away from my face and it packed in tighter. I could'nt scream, and with the weight of the sled, and snow packed in my helmet, I could'nt breathe. Pushing up just pushed me down deeper. I was sure I was going to die. After what seemed like forever, I heard a sled start down the hill and soon my buddy was yelling to me and rolling the sled over off of me. I felt lucky as hell. All day we had been wildly boondocking, often times getting quite a ways from each other, every 15 minutes or so locating each other. If my incident had happenned at any other time that day I would have died. The incident has totally changed how we ride and keep track of each other. Avalanches and speed were what I thought could take me out. I now know better. I also know what it feels like to be burried in an avalanche, and I want no part of it. No longer invincible.

 

[KbxSrx]

Very good post.

I am now selling ABS backpacks, and wont ride without them EVER again.

This May have helped in your situation, I dont know. They definately work.

 

[crazymf]

I had something sort of the same happen to me. I'm just as glad to be here to talk to you. Only I'm sure I could hear my sled saying "Hey how do you like it now!!"

 

[snowmotion]

Almost Exactly the Same Story 2 weeks ago in revy

i had my one ton pin me down also in revy just over 2 weeks ago in revy at begbie I Managed to Squeese my Radio and lucklily got some help
I dont know if a lighter Sled Makes any difference when you are pinned down in awkward angles I do know this has almost happened to me several other times when I managed to Wiggle free

 

[Kachess]

My one ton weighed 570 (3 gals of gas left) when it pinned me. No more than a 2-stroke full of gas. If I'm punched down, on my back, in soft snow, sled on top, the only thing I'm pushing up is daisies.

 

[mwyeth]

Mine has tried to bury me several times, but I learned over time to just bail and let her roll.

 

[justin1635]

i guess all i can say is, dont hang on?

scary