So I'm making turns at the Beav yesterday. It's been snowing, so two others and I decide to hike off the Bald Spot. The Bald Spot is out of bounds, about a 15 minute walk outside the ski area. Before I get started, here's a clue where this is going:
1) None of us had a shovel
2) None of us had a beacon
3) None of us had powder straps
We get to where we wanted to go, start to drop in. It's waist deep snow in spots. The two guys I was with skied below me and I lost track of their line. I had never been back there before, so I didn't really know where we were going.
Then, I fell. I fell in a steep chute. I tumbled down, stopped by a tree. My skis had come off, only 1 was showing. But the snow was so deep, that the more I moved the more I sank. I was in tree well. I started to panic. Then, I thought about the guy who cut off his arm. I told myself to calm down.
I pulled myself up the tree, it was ugly. The two guys I was with were gone. I look up hill, the snow was waist deep to bottomless and it was steep. If you've ever been in snow so deep that you sink, you know how scary it is. It's like quick sand. I looked around. What used to look so beatuiful to me, all that milk, was now the scariest of sites. I was looking at my coffin.
I'm in the middle of the woods, it's getting dark. I got one ski, I'm hanging on to dear life by a tree limb. I start to ask for forgiveness for my sins and I pray to God.
I look around and see that I skied (or attempted to ski) on a rock face. Where I fell was a slab of rock and tree stumps. I must have hit something underneath. So I start to think the snow is going to slide down the rock face. Oh God, I'm in trouble. I think about my family. I first call for help, then I call my wife. Luckily, my cell phone worked. One of the guys answers. But it was 3:30 now, getting dark. The lifts were closed. Since I was in the back country, the only way I was getting out would have been Search and Rescue. Got, to get out of here.
I started to dig for my ski, but was worried that I would cause a slide. So I stopped. Once I figured out I wasn't going to have 2 skis I got even more scared. Holy Mother of Moses, what have I done?
Meanwhile back at the lift, that was closed, the two guys explained the situation to the liftie. That "...there's a guy stuck out there on the Bald Spot, we gotta go get him. You gotta turn the lift back on so we can go get him". Now keep in mind that turning a lift back on after closing at Beaver Creek is akin to asking the flight attendant to open the door after it's been closed. It ain't gonna happen.
But yesterday wasn't my time. The liftie, whom I'm going to find, starts up the lift, lets them on. But ski patrol is waiting at the top and has a cow. Ski Patrol don't care about customers whom are lost out of bounds. They just laugh about it, over coffee. What they were pissed about, was two guys on the hill after closing.
I'm gonna find that liftie. He/she actually started the lift, let the two guys on to come get me. My first good luck. They call, tell me they're on the way. I start to feel better now, but I'm wondering who's gonna get there first; the avalanche, or the two guys.
4:15 or so, they come back and find me, using a cell phone as a beacon. They come down to where I am, take me out of there to some snow mobiles waiting. I get the free ride down holding one ski and shaking like a hooker at confession, but I'm alive.
I'm alive, thankful for life. But I'm also upset. Upset at myself for doing something so stupid. Upset at myself for being so selfish, for taking chances on making my wife a widow. People who like danger are selfish, they only think of themselves. I don't want to be like "that", I want nothing to do with others who think like that.
So where are the mistakes, the lessons?
1) The back country will eat you alive. It's really dangerous.
It looks really great. You see all this milk, it looks safe. It's not. It's very dangerous and just about everybody I see that goes out there -- myself included -- thinks they're above the danger. What I used to see as an opportunity for milk, I now see as a very good chance to die.
2) Don't hang with hacks.
The two guys I was with are considered to be "great" skiers. One is a champion. Neither of them had any back country gear; no shovel, beacon, water, nothing. They just go out there and "rip it up". They had no business going out there under those conditions and they knew it.
But that being said, they could have left me out there. They did do the right thing at the right time, which was to come back for me.
3) Never ski deep snow (inbounds) without the right gear.
I had my i supershapes. They were fine, but I had the bindings set too low; 8.5. For snow that deep, you need to crank your DIN settings up.
Powder straps. From here forward, I will forever carry a pair. Not for going out of bounds, I'm done with that. But for skiing deeper snow inbounds. A $4 powder strap just might save you $800 bucks -- or save your butt. I quit wearing mine because -- none of my "buddies" wear them. Stupid.
4) Only ski the back country with those you know for sure are professional and knowledgeable. Anyone with any real experience in the back country would never go back there unprepared like we were. Never. We were an accident waiting to happen, it did.
5) Going out the gate is not a badge of honor.
I'm not going to tell anyone to stay out of the back country. But I'll say this. I see lots of skiers, in fact just about everyone I see back there, is not prepared for a problem. They don't have any gear, some are alone. Going out the gate has become "cool". Warren Miller has made taking risks, skiing "big lines" -- cool. Fat skis are cool. What no one seems to be talking about, are the dangers.
No matter how good a skier one is, no one is above Mother Nature. Back there you have no idea what's underneath. If you fall, you could fall a long ways. You could get buried by snow or fall into a tree well. You could ski over a creek bed and it collapses. Now you're in water. There are so many variables back there, each turn could bring you closer to disaster. They don't show the problems in the Warren Miller movies. They don't show what one slip -- just one slip -- can lead to, the disaster that could happen. All they show is skiers skiing these great lines. Any more it seems like the prevailing attitude is that all one needs is some fat skis and things will be great. No one makes a big enough deal about how dangerous that gate is. Just getcha some fatties and life will be great.
6) If you're gonna go, make sure your safety is number 1.
Never let someone go back there who isn't prepared. They're not being prepared could make for a long day for all and put others in danger.
Make sure you go with an experienced guide, not some local hack who's been living in the area for years or some jerk on the chair who "knows the good lines".
7) Skiing is a very dangerous sport.
Never forget it. Always, respect it. No amount of training, no equipment, no type of ski instruction can replace what is real and that what I for one, had forgot -- that just how dangerous skiing really is.
Skiing is so dangerous. You must be very careful at all times you must respect it. There I was just the other day, thinking I'm King Friggin Tut, leading the Hollywood starlet down the hill. Now, I'm in the woods, hanging on for dear life. I'm feel pretty dumb now, going on like I have not respecting the sport. I vow to not let it happen again.
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Myself, I'm making a few changes.
I'm not skiing with "those guys" anymore. We're bad for each other. I need to somehow feed my jonez, but turn down the radio.
A few powder turns aren't worth dying for. Now I know why the ski patrol shakes their head, every time they see someone -- anyone -- going out there.
I brought my other ski home with me. It now sits where I can see it every day. I'll look at it every day, to remind me.
I hope someone out there reads this and relates. This post has helped me to think how stupid I was, have been. I'm really sorry honey, I won't do it again, I promise you. I know how my family depends on me and I'll never put you all at risk again. God, please forgive me for being so damned selfish.
But this post is for you too. Just maybe, it'll save your life.
Happy New Year,