As most everyone in the country has heard, three skiers died in an avalanche at one of our local resorts over the weekend. For whatever reason, the major media outlets seem to have picked this up as front page news and the inevitable backlash is now under way. It seems like every time someone dies on a mountain, there’s a significant backlash from the public. There seems to be a prevailing idea that anyone going out in to the mountains is an idiot that’s just asking to die.
The media seems to be pushing the idea that these people were “out of bounds” and thus doing something wrong. This is completely false. They went through a backcountry gate to ski what is classic “sidecountry” terrain. That is, you take a lift up, hike a bit to a backcountry run, ski, and then walk back to the lift. It’s an incredibly popular way to ski here in the Northwest, and there’s nothing odd about it.
In this case the people involved were expert skiers carrying what has been the standard avalanche gear for years. There’s been much written about the fact that only one of the people involved were wearing an airbag and some have said the people that died were idiots for going out without one. While airbags do in fact significantly reduce the death rate in an avalanche, and I plan on buying one as we take up backcountry skiing, the fact of the matter is not everyone can easily afford one. The average airbag runs somewhere around $1000, which is incredibly hard to come up with for your average ski bum.
Airbags are fairly new technology and haven’t been fully adopted by the community. Those that died were by all accounts carrying the usual beacon, probe, and shovel combination that’s drilled in to you during avalanche classes. They just happened to be caught at the wrong location at the wrong time.
The lesson we should all take from this isn’t that these people were idiots or adrenaline junkies seeking the latest fix to the detriment of their families. It’s that we should all be incredibly careful out there and never take safety lightly. If expert skiers can get caught in an avalanche, it’s even easier for any of us to get caught in one and we should never forget that fact.
Yes, backcountry skiing can be dangerous. Skiing can be dangerous. People die skiing in bounds every year. The fact of the matter is that life is dangerous.
I could theoretically be mauled by a bear while hiking 200ft from a highway. Why do I bother even stepping outside my door when there are bears and cougars that live mere miles from my front door? That’s because I don’t let fear stop me from experiencing life.
We minimize the exposure we have to these risks and we live our lives. There an infinite number of things that can kill us on a daily basis, but we still manage to get out of bed in the morning. Chances are if you keep safety in mind and don’t take stupid risks, you’ll get through just fine.
Personally, I don’t think anyone looks back on their lives and wishes they spent more time watching TV from the safety of their couch. I certainly won’t. I would however wish I spent more time in the mountains when I had the chance. This is what drives my decisions in life, not fear.
So, if you’re planning on getting out in the backcountry any time soon, it might be a good idea to brush up on your avalanche education. Make sure you have avalanche gear, and consider getting an airbag. Don’t let fear run your life though.
Beautifully written!
That’s all that needs to be said.
Can I use the airbag in my Subaru?
I totally agree with you on this one. Safety is so important, but not all of us can afford the most expensive and elaborate safety devices known to man. I watch some hikers and climbers and am so envious of all the incredible equipment they have, while I have last years, last years equipment!!! I could never afford a thousand dollar Air Bag, but I can afford some good since and some sound instincts but even then, sometimes, your number is just up and there is nothing you can do to stop it. I pride myself on taking my whole family through all of the safety courses that are available to us in our area, but all of us understands that nature is unpredictable and we have to be prepared to face the fact that someday, she may throw us a curve ball we weren’t expecting and pray that we can handle it when it comes. My heart aches for the three skier’s who died and their families and if anything, I think that this should compel all of us, to not judge them for what we thought they should have done, but remember them for who they were and use their deaths as a reminder, that nature is unpredictable and we should always be as prepared as possible for the unexpected. RIP!!!
Well said. Thank you!
Nicely written. It’s the idiots that don’t take the classes and carry the gear that make it hard for the skiing community to overcome the backlashes that come from the public.
There is always a bad apple in the bunch that seem to ruin it for everyone. So be smart and ski safe.
Excellent article Branden….Thank you
Well said Branden!
Incredibly well said !!
Couldn’t have said it better. I am in the back country most weekends through the winter. I always go with the proper gear and never let fear keep me home. I love the mountains and approach them with respect.
Great article!
Very well said. I’d rather live life with fear as my guide than let fear keep me from living life.
[...] the headline isn’t exactly true. After the article yesterday, I was curious exactly how dangerous backcountry skiing actually is. So, I went google-ing around [...]