It’s that time of year again.
My yard is full of glistening snow. A handful of my fellow
Colorado drivers act like they’ve never driven on icy roads before. Flames in
the fireplace are a nightly occurrence. And my backcountry skis are practically
vibrating at me from my gear room.
It’s time to hit the big hills, climb up them and then ski
down them. And I’m not talking about shushing down slopes at Vail and Aspen
dressed in your pastel unitard.
I’m talking about earning your turns.
Ski sweat equity.
Tele till you’re smelly.
Skiing in the backcountry with friends is absolutely one of
the most pleasurable activities that I pursue. Even when the conditions are
less than ideal… i.e. bullet proof, wind blown or just cold as balls… it’s still
so much stinkin fun to go out with good peeps, skin up the flanks of some big
hill and scoot down steep glades amongst the rocks and trees without the
mayhem of an overcrowded ski area.
And other than the occasional gear malfunction or annoyingly
painful foot blister there is only one potentially ass whoopin issue that is
ever-present.
Avalanche
It’s a fact… sliding down large faces of snow is very much
fun.
Another fact… these same large faces of snow react to the
laws of physics in a powerfully beautiful yet devastating way as they collapse
and tumble on themselves.
I’ve been in two. That’s two too many. I am making it my
mission to never be in another.
This morning as I was reflecting on the potential for this
season to be fat…and I’m talking phat as in phluffy… I started to consider the
massive amounts of precipitation we have received here in Boulder County over
the past several months (the same flood that walloped my downstairs). The hope
is that this trend will continue into the winter providing us with blankets of
fresh pow all season long.
I also dove in to my annual avalanche data review…just to
brush up on the nature of why and when a group of innocent snowflakes up and decide
they are just tired of sitting where they are and take a fast ride down because
all of their millions of snowflake buddies are doing the same thing.
It was then that I began to realize the interesting
parallels between the nature of avalanches and the nuances of life.
A few of the snowflakey pearls…
Understanding recent
weather patterns…
Months of
history play in to what is happening right in front of you. It’s always easy to just look at things
(people) for what they are on the surface when in reality there are many issues
that lead up to how things are manifesting right at this moment. There have
been storms. There have been sunny blue-bird days with excessive heat. There
have been days with high and swirling wind. Each day is it’s own component that
create the picture that we all bring to the table. Acknowledging the past
provides us more compassion in dealing with the present.
Weak layers lead to
fracturing…
It’s easy
to forget that we all have layers upon layers of personality that all surface
from time to time. Although each layer
sits in close proximity to the others, they are all exquisitely unique from the
others. In the case of a big ripper avey… it’s always the hidden layer that is
the catalyst for failure. As much as we try to hide our unstable layers…those
are the ones that require the most attention. They are the ones that break.
Wind deposition can
load a slope…
Wind can deposit snow 10 times faster than actual snowfall from storms.
Wind will drive snow into sheltered parts of the mountain in many different
directions during a storm and deposit significantly more snow in otherwise
unreachable terrain. Wind is sneaky. It picks up those sweet little innocent
flakes and lays them down in a spot they didn’t intend to lay down in. It’s the
mystery variable that is unpredictable. Erratic behavior that leads to dangerous conditions. It's just part of it.
Being smart when traveling
through sketchy terrain…
Just
because you’re not on a slope doesn’t mean all is safe. Many accidents occur to
parties that are down in a drainage or run off zone. It’s the slope that’s way
up high and off your radar that can sabotage you. Being aware of surroundings and out-of-site
terrain is critical. It’s easy to become
complacent in a “safe zone” and fail to recognize that the peripheral issues
can slap you down if you neglect to stay vigilant.
Knowing when to stand
down…
Sometimes the pieces of the puzzle
just say STOP. Go home. Many climbers and backcountry skiers have an internal
voice that occasionally will beckon that it’s just too sketchy today. Live for
tomorrow. Ego and pride can take you up a steep slope and place you precisely
in the sites of a Howitzer machine gun of a slope that doesn’t give a shit how
bad ass you think you are or what mountains you’ve climbed in the past.
Humility and recognition will place you back at your truck so you can plan for
the next day out.
Being solid with
rescue skills and traveling with capable teammates…
I owe my
life to the couple of guys I was roped up with in Alaska when I got tumbled
down a hill towards a massive, bottomless crevasse. They knew how to self-arrest.
They acted quickly in digging me out. They were reliable. Surrounding yourself
with trustworthy and knowledgeable teammates is the only chance you have in the
case that you are hit by a wall of snow. Also of importance here is for you to
be reliable and strong for the other folks in your party. Careful with who you put on your rope team.
A time will come when you will need them…and they will need you.
Risky but worth it. The
ROI is high…
The funny
thing about avalanche prediction is… the more you know, the more you realize
that avalanches are very hard to predict. You can only arm yourself with some
fundamental knowledge and skills and be sure that the folks around you are also
capable. Avalanches are like the funny adventure of life… they are
unpredictable at best… but simply a part of the overall journey. Nothin worth
doing is without consequence.
But in the end…it’s worth the risk. Some of my very best
days of every year are spent skiing down mountain slopes with my buds… even
though we all know the risk. The joy is deep and fulfilling. The risk is
apparent. It’s just a matter of acknowledging the contributing factors and
embracing them.
Find Your Bliss
Jeff
