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Why do ppl ski backcountry and risk to get burried...

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Drunkenmaster
Posts: 435 - Karma: 9
simple question...I need you to post what u think of backcountry skiing and why are u doing it? fun/risk/feeling/being in nature/being alone out there...to think..I dunno
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In a year around 100 ppl die in avalanches...why are u taking the risk...

it's for a research paper on avalanches...
Feb 8 2006 10:33AM
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Fusion
Posts: 153 - Karma: 10
Why do people have sex and risk pregnancy/diseases and stuff...I think it's much the same thing.

lol
Feb 8 2006 10:39AM
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Drunkenmaster
Posts: 435 - Karma: 9
great....I see it the same way...but I have to do research and get some better arguments than "why do u have sex"
Feb 8 2006 10:47AM
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*rkp*
Posts: 8198 - Karma: 257
because they live life on the edge! DUH NUH NUH!!
Feb 8 2006 10:50AM
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ESB
Posts: 9274 - Karma: 10,648
If you are trained and know what you'd doing, skiing in the backcountry is a hell of a lot safer than say, driving on the freeway or eating McDonald's. Almost every fun activity in life involves some kind of risk or danger, and backcountry skiing is no exception. For anyone who's into it, the incredible scenery, solitude (except, of course, for the presence of your BUDDY), and of course the sick lines you're skiing are more than reason enough to "put yourself in danger." And if you're trained and smart about it, it's not dangerous at all. Sure, there's always the chance of a freak accident, and they do happen - but a good analogy is that of driving a car. If you don't know how to drive and you head right out onto the interstate, there's a good chance you're going to get hurt. If you've taken driving school and have a lot of driving experience, there is a much reduced risk of getting injured or killed - but the possibility is still there, even if it occurs through an event which isn't your fault at all.
Feb 8 2006 10:54AM
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grskier
Posts: 173 - Karma: 18
I ski in the backcountry for the snow. There are less people willing to hike for their turns, therefore the snow stays untracked longer. It's also very gratifying to earn your turns. Other reasons, in Colorado, many mountains have backcountry gates, Vail, Beaver Creek, A-Basin, Steamboat, etc. It is easy to hike for an hour or less, and still be able to ski to a lift. A lot of the terrain that we ski is borderline avalanche terrain. It gets the snow, but isn't always super steep. Generally, an avalanche won't break unless you are on a 30 degree or steeper slope. The risk generally goes up as this slope gets steeper. We'll ski a lot of powder fields that are in the high twenties to low thirties, minimizing risk. If we go into steeper areas, we follow some guidelines to reduce our risk. Making sure everyone has a shovel, probe, and beacon is just a start. There are a lot of resources on the web. Check out http://geosurvey.state.co.us/avalanche/

and they have some good links too.
Feb 8 2006 10:55AM
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rocMALONEYphotos
Posts: 1128 - Karma: 661
if i could helli ski every day i would love it, skiing fresh fuckin pow, down a steep ass mountain that NOBODY else is on. it would a crazy adreanline rush
Feb 8 2006 11:17AM
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SkierJulie
Posts: 2495 - Karma: 101
snow and serenity of not being at a ski resort. i also find that hiking for my turns is very rewarding.
Feb 8 2006 11:18AM
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mpls1506
Posts: 179 - Karma: 10
Theire is no sensation like ridding backcountry its insane
Feb 8 2006 11:22AM
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Johannes
Posts: 169 - Karma: 12
because all the pros say backcountry is where it's at!

Seriously, a good powder day is just something beyond words to describe it
Feb 8 2006 11:49AM
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snowdiver
Posts: 668 - Karma: 12
The thing for me is the concept of skiing a line in untouched snow and then being able to look back at it and see no one elses tracks.
Feb 8 2006 12:04PM
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RWalker
Posts: 384 - Karma: 11
because untracked pow runs are sick
Feb 8 2006 12:08PM
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potatofarmer
Posts: 2020 - Karma: 13
because stone cold said so
Feb 8 2006 12:10PM
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XxLibertYxX
Posts: 1452 - Karma: 28
back country skiing is real skiing... thats where you seperate the park rats from the real skiiers who can ski everything... thats my opinion... oh yeah... and its fun as hell to ski untouched powder... but thats just me
Feb 8 2006 12:42PM
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fukeneh
Posts: 4571 - Karma: 23
id say a better analogy is smoking crack cuz, cuz getting high isnt very dangerous dawg
Feb 8 2006 12:44PM
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rachael575
Posts: 1412 - Karma: 90
why do u drive a car, when u can get into an accident?
Feb 8 2006 2:42PM
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Kevo
Posts: 2374 - Karma: 136
To get fresh tracks, to get good lines, to ski good terrain.
Feb 8 2006 3:01PM
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jsg
Posts: 7701 - Karma: 535
its not that dangerouse if u kno what u are doing and have the right equipment.........
Feb 8 2006 6:44PM
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millhouseskis
Posts: 499 - Karma: 16
epic pow
Feb 8 2006 6:55PM
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Good_Deed
Posts: 1260 - Karma: 1,321
risk, are you a little bitch?
Feb 8 2006 6:56PM
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MRGskiier
Posts: 148 - Karma: 10
Because the snow is better, it's a different experience, it's more serene and peaceful...there are plenty of reasons.
Feb 8 2006 6:58PM
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eastchris
Posts: 674 - Karma: 16
I want to get into backcountry but I wouldnt do it until I learned about what I was doing and new all the safety stuff
Feb 8 2006 6:58PM
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[lineskier]820
Posts: 923 - Karma: 11
why do we jump over 20ft in the aire backwards go inverted risking paralisis?
Feb 8 2006 6:58PM
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ECshredder
Posts: 989 - Karma: 11
theres nothing better than ripping some gnar. dude.
Feb 8 2006 6:59PM
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telestar6
Posts: 2102 - Karma: 44
Actually less than 30 people die every year in avalanches while skiing or snowboarding. I don't know where you got 100 from.
Feb 8 2006 7:30PM
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salomonskiier12
Posts: 2862 - Karma: 19
well, the snow is great, and it tends to be steeper
Feb 8 2006 7:32PM
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gone
Posts: 199 - Karma: 98
exactly
Feb 8 2006 7:34PM
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*542*
Posts: 1224 - Karma: 19
I know a guy who owns this ski shop who has gone into the backcountry atleast +250 over his lifetime, and he has gotten buried once. He was testing out a new pair of skis that he was unfamiliar with and he tried to ski to the safe zone where he wouldnt get hit by the slide befind him, and then he crashed. If you know what your doing, the backcountry is just as safe as skiing inbounds. Also, the powder and the fact that nobody is out there is epic.
Feb 8 2006 7:35PM
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hiphopopotamus
Posts: 1177 - Karma: 45
it is hell better than the park if you have a nice day with nice pow
Feb 8 2006 7:38PM
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shrEddie
Posts: 5117 - Karma: 65
becasue powder can cause massive erections
Feb 8 2006 7:39PM
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Aenigma
Posts: 11256 - Karma: 424
The snow's usually a lot better in the backcountry.
I like being away from people.
Earning your turns is really rewarding.
And most of all, I don't see any thugged-out Tanner wannabes in the backcountry.
Feb 8 2006 7:47PM
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B.L.A.K.E
Posts: 932 - Karma: 27
are you fucking retarded why ski park 100 people could get killed in the park easly a year,he must be from iowa,
Feb 8 2006 7:48PM
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masbeth64
Posts: 94 - Karma: 10
well .. the backcountry thatr most people ski isnt that dangerous.... plus, theres less people, more snow and varied terrain. And i live in the east so if i go out west theres no way in hell im gonna just ski park or normal traillls. I go outwest for the pow, and bowl type things
Feb 8 2006 7:50PM
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hollygrove
Posts: 7845 - Karma: 93
haha, nicly put.
Feb 8 2006 9:06PM
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Daniel.
Posts: 2068 - Karma: 12
why do we go outside in the cold... you know evry time you do you risk death. Your body isnt made to go outside in cold temperatures...so evrytime u go skiing...u run a risk of dying
Feb 8 2006 9:09PM
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watchmefall15
Posts: 1902 - Karma: 11
heli skiing in ak might be dangerous but bc at a resort isnt too bad
Feb 8 2006 9:15PM
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=_=
Posts: 190 - Karma: 10
Everything a human being does can be risky in some way. andfor all the people who say that not many people die in avalanches brings up a valid point. BUT take into consideration that not many people realistically travel into avalanche prone zones without proper knowledge. Those who travel into the zones without equipment arethe ones who set off avalanches and die. a park deaths to backcountry deaths ratio will obviously go to the park becasue tens of thousands of people make runs in the terrain park everyday. so realistically the backcountry IS more dangerous. I live in the backcountry. There is also no ski patrol in the BC so in the time it takesfor search and rescue to find you and help you out,you may have gone into shock and died.
Feb 8 2006 9:43PM
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Billiards.
Posts: 6853 - Karma: 816
Face shots and adrenaline man. In a nut shell there it is.
Feb 8 2006 9:45PM
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TheQuailman
Posts: 7382 - Karma: 147
your more likley to get injured on a rail than simpley skiing pow
Feb 8 2006 9:55PM
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knotbox
Posts: 1790 - Karma: 13
because if it snows at a resort in north america or europe you need to be up at 4 in the morning to get fresh adn its tracked out 10 minutes after the lifts open..
Feb 8 2006 10:00PM
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oO~sKiErGirL~Oo
Posts: 2314 - Karma: 21
If you've ever had a taste of untracked pow, you should be able to understand why people ski backcountry.
Feb 8 2006 10:02PM
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Mr.O
Posts: 1582 - Karma: 23
so so so true
Feb 8 2006 10:03PM
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Aenigma
Posts: 11256 - Karma: 424
What?
Feb 8 2006 10:10PM
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40calGlockSkier
Posts: 176 - Karma: 9
To fully understand why you must ski a line where you are coughing out snowballs every turn and can't see most of the time. You will then understand. This is something you just hafta do and not here about from others.
Feb 8 2006 11:33PM
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Vicious
Posts: 3862 - Karma: 140
because skiing 2 - 3 laps of thigh deep is far and beyond better than skiing 20 runs of hardpack at a resort
Feb 8 2006 11:34PM
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GotamaBCshredder
Posts: 5062 - Karma: 424
yeah..........
Click for larger image
Feb 8 2006 11:38PM
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r.w
Posts: 3489 - Karma: 18
becauses its the coolest thing on the face of this planet, it this solar system, in this universe.
Feb 8 2006 11:40PM
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GotamaBCshredder
Posts: 5062 - Karma: 424
you might want to add that over 100 peeps a year die in avalanches, but only around 10 are skiers and snowboarders usually. We ahev had like 5, and its like 2 climbers and 3 snowmobilers.
Feb 8 2006 11:43PM
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Drunkenmaster
Posts: 435 - Karma: 9
where do u take those numbers from..thats total bullshit...
skiing magazine sais around a 100 in europe every year ...a statistic from '94 said around 100 worldwide...
in the last month more than 30 died in europe...u should back ur informations up a little more before u say that...cuz someone who doesnt know any numbers doesnt seem to know any of the dangers either...

I like backcountry skiing so much...I do it as often as I can..but for a proper research paper my opinion isnt enough thats why i asked u guys to back it up
Feb 9 2006 7:32AM
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Drunkenmaster
Posts: 435 - Karma: 9
I do understand but like I said its not appropriate for a research paper...cuz one opinion doesnt count..a hundred do...
Feb 9 2006 7:33AM
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Drunkenmaster
Posts: 435 - Karma: 9
http://access.jibc.bc.ca/avalancheFirstResponse/course.htm

check it out...it shows that most of them are skiers/snowboarders..second is snowmobiling..and stuff
Feb 9 2006 7:41AM
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