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  • Skiing pow alone, stop risking your life! [just watched 3 edits]

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January, 2025

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Skiing pow alone, stop risking your life! [just watched 3 edits]

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Ghini
Posts: 2263 - Karma: 3,002
I have just watched 3 edits here on NS where guys are shredding crazy pow by them selfs.. The last guy also does not have safety gear because no backpack..
All those guys are idiots if I may say so..

How hard is it to make friends on a pow day and shred together? Even inbounds shredding deep pow is dangerous if you are all alone.. Nobody knows you are there if things go wrong, and yes things can go wrong real quick! Hit a tree, get stuck in tree well, cliffs, pillows breaking above you and you get burried etc etc etc..

I cant find the edit now, but last year someone posted a good video of how long it can take people to get to you through the pow.. A guy was burried under a shit load of pow when he fell after hitting some pillows.. (if someone knows what I am talking about, please post it here, thanks!)

I know pow is great, and its hard to say no to crazy pow on a free day in the mountains, but just make some new friends, shred together with others and be safe!

peace
Dec 12 2012 5:07PM
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iSmokeweed
Posts: 4793 - Karma: 1,370
for real. i didnt think much of avy saftey, but its way dangerous.
Dec 12 2012 5:09PM
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dodgey
Posts: 590 - Karma: 266
NARSID (Non Avalanche Related Snow Inhalation Death) is pretty common (just sat through a lecture on this recently), falling in tree wells, hidden crevasses or deep holes in snow, or even just getting too front seat and goin over the handle bars can easily kill you, especially by yourself but even with your buddies. Avalungs are a great fuckin investment



stay safe out there
Dec 12 2012 5:15PM
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dodgey
Posts: 590 - Karma: 266
^ I think thats the edit you're looking for
Dec 12 2012 5:17PM
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Ghini
Posts: 2263 - Karma: 3,002
I was thinking about one with skiers, but this will most certainly open some eyes.. Thanks!
Dec 12 2012 5:23PM
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DrunkViking
Posts: 154 - Karma: 53
God that was scary, fuck.
Dec 12 2012 5:34PM
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dodgey
Posts: 590 - Karma: 266
right? every time i watch that my heart races so fast
Dec 12 2012 5:38PM
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bakedpow
Posts: 8770 - Karma: 10,467
i always feel like an asshole leaving friends but i cant hold back for the first 2 runs. after that im totally game to wait for buddies and keep an eye out.

i am always scared of that happening tho, i make sure to stay visible to the chair/other riders if im by myself. it's hard for me but i completely agree with op as well.
Dec 12 2012 5:39PM
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Ghini
Posts: 2263 - Karma: 3,002
Big *sigh* when I noticed they didnt have shovels...

People should do whatever they want, shure we all take part in this action sport and taking risks, hitting cliffs and riding powder..
Yes you can say no risk no fun, life begins at the end of your comfort zone, etc etc, but a lot of people dont think about the risks when skiing alone, or stop thinking when they are in the need for pow..
Dec 12 2012 5:44PM
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speedin
Posts: 731 - Karma: 131
Holy shit...that was nuts and very very scary. There are a bunch others on youtube. One guy gets stuck in a tree well upside down, completely stuck. Manages to pull his cell out of his pocket and call his wife at home, to have her call rescue. The guy was buried for almost 20 min.

I ski alone....I haven't had much experience in the pow, or the back country. However very few of my friends ski, and the ones who do are gapers.

Dec 12 2012 5:45PM
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Ghini
Posts: 2263 - Karma: 3,002
the human factor is the most difficult one eh?
Dec 12 2012 5:47PM
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GuacamoleMane
Posts: 1421 - Karma: 2,013
I'm going to Tahoe this year and most likely wont be shredding the deep stuff with my mom, granted I prob won't b doing gnarly pillow lines, but i don't have a lotta choices if its fresh
Dec 12 2012 6:06PM
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bakedpow
Posts: 8770 - Karma: 10,467
for sure, and i mean around where i ski even inbounds gets gnarly. most of the locals ski and ride with a beacon on, along with all necessary equipment.

but it still doesnt do much if youre just unlucky
Dec 12 2012 6:11PM
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dodgey
Posts: 590 - Karma: 266
yeah I saw that one too. fucking gnarly
Dec 12 2012 6:13PM
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TheHERDSkiing
Posts: 75 - Karma: 259
Dont think its the one you are talking about, but still veryy scary and an eye opener.
Dec 12 2012 7:31PM
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Mr.DarthVader
Posts: 1322 - Karma: 556
thats the one i was thinking of
Dec 12 2012 7:42PM
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speedin
Posts: 731 - Karma: 131
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVsqpquTvUQ

This sends chills threw my spine..... some please embed
Dec 12 2012 7:46PM
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SamMcChesney
Posts: 2905 - Karma: 2,199
the possibility of being trapped like that is so scary.
Dec 12 2012 7:51PM
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eheath
Posts: 61780 - Karma: 124,904
Skiing BACKCOUNTRY alone is stupid, but inbounds pow skiing you're completely safe by yourself. I think shredding pow with friends is fun but by yourself is the best, especially with some good tunes.
Dec 12 2012 7:51PM
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will_powder
Posts: 3194 - Karma: 5,445
Tree wells???
Dec 12 2012 7:57PM
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speedin
Posts: 731 - Karma: 131
Really? This happened in bounds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2au_229pQw
Dec 12 2012 7:58PM
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eheath
Posts: 61780 - Karma: 124,904
well i'd sure hope you're not trying to hit big cliffs into tree by yourself... just shredding around is mellow.
Dec 12 2012 8:01PM
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FUUUCK
Posts: 18426 - Karma: 4,889
lol to say you're completely safe is just plain wrong. Being inbounds doesn't magically make hazards disappear. Yeah you're less likely to get caught up in avalanche in bounds, but you can still catch your tips and go head first into a treewell/creek/hole and not be able to get out by yourself.
Dec 12 2012 8:01PM
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BASEDRILEY
Posts: 1451 - Karma: 898
i disagree. All it takes if for you to tip dive in some deep snow and you can be burried. even in bounds after a big dump u can take a dive into a tree well and die. The risk is much smaller but its still there.
Dec 12 2012 8:03PM
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eheath
Posts: 61780 - Karma: 124,904
I dunno what kind of inbounds skiing you guys do, but when I ski pow there are usually alot of people everywhere. The situations you guys are describing are unlikely situations. Ive hit a decent cliff and dub ejected, tomahawked in 2-3ft of pow and got up fine and got my shit myself. Yes, you could fall in a tree well, you could fall head first, but its not that hard to get out unless you're in 4ft of snow. I ski pow all the time by myself, I usually end up meeting up with people but I never feel in danger just skiing pow. If you're hitting cliffs, skiing gnarly chutes or something, im sure you'll be with your friends. Skiing a lift accessed run is completely safe to do by yourself, there are plenty of variable that could make it less safe but that depends where you're skiing and what you're doing, period.
Dec 12 2012 8:13PM
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NotGhood
Posts: 2809 - Karma: 1,255
i've never skied pow but it seems less chill after watching that video...damn
Dec 12 2012 8:16PM
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jca
Posts: 4172 - Karma: 6,310
just playing devil's advocate here as someone who spends a lot of time skiing/hiking/biking/driving alone.

it's all about making informed decisions and managing risks in a safe way. obviously it's much safer to ski with a buddy (if you remain in contact on the way down), but you can definitely ski pow alone in a very safe way.
I definitely wont recommend skiing alone, but don't go out and make a blanket statement calling people idiots for skiing inbounds pow alone.

i still agree that it's much safer to ski with a buddy and completely endorse it in the BC, but in all reality, if youre the the guy skiing in the back of a group and take a header into a treewell, youre as good as dead if you can't get yourself out and no one saw it happen.
Dec 12 2012 8:42PM
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dodgey
Posts: 590 - Karma: 266
tons of people have died skiing powder alone inbounds. at winter park there are some trees that are really secluded (still lift access and dump out onto a really high traffic run) that are named after someone who died from snow inhalation there. I think three or four people have died there skiing alone. it's not always that safe. I ski pow alone sometimes too but you gotta be aware of the consequences. shit can happen
Dec 12 2012 8:43PM
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Z-Juice
Posts: 3151 - Karma: 1,504
Can someone explain?
Dec 12 2012 8:46PM
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speedin
Posts: 731 - Karma: 131

I have only skied west cost pow 1 time. It was last year at beaver creek. I was lucky enough be there on the week day when they had a nice 2 foot dump. There was hardly anyone there. I pretty much had the stone creek chutes to my self.  Up top, the snow was chest deep, down towards the bottom it got shin deep.

I tomahawked down a lil tiny chute lost one of my skis. I was so out of breath from the altitude, and tired from skiing, that it literlly took my 45 min to find my ski. There was a moment when panic set in, as I was pondering how I plan i getting down the mountain on one sk, in the trees, in over 3 feet of powder.

No one skied by me the whole time. I am not saying that sking by yourself inbounds is dumb, or someone shouldnt do it. Shit can and will go wrong. Thats life unfortunally. You can live your life carefully while having fun at the same time. Its all about balance for me.

I agree falling in a tree well feet first is no biggie.Or if there is low snow. But I can def see how someone can get stuck in one head firstI have a new respect for snow now after that day. Hence why I bought myself a pair of JJ's and 5 plane tickets out west this winter.

Dec 12 2012 9:12PM
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dodgey
Posts: 590 - Karma: 266
on a deep pow day if your tips get caught and you huck forward and happen to take a breath in while you're plunging into the snow, it can either block your trachea, the ice crystals can actually cut it and you'll bleed into your lungs, or if it's deep enough you can get stuck upside down and just suffocate. skiers have it much easier than snowboarders cause we can kick our skis off and use our legs to get free.

some interesting stats especially with more advanced skiers than intermediate

Click for larger image

Click for larger image

Click for larger image

from here http://www.deepsnowsafety.org/index.php/sis-by-the-numbers/
Dec 12 2012 9:13PM
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Nachobandit
Posts: 19 - Karma: 10
These stats above are fucking bullshit to post here. The first one may be applicable but any stats based off a sample size of 28 can get fucked. For the second one, victims of what? The third, I don't even know what the fuck is going on there!

But w/e, I ski pow alone a lot and like it was mentioned above its all about knowing what you can and cant do. If I'm solo I'm going to take my time, not hit anything that I don't confidently know that Im going to stomp and don't go flying down the hill at mach 10. But if I am with friends, thats when egos and competition come into it and we all go balls out and if something did happen we are there for each other. In both cases there is just plain old fucking bad luck when shit will happen. Expert skiers will die in and out of bounds, with and without their friends. Thats just the nature of the game we play and its life. We all know the risks when we go out and we all know the consequenses.
Dec 12 2012 10:11PM
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Jessie406
Posts: 170 - Karma: 328
i think skiing powder, or trees with a buddy is always smart. you never know whats going to happen. they could be the one to save you. but its really only makes sense if your buddy is avalanche trained.. if your going back country skiing with a buddy cause its the smart thing to do. it only works if they know how to use a beacon and a probe.. and of course a shovel. also in BIg Sky there are runs thats require you to sign out with a buddy... you CANT ski it without on ... so thats just my input
Dec 12 2012 10:30PM
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bardissono
Posts: 443 - Karma: 213
This is why I'm always glad to have a twin bro who likes to ski the same stuff as me, problem solved
Dec 12 2012 11:12PM
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Jessie406
Posts: 170 - Karma: 328
SAME love skiing with my twin sister
Dec 12 2012 11:16PM
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DR.SHRED
Posts: 2134 - Karma: 503
the risks in skiing are half the fun. even if its by your self. i tend to make safer decisions when im by my self
Dec 12 2012 11:22PM
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juliatheskier
Posts: 102 - Karma: 135
yeah i feel you completely! I'm a quadruplet so its myself and three boys. we always ski together and challenge each other so its pretty gnarly, but you can't be too careful. last year we went out west together with some buddies, and we got about 6 ft of snow in five days. so we hit up outer limits (blackcomb) which was heavenly, but one of our buddies fell in a tree hole and he's about 6 ft 2 or 3 and got buried completely. we got him out and he was fine but it might have been different if he was alone. skiing is all about having fun and taking risks but you gotta be smart about it

Dec 13 2012 12:19AM
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Round-Four
Posts: 1073 - Karma: 174
if you were watching edits of people skiing pow, doesnt that mean there is a camera man watching him go down the run?
Dec 13 2012 12:24AM
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NinetyFour
Posts: 8650 - Karma: 13,410
http://vimeo.com/28084353

I can't embed because I'm on mobile but was it that video? If not its still really scary watching Eliel get buried like that.

Regardless, It's always a good idea to buddy up when skiing pow, even inbounds.
Dec 13 2012 12:29AM
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[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
That was painful to watch. The dude wasted 30 seconds unclipping his board and his friend's board when he could've been digging him out. They didn't even bother to just grab his legs and yank him out.
Dec 13 2012 12:30AM
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spliff.Life
Posts: 7847 - Karma: 1,544
tons of people are idiots and die tripping down stairs and riding bicycles
Dec 13 2012 12:36AM
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doGelyst
Posts: 2492 - Karma: 509
Unknown = Bigfoot
Dec 13 2012 12:42AM
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Zimmy
Posts: 1258 - Karma: -1,327
The clip dodgey was worrisome. He was lucky to be alive, he was completely upside down and coughing blood at the end and mega dazed.

They seemed to have edited out a whole portion of their digging. Shovels and a bit more urgency would have been good to see. They ended up digging up a large trench.
Dec 13 2012 12:45AM
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AB_Pow
Posts: 225 - Karma: 103
I ski alone a lot and if there is pow to be had i'm not gonna let it pass just because i'm by myself. That being said, I am always very aware of where I am and how many people are around and ski accordingly. In this edit from last year there are a few close calls right at the beginning that really made me realize how dangerous skiing alone can really be, even right in the middle of the resort. Note the slide at the beginning and then almost piling my head into the bushes in the next clip.
Dec 13 2012 1:07AM
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Zimmy
Posts: 1258 - Karma: -1,327
Thanks for that info. I always associated powder with avalanche danger, not the powder itself. I wonder if it's played down by resorts to keep people skiing. The tree walls look nasty.
Dec 13 2012 1:23AM
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ChiefSkief
Posts: 774 - Karma: 881
Crystal Mountain Alpental and Schweitzer have plenty of in bounds skiing were you could get trapped in a tree well and no one could find you for hours or even the rest of the day I have no idea were you are skiing.
Dec 13 2012 1:35AM
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ScuffDUFF
Posts: 2027 - Karma: 143
I dont know what kind of inbounds skiing you are doing... Over here in Tahoe there is more then a couple inbounds deaths every year from tree wells and creek beds.
Dec 13 2012 1:40AM
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PartyHon
Posts: 2019 - Karma: 425
for Schweitzer especially on the backside. ive been places back there where no goes and no one could find you if you fell. sketchy shit
Dec 13 2012 1:46AM
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GayWolf420
Posts: 37817 - Karma: 125,772
I thoroughly enjoy shredding deep with a homie of two. As long as they can keep up, I don't see why not. No friends on a pow day with the exception of your closest mates.0
Dec 13 2012 1:57AM
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jblaski
Posts: 5566 - Karma: 1,079
Is this a real thread? Are you kids really this big of pussies? My god, if you're so damn scared of snow, stay home a pull your friends around in a sled in your driveway.
Dec 13 2012 1:59AM
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PeppermillReno
Posts: 4879 - Karma: -788
Little extreme. I had a lovely powder day today and I think about half of the happy folks out there with me were doing their own thing. Many probably drove with a buddy. Plenty of ski patrol doing their thing ripping powder.

I am more worried I'll go off a cliff thinking its just a sweet ass steep since where I ski its hard to distinguinsh and they don't close off cliffs (prob since with 2 more feet they're skiable to a certain extent.)

But hey, I am just a responsible guy enjoying the mountain and looking for the steepest and freshest lines all over. And if I screw up and its a little cliff I just jump to save my skiis and bail out soon after landing.

To be honest the shit I ski is probably more dangerous in pairs/groups because there is only 1 good way down in many of the little nooks and crannys and noone wants to go directly behind where their buddy just went.

Need to get tired...haven't slept in over a day but the excitement of sick ass powder today and tomorrow and friday is too much. Gonna suck if I don't cram down 7 hours ;) thats dangerous!
Dec 13 2012 2:11AM
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