Close Calls

iLLbiLLy

iLLbiLLy

Active member
Had one on Teton pass today. I recently tore my UCL (skiers thumb) and have to get surgery soon. I think knowing I'll be out part of this season has made me take some risks I normally wouldn't. The avalanche forecast is only at moderate, but I was aware of the problem layer and still went out onto an unsupported steep face. Anyways, I was lucky to find a clean line out.

Of course this is a meaningless post without a video.

Anyone else had some close calls this season?
 
Jesus.. You know someone just died at Jackson Hole?

Were you out on the pass solo?

Maybe you should have a long talk with your thumb.
 
Ha, really? "I sprained my thumb and I've been taking risks I normally wouldn't". I'm Definetly not Skierman, but seriously, risking your life because your thumb is injured is just dumb. Period.
 
Yes... I'm very aware that Mike Kanazji passed... R.I.P.

I had only met Mike a few times but we had some close mutual friends. Those friends are actually the ones he was with that day and who recovered his body.

That being said, what I skied today is nothing like pucker. I evaluated the conditions, was aware of todays problems and made a judgement call to still ski the line. I already admitted it was a the wrong call.

And no I was not solo. I buddy was spotting me down and left of the cliff in a safe zone.
 
It doesn't take a scholar to grasp your comment. I'd just rather appreciate the dude stomping a cliff to safety than getting hung up on negativity.
 
I reread my post, not exactly gold star material. Not trying to lambast you and tell you it was stupid.

Yea, very different from Pucker, I've got some friends in JH and GT, I always get spooked hearing about slides out there. Glad you made it out.

On another note--that UCL tear in your thumb, I did that before, oddly not the injury I had thumb surgery for though. It was a shitty one and mine stayed relatively swollen for a while. I had it in a cast for a couple weeks and then an air cast after that. And I did ski and play soccer with that air cast too. Hope your recovery there is going along well.

Cheers and stay safe out there.
 
So if you knew you only had a couple days left to ride at 100%, you honestly don't think that might influence your decision making a bit?

Its not like I'm blindly charging around the backcountry with my dick flapping in the wind.

I had hit this same line two days before and backslapped the landing... I wanted redemption and in my head this was my best chance to get it.

In hindsight, its very easy to see I made a bad call. When I dropped in, I honestly believed all (most) the signs pointed to a "green light".

The Scenario:

My partner had to work so we were in a hurry. [Mistake#1]

I've been in this zone every other day for the past 2-3 weeks so I felt pretty intimate with the snow pack. We decided to skip digging a pit. [Mistake#2]

The forecast has been at moderate for the past 3 days (not that it really matters). I was aware there was a dense wind slab sandwiched between two layers of light density snow and we noted this as the primary concern. I jumped on a couple test slopes of the same aspect/elevation on the skin out and everything felt solid. An ECT probably would have shown otherwise.

I skied the upper bowl. Everything felt solid, no shooting cracks or whomping. I had planned on sending the line with no stops, but as I approached the cliff band I had trouble spotting the exit I needed. I checked my speed away to get a better look. [Mistake#3]

My resting body weight was enough to cause the unsupported wind slab to collapse above me. With no idea how high above me the slab had collapse, I made the call to send it.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is how easy it is to let your ambitions influence a false sense of security. I had decided the night before I wanted to ski that line. Maybe subconsciously I didn't want to see the red flags that could have deterred me.

At the end of the day backcountry skiing is about defining a level of acceptable risk. Events this week have got me questioning mine.

 
Anyone else notice the bombhole on the left about a foot away from a big exposed rockface (possibly a result of said bombhole)? Some one else had a close call of their own.
 
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