Why Helmets and stuff ARE cool.

Mt_Baker_Man

Mt_Baker_Man

Active member
I was skiing today, and not actually doing anything crazy. Long story short, the only thing between me and paraplegia or death, was my shovel.

I always wear a helmet, and usually a spine protector, and I urge everyone else to do the same.

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I was skiing at Big Sky, I was wearing a backpack with my avy gear in it. I was hopping a mellow roller in the powder and caught a rock which pitched me onto my back at probably 30mph. I landed square on the tip of a Boulder than was buried all by itself. I would have gouged out half my back had I not been wearing my backpack with the shovel in it...

Sorry, I guess it definitely needs a story.
 
agreed. always rock your helmet/any other protective gear. going headfirst into a thick tree is not fun
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The bowl lookers right of Shedhorn. I had just skied a sweet drop/straight line on the far end, and was attempting to 180 a mellow roll at the bottom, and caught a rock mid tail butter.

 
Well I taught a lesson this morning, and got the afternoon off. All things considered, I liked yesterday a little bit better...
 
It wasn't really a rock field, I avoid them like the plague. It was a clean, well skied bowl. The rock I hit looked to be about a few hundred pounds or more. Probably one of the few HUGE rocks that rolls off the wave wall in the summer. It was definitely all by itself. If I had suspected rocks at all, I would not have skied anywhere near the roller.
 
i was just hitting rails the other day at sugarbush; throughout most of the early season, i wasnt wearing a helmet as everything was just small rail features; but i caught my edge on a mellow rail, fell backwards, whipped my head into the ground, and split my helmet in halft. my head was fine, as my helmet took all the impact. needless to say, im wearing a helmet all the time now.
 
what pack were you wearing? One of the reasons I really like my BD Outlaw pack is because my BD shovel fits perfectly into the avy pouch and does a great job of protecting my camera gear to external forces (rock) .

glad to hear you're alright and that shovels can act as back protectors
 
I was wearing a brand new BCA stash pack, which now has a couple holes through both outside layers. I think I might buy one of the Ortovox packs with the Spine protector built into the frame though. My shovel may have protected my spine, but it gave the blow to my shoulder blade and kidneys pretty good.

I looked at it more carefully today. It turns out I not only mangled the blade, but I dented the shaft through the shovel blade. And the square shaft is made to be strongest in that direction. I have a huge hammer, and I tried to beat the shovel back into shape and couldn't budge it at all, I was just scratching it. I am now very convinced it saved my life.
 
Ive cracked a helmet lenthwise (the foam and the plastic), and knocked myself out with one on...scared to think what wouldve happened if I didnt have it.
 
between mountain biking, rock climbing, and skiing, i often wonder how many times my protective gear have saved my life, or at least a trip to the hospital.
 
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