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WSA
600 SKS 136" Markoilla ostettu!
Tämähän pätee täysin myös täällä kotomaassa. Pumpsahti postiin SnoWestistä.
It’s time to honor the heros.
Written by Susie Rainsberry
March 15, 2010
It’s been several days now since the tragic avalanche at Turbo Hill. The
latest reports are that two are deceased and three are still
hospitalized. The media is also reporting that there were 200
snowmobilers at Turbo at the time of the slide. The avalanche is
reported to have been up to 150 meters wide and 10 meters deep. That, my
friends, is a BIG avalanche!
I’d like to put some perspective on this – a snowmobiler’s perspective.
Apparently no one in the media is a snowmobiler or is concerned about
taking the time to gather the facts – not just the bad, but the good as
well. And there is good to be heard in this story. If you ask a
snowmobiler – they’d be able to tell you what that is. But either the
media isn’t asking, or has heard it and doesn’t feel that the facts are
newsworthy.
However, I feel these facts are the MOST newsworthy topic of this entire
tragedy.
Saturday afternoon, following the close of the events for the annual Big
Iron Shootout, a large group of snowmobilers headed to Turbo Bowl to
make a run at the hill. As the riders lined up at the bottom of the
hill, the mass of spectators parked their sleds and prepared to enjoy
the show. As one of the sleds turned out towards the top, the hillside
gave way. Thundering down the mountain it came – taking sleds and riders
with it. This powerful act of nature happens in a split second. There
is no time to react.
The time to react is as soon as it stops. And react – with speed and
knowledge – in the midst of chaos – is what those sledders did. There
were no typical first responders to this catastrophe in the immediate
moments following the avalanche. Only snowmobilers. Those same
snowmobilers that the media is painting with a broad stroke as crazy,
ignorant, thrill-seekers.
As a back country snowmobiler myself, I can tell you that ignorant is
not a word that I would use to describe those survivors. I would call
them heroes! And justly so. In the midst of what may have been the most
terrifying minutes of their lives, they turned their avalanche beacons
to search, they got out their probes and their shovels and they started
rescue protocols IMMEDIATELY – likely while in a state of shock. They
dug out those that were buried, they triaged the injured, they
administered first aid, they built fires to keep them warm until the
helicopters arrived. These people were heroic!! Without their quick and
educated responses, many more people would have died.
I am angered that the media is so eager to report this story that they
are being so disgraceful to the victims and survivors. These people need
support and compassion. They do not need to be stereotyped and degraded
in the media or by anyone else. Shame on you!! Didn’t your mother teach
you better manners than that?
I’m not done though – there is way more information about snowmobilers
in respect to the Big Iron Shootout and Revelstoke that the media hasn’t
covered yet. While they gleefully report that this is an unsanctioned
(I’ll get to that in a moment) event drew 200 sledders (despite the
grave warnings from the avalanche center), what they aren’t telling you
is that there are likely double that number of snowmobilers who DIDN’T
attend this year’s event – because of the conditions. Snowmobilers who
DID heed the warnings.
As I was reading the snowmobiling forums and Facebook on Saturday
evening, the same story continued to repeat itself – people concerned
about friends who generally attend the BIS, those friends checking in
and saying they didn’t go this year, or they were in the area but
avoided Turbo Bowl because of the warnings and the conditions they were
already aware of. You see, back country snowmobilers are often in the
back country two or more days a week and already have first hand insight
to the conditions.
Regarding the word being used in almost every story – unsanctioned. It
is true that there is no sanctioning organization for this event. Not
the town of Revelstoke nor the Revelstoke Snowmobile Club. However, just
because it’s not sanctioned does not mean that it is illegal.
Snowmobilers often gather in large groups to ride with friends who are
generally dispersed all over Canada and the United States. I personally
rode with a group of 30 riders at an “unsanctioned” event in Wyoming.
Oops! I also rode at another “unsanctioned” event, ummm, better make
that two, here in Oregon. Rest assured, I am not a criminal nor are any
of the snowmobilers that I know.
The internet keeps the snowmobiling community connected. There are
1,000s of unsanctioned events that simply start by someone saying, “hey –
who wants to ride this weekend?” Next thing ya know, word spreads about
how much fun everyone had and it snowballs from there (pun intended).
They grow into these annual events…”same date next year?”
So, here’s what happens next – the date is set. Motel rooms are
reserved. Trucks and sleds are fueled. Vacation time is requested. Then
individuals, families and social groups all head into a remote mountain
town. They buy. They buy. They buy a lot!! They spend money – because
they can.
It is with great sadness that I have to dispel the myth that mountain
snowmobilers are a bunch of rednecks. All you really need to do is add
up the costs to outfit an individual – much less an entire family – with
a sled and the proper safety gear. Since this article is really
targeted at those individuals who are not mountain sledders, I will
point out that everything – got that?…EVERYTHING, on your person and on
your sled is part and parcel of your survival gear. From your gloves, to
your coat, to the sunglasses in your backpack. Trying to save a dime in
buying a coat is really not advised, when that coat may be the only
thing protecting you from the elements if you have to stay overnight.
With all that said, here’s a run down of estimated costs of the primary
accessories needed to sled in the back country.
• Sled $6,000-$14,000 USD
• Clothes (including base, mid and outer layers – top & bottom)
$800-$1,200 USD
• Boots/gloves/helmet $245-$800 USD
• Backpack (non-avy) $60-$120 USD
• Backpack (avy) $1,000-$1,200 USD
• Body armor (tek vest, knee pads, etc) $60-$300 USD
• Beacon, probe, shovel $250-$400 USD
This doesn’t include a lot of items, such as matches, radios, compass,
fire starter, flashlight, and the list goes on, and the costs add up. It
would be GREATLY appreciated if the media would STOP perpetuating the
myths that sledders are ignorant, beer-swilling, couch-potatoes. Because
it’s simply not true.
The fact is that mountain sledders do not fit a stereotypical mold. They
come from all areas of the business world…from CEOs to millworkers.
They have families and they are single. They are old and they are young.
They are world-class athletes and they are physically handicapped. They
survive corporate down-sizing, cancer, divorces, etc….just like
everyone else.
The thing that binds us together is our great love for the back country
in the winter. We are modern day adventurers. We want to get out there –
in the mountains. We want to explore and play and wonder at the beauty.
We love the snow! When it covers the trees, when it flies up in our
faces, when it gives us a playground of vast proportions. That is when
we are in heaven. That is when our souls glow.
We are not anything that the media will have tried to make us out to be
in the last couple of days. We are so much more. It’s truly a pity that
the media isn’t interested in shining any light on the truth.
The truth is - the Turbo Bowl avy survivors are HEROS. We in the
snowmobiling communities – far and wide – are praying for the full
recovery of those injured, in body and in spirit. And finally, with
great compassion and sympathy we extend our heartfelt condolences to the
families of those who perished.
I wrote this and I am Susie Rainsberry, Oregon resident, back-country
snowmobiler. I provide free and complete liberty for others to share and
disperse this message. The time has come to stop the slandering of good
individuals just because they ride snowmobiles.
***************
Again, please do not reply to this email. You must go to the following page to reply to this private message:
http://www.snowestonline.com/forum/private.php
All the best,
SnoWest Forum
Please feel free to distribute this message on forums, to the media,
etc. If you want a pdf copy to distribute send me an email at susie.rainsberry@comcast.net