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luliski

Making fresh tracks
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I tried to self arrest. Every time I got my feet below me and tried to dig in the skis would stop and the rest of me would keep going end over end. Then the skis came off. Lather, rinse, repeat, with boots. Finally came to rest in avalanche debris.

Were you going fast when you fell?

That's what I worried would happen to me! I tried to hug the mountain, once I got my feet downhill. At some point there was a movement that threw one of my skis off (I think it was when I was rotating to get my feet downhill), which I was actually happy about because I wanted to use the boot to self-arrest.
 

Andy Mink

Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
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Were you going fast when you fell?

That's what I worried would happen to me! I tried to hug the mountain, once I got my feet downhill. At some point there was a movement that threw one of my skis off (I think it was when I was rotating to get my feet downhill), which I was actually happy about because I wanted to use the boot to self-arrest.
I was barely moving. It was a steep run (The Chutes at Mt. Rose are between 40 and 50 degrees) and I was starting to turn after a traverse across. Just kind of tipped over. I didn't think much of it...for about half a second. Then I started to slide and it was all over.
 
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Chef23

Getting on the lift
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My worst one was on a cat track. I had come down through skiing some glades and was tired on the run out through some cat tracks I hit a dip I didn't see in some flat light and slammed right onto my shoulder. I went from going pretty fast to dead stopped very quickly. It hurt like hell and I got my bell rung.
 

Andy Mink

Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
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Actually they're between 40 and 50 degrees... which is much steeper :eek: than 40 or 50 percent.
That's the second time I did that! Brain fart. Fixed it. :beercheer:
 

NZRob

Skiing the Rock
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An interesting one, because it happened on nearly flat terrain. Was skiing somewhere in Southern CO (I'm not sure where, could have been Durango or maybe Monarch or something, a smaller place with low crowds) and found some fun low angle trees off of a green run. My husband and I zipped into them, but got separated a bit although we were within a few ski lengths of each other. I was skiing along, in the trees just off the side of the trail maybe 15 feet, and my right ski tip goes under a young sapling that is buried under the snow. My weight causes it to spring up, lifting me upside down so that I am hanging face in the snow by my ski....

....This taught me that staying together in the trees isn't as easy as people make it seem, and that even seemingly low consequence terrain can be dangerous. Also keep those tips up in the trees especially when there's new snow!

1995/1996 I was working at Whistler. Skiing Highway 86/Expressway (long easy blue/green homeward trail) on the way out about 15-30 minutes after lifts closed. I was just cruising the trail with a couple of mates and popping up on to the sides playing around as you do. Briefly saw a flash of colour in my peripheral vision a few metres up into the trees, which would have been completely obscured from the actual trail. Called out to the guys I was with, walked up the few metres and found a woman unconscious in a tree well. Called patrol, she was rushed off to hospital and things ended well for her.

It still gives me goosebumps thinking about how differently that could have ended but for that lucky confluence of events - me being a little bit off trail and catching a glimpse of her clothing.
 

Andy Mink

Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
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1995/1996 I was working at Whistler. Skiing Highway 86/Expressway (long easy blue/green homeward trail) on the way out about 15-30 minutes after lifts closed. I was just cruising the trail with a couple of mates and popping up on to the sides playing around as you do. Briefly saw a flash of colour in my peripheral vision a few metres up into the trees, which would have been completely obscured from the actual trail. Called out to the guys I was with, walked up the few metres and found a woman unconscious in a tree well. Called patrol, she was rushed off to hospital and things ended well for her.

It still gives me goosebumps thinking about how differently that could have ended but for that lucky confluence of events - me being a little bit off trail and catching a glimpse of her clothing.
Loud clothes save lives.
20181019_090139.jpg
 

kimmyt

My Rack Is Bigger Than Yours
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1995/1996 I was working at Whistler. Skiing Highway 86/Expressway (long easy blue/green homeward trail) on the way out about 15-30 minutes after lifts closed. I was just cruising the trail with a couple of mates and popping up on to the sides playing around as you do. Briefly saw a flash of colour in my peripheral vision a few metres up into the trees, which would have been completely obscured from the actual trail. Called out to the guys I was with, walked up the few metres and found a woman unconscious in a tree well. Called patrol, she was rushed off to hospital and things ended well for her.

It still gives me goosebumps thinking about how differently that could have ended but for that lucky confluence of events - me being a little bit off trail and catching a glimpse of her clothing.

Wow, what a lucky lady!
 

skibob

Skiing the powder
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I can't believe @Jed Peters hasn't replied yet. My worst crash (separated shoulder @ Squaw Valley) pales in comparison to Jed's. I stopped and watched the helicopter come in low over Mt Pluto. But I didn't know it was Jed at the time. He's lucky to be skiing. He's lucky to be walking. Hell, he's lucky to be . . .
 

luliski

Making fresh tracks
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I was barely moving. It was a steep run (The Chutes at Mt. Rose are between 40 and 50 degrees) and I was starting to turn after a traverse across. Just kind of tipped over. I didn't think much of it...for about half a second. Then I started to slide and it was all over.
That's how I fell on the Wall. I tipped over turning to head downhill. Then I picked up speed very quickly (the Wall is also very steep). I remember being conscious of not wanting to start to tomahawk, and it actually took me a while to get into a position where I could stop myself (and it also took a while to stop).
 

Jed Peters

World's Most "Okayest" Skier
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I can't believe @Jed Peters hasn't replied yet. My worst crash (separated shoulder @ Squaw Valley) pales in comparison to Jed's. I stopped and watched the helicopter come in low over Mt Pluto. But I didn't know it was Jed at the time. He's lucky to be skiing. He's lucky to be walking. Hell, he's lucky to be . . .

Yeah, no kidding huh bob?

That crash did hurt quite a bit. And yes, I am lucky to be alive. Were it not for the ski patrol staff and the helicopter paramedics, we wouldn't be talking about a leg lost......I would have bled out for sure.

I owe a lot of my ski rehab to members here who really rallied around me. @Andy Mink and @Philpug visited me in the hospital. I think at my "come back" ski (first day I told anyone I was skiing or there would have been pugskiers there!) , we unofficially had about a dozen people that took runs with me that day. In fact, that day even though I think I only maybe did 5 or 6 runs, I did my first blue run since the accident--which although I was overcome with emotion and broke down crying in the middle of the run, petrified with fear--I was skied down safely by @4ster.

I think perhaps the best thing about this is probably the last day of the year @4ster got to ski with @Rich Peters and I--from the first to the last--and he got to see the progression.
 

NZRob

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Yeah, no kidding huh bob?

That crash did hurt quite a bit. And yes, I am lucky to be alive. Were it not for the ski patrol staff and the helicopter paramedics, we wouldn't be talking about a leg lost......I would have bled out for sure.

I owe a lot of my ski rehab to members here who really rallied around me. @Andy Mink and @Philpug visited me in the hospital. I think at my "come back" ski (first day I told anyone I was skiing or there would have been pugskiers there!) , we unofficially had about a dozen people that took runs with me that day. In fact, that day even though I think I only maybe did 5 or 6 runs, I did my first blue run since the accident--which although I was overcome with emotion and broke down crying in the middle of the run, petrified with fear--I was skied down safely by @4ster.

I think perhaps the best thing about this is probably the last day of the year @4ster got to ski with @Rich Peters and I--from the first to the last--and he got to see the progression.

I just saw the thread about your recovery...without knowing what your crash story is, it sounds like it's been traumatic and life-changing. Congratulations and respect on your recovery, and may it continue ogsmile
 

Andy Mink

Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
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Yeah, no kidding huh bob?

That crash did hurt quite a bit. And yes, I am lucky to be alive. Were it not for the ski patrol staff and the helicopter paramedics, we wouldn't be talking about a leg lost......I would have bled out for sure.

I owe a lot of my ski rehab to members here who really rallied around me. @Andy Mink and @Philpug visited me in the hospital. I think at my "come back" ski (first day I told anyone I was skiing or there would have been pugskiers there!) , we unofficially had about a dozen people that took runs with me that day. In fact, that day even though I think I only maybe did 5 or 6 runs, I did my first blue run since the accident--which although I was overcome with emotion and broke down crying in the middle of the run, petrified with fear--I was skied down safely by @4ster.

I think perhaps the best thing about this is probably the last day of the year @4ster got to ski with @Rich Peters and I--from the first to the last--and he got to see the progression.
It was an inhuman effort to come back from that crash. So glad you did and hope to see you and @Rich Peters on the slopes this winter!
 

4ster

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should!
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I think perhaps the best thing about this is probably the last day of the year @4ster got to ski with @Rich Peters and I--from the first to the last--and he got to see the progression.
& now I’m wondering how the summer’s progression will impact the winter?
47503AE5-91C8-4809-BDC1-8018EDE8C91F.jpeg


An overused saying but so true in many cases...
“ whatever doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger”

BTW, I could’ve posted the Incredible’s ogwink
 

John Webb

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That's how I fell on the Wall. I tipped over turning to head downhill. Then I picked up speed very quickly (the Wall is also very steep). I remember being conscious of not wanting to start to tomahawk, and it actually took me a while to get into a position where I could stop myself (and it also took a while to stop).
Also had my only bad injury skiing ever on The Wall.

as usual a number of things went wrong:
run was extremely icy (should have been closed- no snow for a month)
on previous run previously I called ski patrol for a racer who slid off icy Climax run into woods
Wrong skis - Volkl powder skis
dull edges on skis
Boots were not tightened (broke Fibula 3 inches above ankle)
caught an edge and had extreme trouble self arresting while sliding fast on 'near ice' toward woods.
Do not even remember breaking leg as I was in extreme concentration on self-arresting.
Quit by skiing down on one ski (should have called ski patrol)
Thought it was a very bad sprain (quit skiing) - not diagnosed till I flew home.
Burned the injury area a bit in hot water at a hot spring in Nevada desert (delayed the hard cast for a month-soft brace initially !)

First week of season- only skied 4 days that year.

Photo of sign at top & bottom
Kirkwood.jpg
of The Wall attached.

similar BLM skull & crossbones sign at the hot spring in desert.
 
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RikkiBobbi

Booting up
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Oct 8, 2018
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My worst - about 70mph in SG, hit a pothole and low side ski came off, popped me head over heels, tumbled maybe 30-40 yards and into netting with 1 ski on. Runner up was being first off a small 8-10 foot drop off on to packed powder - 2 guys behind me close. Snow breaks down on me when I land and I double eject forward basically face planting bent at the waist while up to my thighs. Guy behind me had no time to stop - he landed flat on my back, like I was the snow.

I've had plenty of painful yardsales off of big hits but the SG crash was really the only one that made me fear for my life, however rational or irrational that was at the time.

Worst I've seen is a tie - High school girl on our "nordic jumping for racers" night. She spend all night scared to death at the top of the 70m jump, myself and two others up at the top with her, us having already gone several times. She finally works up the nerve to go, heads over the edge and disappears, she comes back in to view skidding down - having suffered a spiral fracture of her femur. Had to take the long walk back down (no fancy elevators)

That's tied with my good friend trying to learn backflips in the park @ Mt Hood in July/August timeframe. he didn't start to rotate until he was already in the air. Broken neck and Sternum.
 
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mdf

entering the Big Couloir
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This one had a high embarrassment quotient:
I was talking to Old Boot in the lift maze, waiting for the rest of the gang to regroup. I had some question about his skis, and backed up to try to read what was printed behind the bindings. I forget the maze was on a built-up snow platform. Off I go, tails first, under the rope. First clue I had that anything was wrong was free-fall. Here is the result.

If you don't like this picuture, there were a lot of papparzzi taking photos from slightly different directions.
img_0063-jpg.45699
 

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