I very nearly died today

[Idris]

(the other day actually)

It was a nice clear crisp morning as we pulled into the Spray lakes road parking lot. The thermometer read –2’C. I backed the car into the far corner to be as shaded as possible knowing it would be a clear sunny day.

As we started the hike up Chinaman’s Peak we crossed the Spray lakes aquifer. It was so calm the mountains reflected on its surface perfectly!



The hike up was mellow and very slow…taking lots of brakes. Last time we did this we didn’t really have anything in our packs (not skiing) and the snow was fresh. Not the refrozen junk and water ice we were scrambling our way up. The views from the ridgeline are quite spectacular for what is an hour and a half’s hike without ski gear. Sorry about the western stylee but this Alberta!



After a short scramble across some soggy scree we were at the top of town gully looking down on Canmore. Gear on and time to go.

One turn 2 turns DISASTER (sorry google doesn’t work yet). Redskea shut down the camera and tried to watch my slide. I just broke through the surface layer and dropped 70-80cm (2 & half feet) straight down. I then started to slide downhill very quickly I tried to stand and ski, gaining speed all the time whilst still trying to ski left or right out of the slide I headed into the gut of the chute as about 45 degrees somewhere about here doing at a guess 100kph (60mph) my skis were ripped off –Tail first! From here on I was tumbled, thrown airborne for seconds at a time. All the time trying to swim. When the slope widened beyond the choke the snowpack ripped out wide and dropped another meter (3 ft). Eventually I slowed to about 10kph (6mph) now flat on my back on top of the debris, still with both poles but no skis, hat or shades. I rolled right for a few meters onto the stationary snowpack beside the slide.

I had gone 300m (1000ft +) vertically, and just a little more horizontally


(this was taken 2 weeks ago)
Looking down from above I slid round the corner, but don’t remember going round a corner. (dotted for out of view)


(taken from the hospital parking lot around 6.30pm)

From a far you can see how far I fell !!!



Closer in, you can see where I think my skis were ripped off (blue dot) and where I rolled out of the slide (yellow dots)

Above me some 200m (5-600ft) was a screaming and rather distressed looking Redskea with one pole and one ski on. When she laid eyes on me waving my pole she stopped screaming and started hiking upwards.

Looking up and around I could see one of my skis sticking out of the snow. The other one might be around somewhere. I’d retrieved my hat from the sliding debris. The only thing I’d definitely lost was my shades…the second pair of black Oakley’s in an avalanche – note to self never wear black Oakley’s skiing again!

Ok I’m in one piece….sort of …time to get out of here..I started, at least tried to, hike up to get my ski. I very quickly found my left shoulder hurt a lot and my left knee hurl like hell and wouldn’t work properly!….I proceeded to drag myself uphill to my ski. By this time Redskea was now not far above me and now on 2 skis very welcome sight. She managed to find my other ski…not far above and brought it down to me. Both skis on and time to leave. Skiing avie debris is no fun. But when the debris is starting to set and the snow along side is bottomless slop its less fun. Couple that with trying to mono because my left knee wont co-operate an the fact that I’m on Super stiff Bros that have to be driven hard (at least by lightweight me) to turn.



Me screaming at my skis telling them they will co-operate.

Right near the end of the snow either my legs or my concentration gave out completely and instead of gaping my way down I troubled….my good leg beneath my bad one twisted I just lay there and screamed for a bit. Redskea swam, wallowed and crawled here way up to me and undid by bindings. Leaning on my poles and Redskea carrying my skis I hobbled to the snowline.

From here we could see the lower car park and it wasn’t even 1pm. We decided to try self evac and avoid calling in Parks Canada to collect my sorry arse. With both pairs of skis on Redskea’s pack and now in my hiking boots we set off slowly. Scree, shrubbery, bits of snow bits of ice and rock…very slow going. At some point I dropped one of my boots off my pack but didn’t notice for quite a while. It took poor Redskea quite a while to scramble back up and retrieve it.



Looking down where I have to go…. loose scree is tough at the best of times, no fun to hobble through.

Through scree, and then wood and finally across the dog park it took me 4 hours to hobble probably 3-4km. Lots of time spent just leaning against my ski poles trying not to loose my sense of humour. With the ever-resilient Redskea now carrying not just both pairs of skis but one of my boots as well.

Before heading to hospital we headed up to retrieve my car. I was now in major discomfort but not pain…my shoulder didn’t like being used and my knee had completely siezed up. Back at the upper parking lot my diligent parking had paid off. Nice cold water still in my spare water bottle . Both Redskea and I had run out of water hours earlier and were suffering a bit from dehydration.

At Canmore hospital they made me strip and wear a gown….I was complaining about my knee not my arse but that was bare anyway. My knee by now had a bit of swelling maybe 1cm but not much more. The doc pushed and pulled and twisted my lower leg, causing me to wince and squeak a few times. But he said that I’d probably stretched/partially torn my lateral ligaments and done some meniscus damage. As I wasn’t in a large amount of pain I should stay away from painkillers as that would let me walk on it and do more damage. So along with my first set of crutches I was discharged from hospital.

On my drive home I felt the need to pay Tim Horton’s a visit for Donuts and coffee.

My season is over. Ouch. Just as I became unemployed and had time to ski .
I am now stuck with TV and internet for entertainment for the foreseeable future.

I proved the durability of my skis…barely a scratch. Why did I take these , because they are reasonably light to carry.

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Redskea for getting me out of Town gully. Solo I would have had to abandon most of my gear followed by calling in the emergency services.

Many thanks to all the maggots for their show of support in Splats thread.

Here is what happened last time I had a near death experience…..sorry it’s the epic version the Powmag version got deleted!

[Z]

whoa

glad to hear your doing well, looks like a hell of a ride...

[LeeLau]

I've seen that route biking and its a hell of a ride. Glad you are alive.

[truth]

Good to hear from ya Tom. Get fixed up soon and join us over in gimp central.

[ak_powder_monkey]

yikes glad you are ok

[gimpy]

wow man. thanx and praises you're still around. and to cap a downright shitty day the doc holds out on ya.

[coorsauce]

Are those skiis fresh of the slag heap? They look badass.

[0BernhardFranz]

Maybe you got this dragon pic so it happened ?

read www.dpmusa.org blessing and curse guy with dragon in house was poor prayed fellow priest told him it was that symbol of the dragon which resembles a foreign God so the curse of God on him ( see old testament )

tell you hope you get to heal it all - think you misunderstand what skiing is about - if you heal and ski again try to ski not enter avalanche area or fixed line climbing routes

[TeleAl]

I read the other thread, and now this one.
Sorry about the slide, and you being in it.
Hope your injury heals. All I can tell you, being injured myself, is that I feel best
when drinking at the bar, and doing any form of exercise allowed.

++++++++++vibes for you.

[Twoplanker]

Holy shite. Glad you're safe.

[Ripzalot]

scary stuff, tom! the video and your narrative really put it in perspective well. looked like you got worked by that slide, but lucky enough not to be buried.
glad you made it out alive. heal fast.

[shera]

Splat told me about this yesterday. Thanks for telling the story here and so glad you are pretty much ok, Tom. If you get bored or whatever, you can pm or call! Sounds like Redskea did a great job there. Hope you heal up really quick...

[splat]

( The doc pushed and pulled and twisted my lower leg, causing me to wince and squeak a few times.

Doctor: You're going to feel a little prick.
Idris: But, Doctor, we just met.

But he said that I’d probably stretched/partially torn my lateral ligaments and done some meniscus damage.

When you get down here, I might be able to score us both some free prolotherapy. Perfect treatment for your lat lig injury.

As I wasn’t in a large amount of pain I should stay away from painkillers as that would let me walk on it and do more damage.

You have to explain the difference between you and idioits that do that kind of stuff. Seen guys dose heavily after an injury, move around on it too much, then wake up in the middle of the night screamin when the vics wore off.

[powslut]

holy shit man!!!

glad to hear you're ok. Last season around this time my buddy triggered a massive slide in the same couloir after five people (including myself) had skied it. Luckily he was able to stay above the crown but the watching the slide run from the safe zone we were hiding in was the most nerve racking minute of my life. Front range rockies are a scary place no matter what time of year it is.

[Trackhead]

Good to hear your reasonable ok. Thanks for the write up.

So this was a big wet slab?

[spanky]

Good to hear you're ok. Some scary shite for sure. Season over? Yes. Life over? No. That's a good thing! Heal up man.

[Vets]

Glad to hear that you made it out okay and are going to be alright.

[Woodsy]

much love tom
glad UR OK
only ski with professional WFRs and skiers eh?
Powslut where are you>?

[schuss]

Good to hear you're in one piece tom.

[AltaPowderDaze]

happy to see you ok and in good spirits, idris.



these questions may be easier for red to answer:

what was the bedsurface for that wet slide? when it stepped down did it break on depth hoar?

[powslut]

Powslut where are you>?

Got to Athens last night after stumbling into and making a hasty retreat from ANZAC mayhem in Istanbul. Made a nice tour through the eastern block on my way here, may do a write up about it one of these days...

How are things in UT? Still skiing?

[Kellie]

Damn scary story, and glad you're okay.
Here's to a speedy recovery

[FNG]

This could be a sticky in the Avy forum.

[basom]

shit man. way to stay on top. scary, scary ass shit.
heal up

[biggins]

Very glad and appreciative you got the opportunity to post this. Thanks much for the write up. Heal fast.

Redskea is rad. And kind.