Lesson Learned

[moresnowplease]

While skiing / riding with Yoga ,Chica and a freind...heres just another day at The Canyons. The "Friend is Chica. Yoga and girl were waiting in the lodge.

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I was at the Canyons in Utah last week with a friend when we ducked out side the ropes in a moderate tree free area that seemed perfectly safe to get some freshies the snow was champagne and we had not a fear in site. I figured we'd ski out side and duck back in. Which I did. I stopped to wait for my friend and looked up the bowl and she was nowhere to be seen. I yelled her name a few times and finally I saw her move (she was wearing white). She yelled down that she needed ski patrol and couldn't move her leg. Then she changed her mind and tried to stand up, fell back down and yelled that she for sure needed ski patrol.

Before I finish I should say that The Canyons back country access is through one gate on that side of the mt. You have to hike to it and there is a sign with a giant skull and crossbones that says 'You Can Die" "its your choice"

We didn't go through that gate. Its illegal to access the BC any other way to get out side the resort. And I don't mean you will go to ski jail . I mean the sheriff will arrest you and you will have to get bailed out of real pound you in the A$$ jail.

I had gone through the gate earlier with some other people. But this time we hiked in bounds to some freshies and then traversed left to a chute and then a bowl and then I made the choice to go under the rope a few seconds later. The decision came very quick and with out a shred of foresight. I just saw the pow and went under the rope. The rope went through the middle of a bowl. Had a cornice slid it would have took out the in bounds as well at the out of bounds. IMO. As I think back now I realize that it is not my decision to make or opinion to have. It is ski patrols. I'm sure the rope was put there for a reason and a reason not to be questioned by me as I did not go through the gate that time to access the area anyways.

Back to my friend.

I yell out "get ski patrol" to a passing boarder. Just then I heard "I am ski patrol and I looked up to my left and saw 2 patrol and the 3 more come through the trees with a dog they were training. What a lucky break..or so I thought.. Keep in mind I had not thought about the rope and was not thinking at all about it when ski patrol yelled back to me.
He said 'She's on her own...you guys are outside the rope!" "Its going to cost you $1500 for a helicopter and the Sheriff will probably arrest her. I was back inside the rope by 5 feet at this time"

Then it hit me. We broke the law, broke the rules and no one was going to give us a break. Why had I made this choice, how had I made this choice?? I'm not an idiot I'm pretty responsible and certainly not reckless. I'm 40 years old for Christ's sake. Had I been showing off a little?...perhaps. Bottom line whatever the reason here she was out side the rope and ski patrol was down the hill and was not about to hike up to her.

So I yell back "Dude I'll give you $500 bucks, Please help I cant drag her down the mountain alone." ( I think I could have...I know I WOULD have...but here I was with 5 ski patrol and their dog 400 yards away) He said no way man. I was on my own and I had better start hiking and why was I so far away from my partner (I was about 200 yds down hill of her)

I started hiking, booting I should say post holing towards her up to my waste at some points. Stopping to rest every 30 feet or so and getting cramps in my side. It took me 20 minutes to get halfway up to her.
It had snowed a bit the night before and snowed quite a bit as high up as we were. My toes were freezing and I was a bit sketched out. "what If I have to drag her down"?

In the meantime another ski patrol had started traversing and side stepping towards my friend. As I looked up he had arrived at her position. She had dragged herself the 40 feet back inside the the rope.

I guess for insurance reasons he went to her. Very reluctantly it seemed. Turns out she popped her ACL. I had a feeling that's what had happened. I have to say that I was quite pissed off at the attitude of this particular ski patrol and his partner. I could hear him yelling at her and the first thing he did was clip her ticket before even examining her. I suppose he prolly knew it was an ACL issue as well.

Now I knew by this time we were in the wrong. As much of a jerk as he was and and mad as I was I was wrong. All in the wrong and we had no excuse. Even though I was thinking of a ton of them. I realized it was no different than running a red light. You never know if the semi truck (avalanche) is coming. Thankfully we hadn't put others in danger (that time). But we certainly had put ourselves in danger.

The lesson learned is don' go under the friggen rope ever. Access the BC legally and thoughtfully and never alone.

I was surprised to see so many Utah kids going through the BC gate were pole, shovel, and probably probe free.
The lines you ride/ski out of bounds lead you right back in bounds and to a chair lift. Its not illegal to come in through the rope to the resort. It certainly is illegal to leave the resort under the rope. It gives you a real false sense of security. I skied a few of those lines. And not with a friend. Not alone either. Just within a group of strangers. Had I fell I'm not so sure anyone would have helped me. They didn't know me. Chances are they wouldn't have thought to know I would have been missing from the group. Not smart at all on my part.

For anyone attempting to go out of bounds, no matter where or how far, when you see the red flags and ropes and closed signs....I strongly discourage it. DON'T DO IT. NO ONE is looking for you out of bounds.

Had I had to help my friend alone. I would have taken us the entire day just to get halfway down the mountain.

So she gets a sled ride and I meet her in the clinic a bit later. She then told me the patroller yelled at her all the way down to the gondola and then all the way down the lower half of the mountain in the gondola. He said that his boss was up there training them and he told him not to help her, that they were not covered by insurance to go one inch out side the ropes. That all sure made sense to me as a business owner.

I have to say though..patrol had no idea what sort of shape she was in and how dire or not her need of help was. I will stick to that point. I mean When I see another fellow human injured I jump and help no matter what. To this day I still don't get that thought process.

The patroller said to her on the way down that a kind young married couple were killed in an avalanche about 100 yards from where we were skiing last year and that a lot of idiots cross the ropes every day and access the BC totally un prepared. I believed it and saw it with my own eyes at three resorts in Utah. Kids crossing the ropes going through BC gates with out a back pack.

A lot of food for thought.

She still doesn't know how she popped her knee out. The pow was fluffy and soft. Said she thinks she hit a branch. Even though there were no trees in that area. At least not ones that were not totally buried.

So she's out for the season. We are both lucky though. We could have been thousands of dollars in debt to say the least.

I thank Patrol for helping her. I understand the stress they are under. I don't really hold any grudges towards the attitude given to her. In the end every one was ok and safe. That's all that really matters.



I have some photos of the area I will post later

[mghwk]

Glad you guys are safe. Thanks for helping others to hesitate at the next rope with your story.