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Remembering Animal!

M

mtn_extreme

Well-known member
Nov 11, 2002
1,692
88
48
Nampa, Idaho
Now that we are getting underway in a new season and there is a new format with the forum and alot of new members, I think is a good time to remind everyone to be safe out there. Don't take chances and use your beacons.

Even tough I know our sledding brother is up there watching over us, he can only do so much and it is up to us to look after ourselves and each other!

Animal, we miss you buddy, and I will think of you often when I am riding the snow!!

MX
 

F-Bomb

SnoWest Paid Sponsor
Premium Member
Nov 26, 2007
2,598
821
113
South West Idaho
www.f-bombracing.com
I think of Dave daily as well. His In Memory Of sticker is on our sleds!

I get alot of people talking about safety with vests and also helping our crew get outfitted with beacons, shovels, and probes. It always makes me think of Animal when I coach them on equipment.

Be safe and be smart gang. Don't ever want to experience a sadness like that again with doing what we all love!

RIP ANIMAL
 
T
Jul 5, 2001
17
0
1
48
Lander,Wy.
I was coming home from Togowotee yesturday and was thinking about Animal. We rode together often in the 2002 and 2003 seasons. He is a good friend and someone I miss a lot. You will never be forgotten Dave. Tom H.
 
C

CoyoteGirl

Well-known member
Nov 26, 2007
2,696
1,577
113
Washington
www.brandyfloyd.com
Never Forget

I have the "remember" sticker on my helmet, on my sled and in my truck. But, even with out those, I'd never ever forget. But with out those , I get a sick feeling in my stomach.

Everytime I put my beacon on I FEEL it.

All the time, I remember. :D

Animal, you are missed. :heart:

http://www.brandyfloyd.com/avipics.html
 

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PJ-Hunter

Paid Premium Member
Lifetime Membership
Jan 31, 2006
29,663
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Kremmling, Colorado
I am sorry for the loss of your friend! I am going to start wearing a beacon, hopefully we can train with em on Sat.

Be careful this season!:rose:
 
R

RideGuy

Well-known member
Jan 28, 2005
701
77
28
51
B.C.
Animal sounded like a great person!! The Loss of revX affected my life in many different ways.... I miss Wayne's enthusiasim and somebody who could stand talking about sleds and mod's every 2 seconds and not driving anybody else crazy...... I met him through S.W. and only another Snowester could probably sit and talk about sledding all day and night in the middle of summer.......

I Like the Remember sticker for our Friends!!!!

Cheers to Friends Past, Present, and Future.... :beer;
 
H
Jan 10, 2002
1,010
70
48
PF, Idaho
A moment of silence is deserved for the missed riders.:brokenheart: I miss Wayne Verban 4m name RevX. Great guy with a passion for snowmobiling.
RIP. Blessings to the families around the holidays. Usually more difficult times to get through.

HM860
 

numbskull

Well-known member
Lifetime Membership
Nov 27, 2003
213
148
43
Riverton, UT
did anyone save the repost of the Animal article?

I would like to see that again as well... I lived in WA when this news came out and had no connection with where it happened. Now that I live here, I'd like to go back through and re-read it.
 
E

Ex-Member

ACCOUNT CLOSED
Mar 14, 2007
45,084
1,681
113
Not just having the equipment, but knowing how to use it.

Take an avy class. No excuses. Could be the difference between digging up a buddy or a body.
 
U
I would like to see that again as well... I lived in WA when this news came out and had no connection with where it happened. Now that I live here, I'd like to go back through and re-read it.

Reprinted from SnoWest Magazine, September 2005


Animal In All Of Us

Tragedy bonds forum members


It started with a simple post on the SnoWest Forums on New Year's Day:


Topic: Animal ride this coming week end... Jan 7-9
Date: January 01, 2005 9:20 PM

Posted By: Animal (Senior Member)


Me and my bride went down to cabin snow was great, evty thing is ready for you all, whooooooooooooow hooooooooooooooo,

Bring a sleeping bag and pillow, sled and fuel, pocket cash if you want to play poker with animals cards,

We love ya all please come.. Oranges welcome.


From there, post after post followed for the next five days as David Wayne Johnson, a.k.a. "Animal" planned out an exciting snowmobile ride for 20,000 of his closest forum friends at his cabin east of Mt. Pleasant, UT. And although only a handful of folks could actually be there in person, many on the SnoWest Forums expressed remorse that for whatever reason, they couldn't be part of the festivities.

As the following weekend approached, final arrangements were being made. And the weekend was looking great. A storm front from the southwest was whipping through the area leaving white fluffy powder stacking up in the Manti/La Sal National Forest. More than a foot of new snow fell on Friday. Post number 36 read:


Topic: Animal ride this coming week end... Jan 7-9
Date: January 06, 2005 1:58 PM

Posted By: Animal (Senior Member)


See ya all soon, 3 hrs to depart, please program my cell (801-XXX-XXXX).


Spent all week being a cook, cooked 2 batches of sloppy joes different recipes, 1 big batch of chili (mother's recipe) we will eat that tonight with fritos and cheese, nothing like starting out the ride right. Then cooked 80 lbs of famous (animal's) dave's ribs, almost got my arse kicked by my dogs, made 40 lbs of potato salad, if you don't gain 20 lbs on this ride then I failed,, oh also cooked something real special for the Coyotee?


About 24 hours later while guiding his Forum friends, Animal dropped into an untracked bowl at Choke Cherry Ridge. The mountain gave way and the deep snow swallowed him up.

Animal's part of this story ended. But for those close to him, and those who only knew of him by his Forum alias, the story just began.

Almost immediately, the SnoWest Forums started broadcasting the news. First there was a post about someone being killed in an avalanche. Then questions started popping up asking if any of the forum members were involved. And then there came the news:


Topic: R.I.P. Animal
Date: January 09, 2005 1:25 AM

Posted By: AirForceSledder


For those of you who have not heard yet, he died in an avy in Utah January 08. Just wanna send condolences out to his family. Animal was a big part of this forum.


Condolences, concerns, questions all started streaming in. An outpouring of love and affection came from his extended family, directed to the wife and three girls he had left behind.

And after the initial shock and disbelief began to wear off, thus followed the comments and suggestions how such a tragedy could be avoided.

Winter has since turned to summer in most parts of the snowbelt. (Utah's great snow allowed for a bonus time for snowmobilers ... something we've been awaiting for quite some time.) Now is a good time to reflect on our sledding season and to assess lessons learned. What went right? What went wrong?

This has been both the best and worst season ever for many - we had the snow we've been waiting for ... but we paid a price that seemed too costly.

By sharing this particular story of one so close to many, we hope that we can share some knowledge that could prevent such tragedies from reoccurring.

Greatest Snow On Earth

This past winter the mountains of Utah were blessed with an unbelievable amount of early season snow. The snow came early and continued to stack up deeper and deeper. Storms raced over the state at record pace, being pushed by strong winds.

We had record snowfall by mid-December. Then it came to a halt. This pause, although we often view it as a time to get out and take advantage of the fluff, is what we need to pay more attention to. It's during this dry spell that the snow settles. Then the sun does its part to cook and crust it up. And as it continues to dry, hoar layers start to form while it waits for the next big dump.

In the meantime, the 2nd annual "Animal Ride" scheduled for Jan. 7-9, was in the makings. Winter enthusiasts watched the skies and wondered if it would be a powder weekend. Beginning New Year's Eve, the snow came down with a vengeance. There was between four and eight fresh feet of snow piling up in the mountains and people coming in from all directions were en route to Animal's cabin for an "all-are-invited" weekend.

On Jan. 8, those present noted the high winds, suggesting maybe playing cards that day instead of riding. But hey, what snowmobilers would pass up a day of fresh snow. Besides, the past few winters had cheated both snowmobilers and skiers of a chance for some outstanding powder riding.

Within an hour's time, the deep new snow, changing temperatures, high winds and crusted old snow spelled disaster for two winter enthusiasts on the Wasatch Plateau east of Mt. Pleasant.

Just 5 minutes to 1 p.m., the Sanpete County Sheriff's Department received its first call notifying that a snowboarder had been buried in an avalanche in Ephraim Canyon. Even as Search & Rescue was racing to the scene, at 1:54 p.m. the second call came in. This was notification of a snowmobiler buried.

The balance of the day was hectic on that mountain with all best efforts in vain to save those buried. Although both bodies were recovered within a short period of time, neither could be resuscitated.

Expression Of Love

With the case of Animal, as soon as the news spread, there was an instant out pouring of love and sympathy. Almost immediately, efforts were underway for a fundraiser. Again, the SnoWest Forum served as a catalyst to raise money to assist with funeral costs. Forum friends like "F-Bomb" and "2fun4u" turned the planned McCall (ID) Forum ride into a fundraiser for the family.

It teaches us that from tragedy, we can receive the blessings of munificence. The Idaho crew went all out, giving selflessly to the family of a fallen comrade who many had never personally met. The love and emotion at the event was genuine. It allowed many the opportunity to grieve and say good bye, while allowing others a brief insight into the lives of good people.


Topic: Animal ride this coming week end... Jan 7-9
Date: March 02, 2005 9:16 AM

Posted By: CoyoteGirl


Dave is on my mind today. Not unusual, just more so than the average day..


It seems that Animal was on the minds of many ... and often.

Although other posts were circulated on the Forums, it seems that there was always a return of the original - the one Animal started.

The thread finally reached an end in April ... but the thoughts and memories will linger on for years to come.

Lessons Learned

Although Animal was an outstanding snowmobiler and could recognize the dangers that Mother Nature offers, his death demonstrates that none of us are immune to tragic events. But there are things we can do to be smarter as we recreate.

First, complacency can kill: We must constantly be on our guard as weather conditions change. Even a slight variance in temperatures can have significant affects to the various layers of snow. Just because the snow was safe an hour ago, don't be complacent to believe it is safe now.

Second, trust your gut feelings. If you sense something is wrong, then something is probably wrong. There are times when you just need to leave the powder for another day.

Third, we could all be a little more like Animal. A little more caring, a little more sharing, a little better friend, parent and spouse.

Finally, behold the power of the web. Many great friendships have been formed on the SnoWest Forums. Many have become practically inseparable with Forum friends. Our concern and compassion for each other goes well beyond just snowmobiling.

Although we all have a common bond with the sport, it's our passion for this lifestyle that ties us together. Truly, there's a little Animal in all of us.

Edited: Wed December 20, 2006 at 10:01 AM by swadmin
 

coyoteman

Well-known member
Lifetime Membership
Nov 26, 2007
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carson iowa
I think about dave, and any of the others who lost their lives riding, often. especially the day we leave for a trip west--like today. I dont know how having so much fun can make someone so uneasy, but it seems to even more as time goes on. Hell, I think sometimes I even feel a tear when I drop my daughter off at daycare the morning we leave. Always show your loved ones you care, because you never know.

The first rule of caring, for everyone should be the proper safety gear-beacons, probes, gps, etc. Too many people (especially midwesterners) don't take the precautions to ensure their safety on the mountain. I only bring this up because there was a group from our area that just spent the night out in a whiteout, simply because they had no gps (because they have been riding the area for years) and i'll damn sure bet no beacons.

So there, my rant is over, my wife and daughter are all kissed good bye-until i return, batteries and gear all checked, we are heading west for another safe fun trip to gods country.:beer;
 
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