Christopher's Easter Weekend Rescue (or what not to do in a blizzard)

mtnjunkie · Apr 9, 2010

I'm actually not trying to be really mean here. But from those pictures, and the fact that he was able to break trail uphill through drifts I make a point. If he could do that being not so experienced, it wasn't so incredibly deep that he couldn't even try to shovel and pull the sled around. Especially if the other guys pulled it out in less than a minute without even digging. It seems he has little knowledge about getting unstuck efficiently. Everyone has to learn, but it's nice to have some common sense about when to go, who with, and where.

Best thing he could do is get a 600 and learn to ride it. Then go with guys on 800s and a humble attitude. When they say you have the skills and knowledge to move up in power and sled, then get a bigger sled.

I've gotten myself out of many spots I didn't think I could. You just figure out which way the sled needs to go, and you make it happen. I'm not that strong or big, not like the guys I ride with. But I can almost always get out, even if it's digging down 5 feet and making a ramp, or digging down so I can pull the sled backwards out of the tree, or making a well to roll it into. But it also takes determination and not just giving up.

diamonddave · Apr 9, 2010

ruffryder said:
Where are they? The ones in Chris's profile do not look like the situation in question.

cough cough...

Don't get a cramp patting yourself on the back.

OK...but I believe there are pics of the "DAY" in "QUESTION" prior to the "Situiation in Question" Geez Ruffy, all that ambition to point out petty indescrepencies. Too bad your hotdogger didn't get the same kind of "attention to detail" maybe you could finish it and sell it.

ruffryder · Apr 9, 2010

diamonddave said:
OK...but I believe there are pics of the "DAY" in "QUESTION" prior to the "Situiation in Question" Geez Ruffy, all that ambition to point out petty indescrepencies.

clarity of assumptions in a discussion is pretty important.

diamonddave said:
Too bad your hotdogger didn't get the same kind of "attention to detail" maybe you could finish it and sell it.

Na, I just can't drink at work....lol Sell it? Then what would people use to make fun of me?

eep:

christopher · Apr 9, 2010

It never even occurred to me to snap any photos when we all got stuck between the drifts. Don't know why, but I wish I had.

AKSNOWRIDER · Apr 9, 2010

dang chris, even the girls are giving ya a hard time now....ya just gotta smile...:hurt:

AKSNOWRIDER · Apr 9, 2010

skidoogirl said:
I'm actually not trying to be really mean here. But from those pictures, and the fact that he was able to break trail uphill through drifts I make a point. If he could do that being not so experienced, it wasn't so incredibly deep that he couldn't even try to shovel and pull the sled around. Especially if the other guys pulled it out in less than a minute without even digging. It seems he has little knowledge about getting unstuck efficiently. Everyone has to learn, but it's nice to have some common sense about when to go, who with, and where.

Best thing he could do is get a 600 and learn to ride it. Then go with guys on 800s and a humble attitude. When they say you have the skills and knowledge to move up in power and sled, then get a bigger sled.

I've gotten myself out of many spots I didn't think I could. You just figure out which way the sled needs to go, and you make it happen. I'm not that strong or big, not like the guys I ride with. But I can almost always get out, even if it's digging down 5 feet and making a ramp, or digging down so I can pull the sled backwards out of the tree, or making a well to roll it into. But it also takes determination and not just giving up.

I agree, but chris had his anchored in between the mountain wall and the snow drift, I think he is now learning that there was still ways to dig it out...

scoop · Apr 9, 2010

stuck on the mountian!

When i heard about people stuck in IP and s&r was sent out. i was gearing up cause one of my friends,his wife and a few others were making the black canyon loop that day, and i couldnt get a hold of him. so I was getting ready for a night search party. But before i got to carried away i ran over to his house to see if he was home and just not answering his cell! When I pulled up his sleds were parked and full of snow. So I knew it wasnt him, he was home already! I then talked to him and he claimed they made the loop, and other than the weather he had a good ride. I told him about the s&r being called out and asked if they meet anyone on the trail up there. His wife said she saw some people riding by while they were off the main road playing but didnt talk to anyone. Not to pass judgement but I would never leave my wife,or and kids/youths/teenagers, Up on the hill for any reason UNLESS it was a do or die deal. Splitting up is when people get in situation. If we all can learn only one thing from this deal. This is what it would be! This is only my opinion!!!!

mtnjunkie · Apr 9, 2010

Last I checked snow drifts were still made of snow.........

AKSNOWRIDER · Apr 9, 2010

skidoogirl said:
Last I checked snow drifts were still made of snow.........

I agree...

christopher · Apr 9, 2010

AKSNOWRIDER said:
dang chris, even the girls are giving ya a hard time now....ya just gotta smile...:hurt:

In this case, I volunteered for the abuse for my own good.

christopher · Apr 9, 2010

scoop said:
When i heard about people stuck in IP and s&r was sent out. i was gearing up cause one of my friends,his wife and a few others were making the black canyon loop that day, and i couldnt get a hold of him. so I was getting ready for a night search party. But before i got to carried away i ran over to his house to see if he was home and just not answering his cell! When I pulled up his sleds were parked and full of snow. So I knew it wasnt him, he was home already! I then talked to him and he claimed they made the loop, and other than the weather he had a good ride. I told him about the s&r being called out and asked if they meet anyone on the trail up there. His wife said she saw some people riding by while they were off the main road playing but didnt talk to anyone. Not to pass judgement but I would never leave my wife,or and kids/youths/teenagers, Up on the hill for any reason UNLESS it was a do or die deal. Splitting up is when people get in situation. If we all can learn only one thing from this deal. This is what it would be! This is only my opinion!!!!

Hmmm
That whole day we only saw 2 other people.
And they were coming down off the black canyon trail.
Who ever it was had turned around very early on the trail and headed back down into the valley when we were riding up, passed each other going opposite directions. Sounds like that might have been them?

Riding a trail sled, not a mountain sled??

m8magicandmystery · Apr 9, 2010

ruffryder said:
Where are they? The ones in Chris's profile do not look like the situation in question.

cough cough...

yep...its very clear in the first post of this thread that the pictures were of the conditions before the trek even started to give an idea of the amount of snow falling within a time frame...it was made very clear as you state that no pictures were taken any other time..sometimes lack of comprehension sure cause some drifting in responses..its just i have seen a few posts here and on other sites that are taking the pics in the wrong context which should be cleared up..still agree though that yes a machine can be made mobile even though it seems unlikely..the old story...we all can eat an elephant...just one bite at a time...lol...glad you brought it up Ruffy..

scoop · Apr 10, 2010

black canyon

Who knows....if it were them, they would have been on rev's. I have seen the upper end blow shut in no time after breaking through. He is a seasoned rider and we usually dont ride that side of I.P.unless there is a ton of new snow, but they were on a ride with the ladies so they were most likley sticking somewhat close to the trails, im sure. He claimed is was drifted in but didnt make reference on not making it around. I dont know forsure! This is all second hand. And if he would have come across your crisis you would have known, he would have rendered assistance. We have spent countless hours, freeing stuck rentals on that loop, another reason we ride that area very little anymore!!!! Too many rentals. At any rate, glad you all made it out okay! The snow gets deep down low up there. The best way to learn how to free up stuck sleds. Is to push your ability where its safe, get stuck, then spend time getting it unstuck. you will find the shortcuts and easier ways to free them up, and strech your riding ability at the same time. Riding a nitro or apex in the mountians, isnt what i would want to learn on but you will get a good work out getting them unstuck...... I have three daughters, and they all ride. I started them all on small sleds, and wouldnt move them up until they could out ride the sled. Again all opinions!

The Boondock Saint · Apr 10, 2010

This may have been said numerous times throughtout this thread. I only made it to page 2. But it sounds like you need go with some experienced riders and leard how to get sleds unstuck and out of bad situations. I think the longest Ive ever taken to get a sled out was an hour and that was in a creek bottom with 4 feet of fresh powder and 0 base. You should be able to turn a sled around in 15 with two people.

Also when a sled is stuck in a hole where you are lower then the place you are trying to get to.. You need to get the sled in a position where you can get a little momentum then yank that bastard on its side with a handful of throttle so it will catch an edge to give it traction and it will pull you up and out.(Thats the visual im getting when you explain your one stuck, I may be off here)

Slick · Apr 10, 2010

What a crock. 195 posts, S & R being called out, newspaper running a story, asking the Lord to help out.

All cause some jaboney with 2 helpers can't shovel out a stuck sled.

If you need this much help to learn the basics........take up scrap-booking, and watch for paper cuts.

tivoklr · Apr 10, 2010

Heavy Yammies

OK, first off, since it was 9 years between sled upgrades for me, and I went from a 600# AC Powder Special to a 600# 2008 Nytro MTX, the weight is not noticeable to me. The reliability, electric start, reverse and rider forward positioning very noticeable.

I have the highlift snowmobile jack, I ride alone at a location near my house most of the time, and I have used the $hit out of that thing. It comes with straps that I can use to extricate my heavy pos nytro from all kinds of stuck, not just trenching. Once you have one, you're gonna want 3, one for each sled, unless you all stay together, ALL the time.

I wasn't there but IMHO, the jack would have gotten you unstuck. You might have had to be very creative about the lifting, and I can assure you having a 2nd person to steady everything is very helpful, but that jack can lift both the heavy nose of a nytro as well as a heavily snow laden tunnel/skid. I have been in predicaments where I thought I was walking home when that jack has saved the day.

I was so thankful to have it one day I called the company and thanked the daughter of the guy that designed/manufactures them.

Bash on me for riding alone. I will take it.

rmk 700 · Apr 10, 2010

here ya go Just playing around christopher dont take it seriously

christopher · Apr 10, 2010

tivoklr said:
OK, first off, since it was 9 years between sled upgrades for me, and I went from a 600# AC Powder Special to a 600# 2008 Nytro MTX, the weight is not noticeable to me. The reliability, electric start, reverse and rider forward positioning very noticeable.

I have the highlift snowmobile jack, I ride alone at a location near my house most of the time, and I have used the $hit out of that thing. It comes with straps that I can use to extricate my heavy pos nytro from all kinds of stuck, not just trenching. Once you have one, you're gonna want 3, one for each sled, unless you all stay together, ALL the time.

I wasn't there but IMHO, the jack would have gotten you unstuck. You might have had to be very creative about the lifting, and I can assure you having a 2nd person to steady everything is very helpful, but that jack can lift both the heavy nose of a nytro as well as a heavily snow laden tunnel/skid. I have been in predicaments where I thought I was walking home when that jack has saved the day.

I was so thankful to have it one day I called the company and thanked the daughter of the guy that designed/manufactures them.

Bash on me for riding alone. I will take it.

I am looking forward to having that as an addition to my Nytro for next season. Hopefully with more riding experience, and a better group of people I will learn how NOT to need it in the first place.

As for my sled.
It wouldn't budge for me when I tried to move it.
While I obviously don't have nearly the experience of most of my critics, I walked away from my sled early on and focused in on the other sleds, which while stuck each in a different way, were not in a hole or buried.

Cyle · Apr 10, 2010

I don't know the location well but is this just a trail ride or actual moutain riding just on a trail? Even if just trail, everyone should ALWAYS have a shovel in their pack. I personally will not ride without two, my shovel in my pack is for avalanche only it never comes out, stuck shovel is on my sled. It never hurts. Far as i'm concerned, any place where I would get stuck enough to want a highlift jack, I won't be riding alone. I wouldn't want one, I don't need/want the extra weight. That's weight I can use for extra gas, 12 gallon tank don't go to far :rockon:

Also, if you really want to teach your son how to ride in the mountains. Take him to a area that is deep, where you KNOW he will get stuck, try to get around a corner from him where he will get stuck. Then hide and watch to see what he does when he's stuck and doesn't know you there. A lot of people will just sit and wait for help. Eventully it comes and he will learn how to get himself out and how to dig properly and not even care that no one is there to help. And trust me, riding partners get tired of digging out other people all the time. If someone i'm riding with gets stuck in the sameway every 5ft I won't put up with it for long, they will be digging themselves very quickly. Better to learn how very soon.

Heck, I spent an hour digging to dig out 4ft of powder in a creek bottom big enough to turn around my sled myself, then build myself a 10ft ramp to get out.

And the best part is, when you dig yourself out a few times that takes THAT long you learn to get stuck a lot less. My shovel doesn't come out much anymore.....And I am still getting stuck plenty I learned how to get it out easy. Heck, a lot of steep hills I roll it on it's side and i'm out within a minute or two even though it's trenched in badly.

mtnmodviper · Apr 10, 2010

skidoogirl said:
I've been unable to get my sled out alone twice, and both times were serious wrecks and I was too injured to lift the sled.

Everyone has to learn, but it's nice to have some common sense about when to go, who with, and where.

Riding alone and, at the same time, making decisions that caused serious wrecks? Now what was that you said about common sense?
Edit: I mistook your "unable" for "able" and ran with it. Must be tired from today's ride. Sorry.

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