Wilderness Survival
BY Herschel Smith
1 year ago
Let me explain what’s happening here before you watch this.
When hiking in the Teton’s in May of this year (on a professional trip to Idaho Falls, ID) with still a very heavy snow pack, I fell into a tree well. When I began the hiking the Jenny Lake trail, the snow was inches deep. During the trip it turned into feet deep, and I had no snow shoes and no trekking poles. Anyway, it was extremely difficult to get out of the tree well and it took quite some time.
I was “post holing” in snow, and it had never occurred to me what happens when you go waist deep into snow. You don’t remove your leg. You have to dig your leg out. The snow is like cement. Here the snowboarder is head-down into a tree well and well within the snow. He probably cannot expand his lungs very much in order to breath. He certainly cannot extricate himself from the problem.
The skier is in a mad rush literally to save the man’s life. Despite what he says, he cannot breath – not while encased in the snow pack.
As to applicability, whether you snow board or ski or not, the lesson [re]learned is just this: don’t ever leave your colleagues. Ever. If you’re with someone, they are acting very stupidly and irresponsibly to leave you, regardless of the fact that they may want to forge ahead and make time or whatever the reason. He needs to find new friends.
On November 20, 2023 at 10:39 pm, Dan said:
Spent 15 years working at a hospital in a major resort town. Multiple ski resorts within an hour drive. Every year at least one person would get trapped in a tree well and die. Snow over a few inches deep is DANGEROUS. And not just to motorists.
On November 21, 2023 at 8:40 am, Latigo Morgan said:
When I had just learned how to ski in Colorado, I was cruising a long, easy downhill trail. There were few people on it. I really had to go, so went off the trail to take a leak in the trees. Next thing I knew, I was chest deep in the snow. It was a long hard slog to get out of it. I was able to sort of swim out of it, if I recall correctly. Lesson learned – stay on the groomed trails.
On November 21, 2023 at 5:18 pm, Rick said:
That happened to me. First time snowboarding, I fell back and forward. The momentum carried me just off the course. Head down with only the snowboard somewhat flat to the surface and visible to other skiers. I felt a skier run over the top of me.
In my efforts to extract myself, the board stood more vertical. This attracted the attention of other skiers. Two dug me out. Just two out of what was maybe a hundred on the slope that day. But it should be expected for only very few have that level of awareness.
I think it was less than five minutes before I was free.
My initial thoughts were this is quite comical. Then to not panic. Think, make deliberate movements. Over time I have refected on how serious that could have been. It was late season ‘Sierra cement’.
The LORD has shown His grace upon me.
On November 21, 2023 at 5:45 pm, Herschel Smith said:
Yeah, there’s nothing comical about it. You can perish in that cement.
On November 22, 2023 at 2:37 pm, Dirk Williams said:
A ski resorts biggest secret.they tell folks to stick to groomed trails for a reason. It’s sad that they’re not up front with the clients about this single danger.
I grew up on top of Donner Summit, skiing. I’ve got in this kind of trouble before.
Some relatively new-survival kit available the prices are dropping, making these tools available to the average skier. I know em as EBERBS, used em on sailboats off shore.
A life saver.
Another tool that’s come light years are the incredibly lite rescue shovels, like a pound short handled, with an 16/18 inch bite, the broad 16/18 heads cumbersome, but when seconds count, those broad heads with the 16/18 inch bites are life savers, can move a lot of snow quickly.
Lastly theirs an art to shoveling snow, a very specific way a rescuer addresses a snow trapped skier. You probe until you locate the victim, with the problem “ a rod similar to@tent post, you deterring which way the body’s positioned.
Up/Down head up, head down, this info is critical only take a couple seconds to determine.
The you dig at right angles,well it’s not always right, but moving snow a lot of snow quickly is critical. Often a tunnel directly to the Vic’s head to establish an air path.
Once you’re sure you have air accessible, start the dig out.
It’s not complicated, but getting air to the victim is the single most important action.
Dirk