Comments on: Backcountry Skiing News Roundup

By: Bob Berwyn

Bob Berwyn — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:40:08 +0000

Some similar information from Utah researcher Ian McCammon and some Colorado SAR folks at this link:

By: Jonathan Shefftz

Jonathan Shefftz — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 17:48:50 +0000

[repeat w/ tinyurl]
*****
Re snowmobile stats, very true, and this was covered in TAR 26/2 (Doug Chabot, Counting the Dead: Analyzing Avalanche Statistics) and my follow-up in 27/2 (A Brief Mathematical Note On: Snowmobiler Avalanche Deaths).

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By: Tim M.

Tim M. — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 17:02:00 +0000

Hi Lou,

Thanks for the continued everything. On the topic of avi stats, I have been looking into this on several commonly espoused fronts and it is perplexing, frustrating and ultimately misleading to see the same discrepancies popping up.

Apart from apparently not really knowing what’s killing people (avi related trauma vs. asphix or suff, and the latter depending on whether a writer/editor chose to abbreviate suff for asphix because with dictionary in lap they judge it to be the same thing) there is also the backcountry skier’s frequently repeated line that sledders are way more likely to get killed anyway. This is true, sort of, but only because as categories go there’s snowmobilers and snowshoers and then there’s backcountry skiers, telemark skiers, resort skiers, snowboarders, snowboarders with XXL pants, skiers with snazzy duds and (seriously) a few more sub-categories to boot. But things even up when you count snowmobilers and, say, foot launch tourists of skiers and snowboarders as one. So, jury… out.

By: Randonnee

Randonnee — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 01:03:56 +0000

Fear and marketing on the ABC/ GMA piece that is basically an infomercial for Backcountry.com. Lou produced a great phrase above, “It’s hard to breathe with a broken neck.” Too bad, ABC and Backcountry.com are providing the same dangerous drivel that the gear is “absolutely” (!) lifesaving. The cheerleaders for probes, shovels, and transceivers and the gear-sellers must be ecstatic! There was no discussion of avoiding an avalanche. There was no mention of an ABS, or other avalanche airbag. No mention of an avalanche dog, which when well trained outperforms all of that fancy gear. There was no mention of avalanche education, only a comment about learning to use the gear. As I have previously ranted, do not forget that gear sellers’ interest is in selling gear, not necessarily in saving your life. It is unfortunate that when an opportunity such as this occurred to add a few simple words such as “avalanche avoidance is the only real safety” commercial interest trumped concern for human safety.

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 23:42:40 +0000

Lou- thanks for your candid response.