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Hidden Tree Dangers

cantunamunch

Meh
Skier
Joined
Nov 17, 2015
Posts
21,907
Location
Behavioral sink

Been there (well, not Gaspesie, but tree holes), done that, have the wonky MCL repair to show for it.

What he doesn't show you is the scenario where there are two tree holes relatively near each other. Your ski tip catches in the first and sends you face-first Superman into the second.

And guess what, when you're in conifers with ^that^ kind of spacing, adjacent tree holes happen all the time.
 

Posaune

sliding
Skier
Joined
Mar 26, 2016
Posts
1,914
Location
Bellingham, WA
This is a big issue in my neck of the woods. Follow the link I've copied to learn more. One statistic that stands out on the video is that 20% of skier fatalities are from tree wells, which is the same amount as avalanche deaths.

 

newboots

Learning to carve!
Skier
Joined
Dec 9, 2016
Posts
1,367
Location
Catskills
I have probably posted this before - a backcountry training mission turns into an unplanned tree well rescue. Terrifying. I can't imagine if there wasn't an entire team, and a trainer heading it up -

 
Last edited:

slow-line-fast

Out on the slopes
Inactive
Joined
Feb 3, 2021
Posts
932
Location
snow
Ask yourself, "Can you remove your bindings while hanging upside down from your skis, without letting the skis out of your grip?"
With all the space in the world, it would be a big effort. In a tree well, most likely I cannot.

It's so easy to lose sight of partners skiing trees, especially when everyone is seeking out nice fresh lines. In a larger group a buddy system (pairs) can help but requires discipline and vigilance. Definitely an under-appreciated hazard, and one that we should always remind ourselves and others about when skiing trees. We don't want to be standing at the bottom of a run, -1, putting on skins to climb up aimlessly looking for which tree the 1 might have fallen into. There's no time for that.
 

Vinnie

Getting on the lift
Skier
Joined
Feb 11, 2016
Posts
268
I have probably posted this before - a backcountry training mission turns into an unplanned tree well rescue. Terrifying. I can't imagine if there wasn't an entire team, and a trainer heading it up -

I was getting an anxiety attack watching how long it took them to get a shovel out of the backpack, put it together and start digging. There was so much going wrong in that rescue, I am just glad he got out ok. Practice, Practice, Practice.
 

Yo Momma

Making fresh tracks
Skier
Joined
Mar 29, 2016
Posts
1,777
Location
NEK Vermont
When learning techniques out west w/ my buddies who were all ex ski patrol, guides and instructors taught me to ALWAYS use verbal audibles to convey your position and status while actively moving down the mtn. I was living on Rez out west at the time so mine was an Indian howl that I learned from local tribesmen. My Asian buddy who grew up in Japan always yelled "Banzai!"

While we were skiing the super deep and trees. If you didn't hear an audible, you knew to stop and evaluate as someone needed help. The audible was an indication of safety that allows you to ski deep woods safer w/ a Team as long as you are intimately familiar w/ each persons call and general position in our established downhill "Line". Short bursts of skiing w/ frequent stops and check- ins to keep it tight in sketchy super deep terrain. Even w/ those precautions we almost lost one of our buds and to this day we remain "Brothers" in saving his life. Whenever I go back out west I know a HUGE bear hug is in order from him! :beercheer:

On one trip, one of my Eastern buds was very quiet and refused to audible adequately and ended up "in trouble". I wasn't guiding during that trip and he skirted the rules bec he was the "Best" skier. Much better than the guide.... Didn't matter......... ALWAYS obey the rules of your Guide! Sad and unnecessary as both the Guide and I warned him multiple times.... He walks w/ a limp to this day as he didn't follow instructions. We got him out but .... Uggh! :nono:
 

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