Alaska Chat II

[Rance]

Bummer....

[User 2]

Speaking of bummers:

adn.com | Alaska News : Snowmachiners die in Turnagain slide

...two dead or three?

Peninsula Clarion - AP News::State

High-marking is such an ignorant practice, you'd think after so many other deaths due to this practice that people would not continue to do it.

Peninsula Clarion - News
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[Karla with a K]

sorry to hear about that Barkingowl
hope she is not having too much pain

[vpcats]

Originally Posted by Barkingowl

Sorry I haven't been around this evening. I spent most of the evening at the emergency room with my mother in law. She fell & cracked her head on the floor of her assisted living facility, getting a nice gash above her left eye. Six hours & four stitches later we dropped her back at the home & made our merry way back to our side of town.

That sounds awful. And this was in a ASSISTED living facility?
Be careful about concussions - have to watch for confusion and falling asleep now.

[Barkingowl]

Originally Posted by vpcats

That sounds awful. And this was in a ASSISTED living facility?
Be careful about concussions - have to watch for confusion and falling asleep now.

That'll be difficult. She has advanced Parkinsons & dementia.

[Rance]

Originally Posted by User 2

Speaking of bummers:

adn.com | Alaska News : Snowmachiners die in Turnagain slide

...two dead or three?

Peninsula Clarion - AP News::State

High-marking is such an ignorant practice, you'd think after so many other deaths due to this practice that people would not continue to do it.

Peninsula Clarion - News
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My brother called and told me last night. And this was after the troopers had issued warnings. Anyone with common sense should know to stay off the open slopes after rain and then a bunch of snow. I lost a good friend in a Devils Pass avalanche about 10 years ago. I pretty much do my riding in the lowlands now.

[User 2]

Originally Posted by Rance

Anyone with common sense....

Over the years, we have been witness to this same tragedy repeating itself regularly. I too, have only memories of some folks I'd known. People who I would have thought would have 'had better sense'.

...but, the temptations of the moment, or pure dumb blind bad luck intervenes.

What can and should be avoided isn't and death is sure and final.

With the current conditions in Southcentral, new wet snow on top of lots of dry snow, wind packed ridges, and warming temperatures to lure out the adventurous, it's extremely dangerous out there now and we might lose some folks to dumb luck even if they think they're being careful.

But highmarking is nothing but tempting fate, ...I find it hard to dredge up much sympathy for people who continue to repeat stupid and idiotic behavior only to suffer the expected consequences.

I feel for the loss suffered on their loved ones and families, but asking to be dead is not my idea of something I should be sorry they succeed at.

Other wise mentally stable people who have suicidal wishes, or ignore that their actions are nothing but suicidal, don't give rise to much empathy from me,

....I'm not wishing premature death on anyone, but life has consequences if you continue to repeat ignorant behavior.....

....I can find no excuse that relieves one from their own accounting if they repeatedly refuse to heed reality.
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[ASpilot2be]

Originally Posted by User 2

High-marking is such an ignorant practice, you'd think after so many other deaths due to this practice that people would not continue to do it.

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While not safe, highmarking can be done in a safer manner than most people do it. I wish fellow riders would pay attention to the snow conditions around them.

These riders were very experienced, and according someone who talked with the members of the riding group, they were not actually highmarking.

[User 2]

Originally Posted by ASpilot2be

While not safe, highmarking can be done in a safer manner than most people do it. I wish fellow riders would pay attention to the snow conditions around them.

These riders were very experienced, and according someone who talked with the members of the riding group, they were not actually highmarking.

Sorry, I think your post is irresponsible....

You admit highmarking is not safe.

Then you say it can be done, as if one should go out highmarking.

To suggest they were not highmarking flies in the face of the factual information offered by the principles in the story:

the victims were in a party of six snowmachiners who were highmarking

Friends of the victims described the riders as being aware of the risks and that they pushed the limits while in the backcountry.

With the available information being directly contradictory to your suggestion that this was simply not the case begs the question of how and where you formulate such an irresponsible and wildly speculative assumption.

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Highmarking is stupid and fatal.

WHY HIGHMARK KILLS
by Doug Fesler and Jill Fredston*

http://www.avalanche-center.org/Educ...c-highmark.php

Fester and Fredston together are the acknowledged to represent the acme of professional knowledge in this area of study.


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[Arcticthaw]

Driving a car kills too, but we don't ban that either! Life is doing what you do at your own risk, and no one else should be responsible.

Your not going to ever be able to legislate common sense so why bother, we don't need that kind of society.