Jamon Whitehead and Pip Hunt discuss their options before dropping into the soup.
“Think for yourself / Question authority” — Tool (channeling Timothy Leary)
I took my first avalanche course about 10 years ago and learned a lot about the causes of avalanches. But the most important thing I learned was how to have an opinion and speak my mind when I didn’t like something. My instructor’s lesson was very simple. He skied out in front, and we all followed along. After a while, we ended up above a creek and below a nasty-looking slope. It was a terrible place to be, but I hadn’t even noticed. Then he turned and asked me if I was comfortable standing where I was. I looked around and answered no.
“Then why the hell are you here, Adam?” he asked me.
“Because I was following you.”
“Well, why did you follow me into here?”
“Because you’re teaching the class.”
“So?” he finished. And I turned around and got the hell out of there.
The lesson stuck, and I always take it with me into the mountains. Timothy Leary was right. You should think for yourself and question authority (such as more-experienced skiers). It may just save your life.
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How to Drive (and Not to Drive) to the Ski Area During a Snowstorm
By: Kate Showalter | December 9th, 20102 Comments »
Driving 23 miles took us more than three hours.
Around 8 p.m. on a recent Friday night, CalTrans announced that, beginning 20 miles west of the top of Donner Pass, Calif., all vehicles needed traction tires and either chains or four-wheel/all-wheel drive. We were just three exits from the chain-up checkpoint when we drove into mayhem. Semis were lined up in the pullouts, and their drivers were chaining up. Installers dressed in bright yellow rain gear were, for a fee, helping car drivers get their chains on. Getting to the checkpoint took us an hour.
At the chain-up checkpoint, we exited the highway, and my husband put chains on our car’s front tires, and then he drove a few hundred yards and hopped back out to double-check that the chains were secure (an important step if you don’t want to leave your chains on the highway). Then a CalTrans worker waved us back onto the freeway. We didn’t get far before we were at a standstill again.
Yes, conditions were bad—an early season storm started as rain and turned to snow … and lots of it—but I’m certain we could have all moved through smoothly albeit slowly if drivers didn’t make so many boner moves. Read More …
Tags: resorts, safety, snow driving, winter driving
Posted in Commentary, How To |