High Sierra Topix

Why I Stopped Doing Avalanche Rescue Missions
I learned the hard way that there’s only one real way to survive an avalanche.

https://slate.com/human-interest/2021/0 ... dston.html

Interestng that she says they don't tell anyone when to expect them back because that can cause them to rush in order to avoid a search and rescue. I get that, having rushed a couple of times because I wasn't able to check in like I thought I would or because I was running a little behind schedule, but I'll still leave an itinerary, which obviously includes an exit date. I just started planning itineraries that I'm certain I can easily accomplish, so I can likely still meet my exit date without stressing and rushing. If I finish early, it's no big deal.

Thanks a lot for that link Cameronm. I have heard a lot about Jill Fredston from avalanche studies. I found this a very good point she makes:

And it’s interesting because as we’ve become more comfortable with hazard... we realized that it was going to take a much smaller mistake for us to get into trouble. So we’ve made a pretty conscious effort to step back. We don’t push ourselves to the full range of our skills so that we’re trying to allow a greater margin for error, because, to some extent, if you do something for 10, 20, or 30 years, you’re up against the law of probability.

I have learned to even enjoy the experience of backing off from dangerous moves. You can really get a great flood of the feeling of relief when you decide to not take a risk. Strange, because there so much written about the other side of risk-- the great feeling you get by pushing your limits, pushing past your fears, etc... Both experiences are great, but the second one is playing with those laws of probability.

On that snowy spring trip with Bearzy, when I backed off from one deadly serious river crossing after another, I learned how satisfying it is to make the conservative decision, and look for safer options.

Harlen, do you think you backed off creek crossings because of Bearzy? Would you have done them by yourself?

Good article. In the "old days" we used to say, "the best survival skill is not getting into a survival situation in the first place."

Wandering Daisy asks:

Harlen, do you think you backed off creek crossings because of Bearzy? Would you have done them by yourself?

Some of them I would've tried without him, as I wrote at the time: "At this age, I really enjoy the feeling of backing off- especially when I am also responsible for my great dog friend Bearzy. I would have tried some of these crossings, but not with Bearzy on a weak rope, attached to the handle of a dog-pack."


"Even this seemingly easy log was beyond us, as Bear- or me, would've been lost had we fallen off it. Bearzy's too large to carry under my arm." I would've done this one, but I'm not sure it would've been in a dignified manner

What stuck out to me in the avi article was the 40+ to 1 ratio of recovery vs rescue.

An important point to remember about risks is that as one becomes more experienced with risky travel, the goal posts tends to move, that is that class 3 cross country pass becomes in one's mind more like a class 2. The objective and subjective risks tend to diverge. It becomes more important to consciously assess risks on a purely objectively level without ego or lettings one's desires creep in. Habits and training become paramount, whether watching for signs of rockfall, checking knots and anchors or looking for red flags as far as avalanche conditions. IMHO.

Maybe it is old age! But I find the opposite- the more I indulged in risky travel the less comfortable I became. Whereas before I was in ignorant bliss about some aspects of the danger, after nearly dying, I became a lot more hesitant. Class 3 has never become Class2 to me no matter how many times I do it; particularly Class 4 never becomes class 3! And two years ago when I nearly fell off the Whitney trail (I was on the edge and I think it gave way), I became very aware that Class 1 can even kill you. Very humbling experience.

Wandering Daisy wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 7:47 pm Maybe it is old age! But I find the opposite- the more I indulged in risky travel the less comfortable I became. Whereas before I was in ignorant bliss about some aspects of the danger, after nearly dying, I became a lot more hesitant. Class 3 has never become Class2 to me no matter how many times I do it; particularly Class 4 never becomes class 3! And two years ago when I nearly fell off the Whitney trail (I was on the edge and I think it gave way), I became very aware that Class 1 can even kill you. Very humbling experience.

Where on the trail did you have your close call, WD?

commonloon wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 7:41 am What stuck out to me in the avi article was the 40+ to 1 ratio of recovery vs rescue.

This is pretty standard actually. If you didn't dig your friend out, and you call someone else, dey dead in 15 minutes.

kpeter-the location was on the descending switchbacks after the railing section, on a steep scree slope, but cliffs below. I just wandered out too close to the edge as I was gawking at the scenery, let down my guard because I was on a trail. Trekking poles really helped, I dug them in, instinctively kept upright, moved forward and in a couple of steps was back on the trail. I really did not think- it was muscle memory from years of experience on unstable steep slopes.

What has improved from years ago is the avalanche warnings and ability to access this data on the internet. What has not improved are people's judgement. In fact I think the internet glorification of risk has made this worse. Nowadays instead of ignorantly skiing into an avalanche prone area, people people ski into it knowingly. It is a difficult environment to judge; snow is very fickle as it changes character every minute and can even appear charmingly benign. In my opinion, rock climbing dangers are a lot easier to mitigate because they are more static and obvious.