Flag Your Snowcaves!!

[OrganDonor]

I was riding this weekend (might I say very unstable, caused multiple slides, crowns roughly 12") when I ran into some skiers on the skin track. When I heard this story I couldnt help but laugh. However somone could of gotten hurt.

 

A couple of snowshoers decided that they were going to build their unmarked snowcave in the middle of an open slope. An open slope that is great for skiing I might add. The snowhsoers found out the hard way that you need to mark the snowcave well, so others can see it(in this case skiers). The skiers collasped the cave, they said they stopped after hitting the cave. Started digging when all the sudden a head popped out of the snow. Lucky there wern't hurt(skiers and occupants). However from what the skiers said, the snowshoers were gonna have a hell of a time digging out their gear. Plus there winter weekend home got demolished. So if your gonna decide to make a snowcave please mark it well, use multiple flags, ski poles, etc... Also on another note they built their cave in the middle of a slope that could slide, another mistake IMO. Especially considering we released multiple slabs that day. tg they were all fairly small.

 

So summing this up:

1. Mark cave well, so others dont unknowingly demolish your home!

2. Not wise to build in the middle of slope that can slide or anywhere a runout from a slide can occur.

3. Detroy the cave after, so no one else kills themselves falling into it.

 

 

[Kevin_Matlock]

That's for sure.

Seem to recall reading/hearing/seeing someone mark the area with (amoung other things like crossed skis) a packet of red koolaid. Seems to make since since (1) it's cheap, (2) fairly permanent in the snow, (3) doesn't hurt anything, (4) you can leave it marked when you take off.

[G-spotter]

Speaking of which, two skiiers recently died on the Wapta Traverse when their snowcave collapsed with them inside, suffocating them