VT Backcountry Rescues

I know gore has had some issues with people going over Chatiemac into the Siamese area before, but 45 people in the last few week? That is absurd. I don't know the exact area were its happening, but there has to be some way prevent it. Unofficial did make a post about it and I believe most of the calls came in as 911 calls and they were able to tell them which way to go to get out. I'm not sure how many actually needed SAR assistance to go in and help them.

Ski The East posted on Facebook about it and there were a lot of pretty reasonable comments, and some absurd ones. My favorite was probably to place bear traps in the woods . That, and it's all to be blamed on fat skis.

http://www.wcax.com/story/20536799/vt-rescue-crews-swamped-with-calls-for-lost-skiers

I think Gore did it right with ski area boundary signs, although killington may or may not have those as well. I also like the suggestion of putting signs back in the trees stating that if you go any farther, you're not going to be in Kansas anymore. Wait, that isn't right.. If they need someone to go in and help them, they need to pay a rescue fee. If they call on the phone and are easily told how to get out, their faces be out on a wall of shame. Maybe a tally of how many people had to be rescued at the initial " ski area boundary " sign.


Anyhoots, Discuss.

confirms my opinion that K-Mart attracts the highest percentage of gapers per skier visit than any other place!  Amazing, just amazing...  

Make them pay for rescue...dumbasses!

In regards to Killington, there are people who seems to think:

1. They can ski or ride from Killington to Pico
2. They can follow certain tracks away from Cooper's Cabin

Both lead them to the middle of nowhere or if they go far enough, Wheelerville Rd. It also flattens out severely after a certain point. Not a very good idea, regardless.

Not to be a dick, but when you look at where the people getting rescued are from, well...

tBatt wrote

 That, and it's all to be blamed on fat skis.

And rap music. I blame rap music for a lot of this behavior in today's society.

Wasn't this posted before? Didn't want to repeat myself, but, read an article about the first batch of, what, 20 (?), during the Holidays, and one commenter to that article had me howling. He said something like  "I think it is time to finally start putting some shock collars on all the gapers out there.".

edit: Found it:

 When THIS happens.
http://unofficialnetworks.com/dozen-skiers-rescued-killington-pico-114527/

Read the comments

the best sign i have ever seen was at Jay Peak "Turn around you are lost" off of the beyound beaver pond glades. It was to late but there were some sweet freshies to be had. Just a 45 minuite traverse out after the sign.

YUKON CORNELIUS wrote

 but when you look at where the people getting rescued are from, well...

but maybe not for the reasons you may be implying

Most from the big cities don't see the sun rising and setting daily. How many people on a NYC st are going to know which way north is if you walked up to them? Probably has a little to do with not having to use your sense of direction

That and the guys from MARYLAND who thought it'd be a good idea to ski out past the power line at Pico. (no offense 70'sGoreDude)

throw in even a couple minutes of this for someone not accustomed to using their sense of direction and its doneskis

at least that guy has skins. the goons at K probably took two steps up to their waists before starting to cry.

skimore wrote

Most from the big cities don't see the sun rising and setting daily. How many people on a NYC st are going to know which way north is if you walked up to them? Probably has a little to do with not having to use your sense of direction

LOL: I'm not really from the city but the burbs. Sometimes I take the train in for work.  If you don't know the city really well (I don't) and it's cloudy, when you come up above ground it's hard (for me) to tell which way is uptown or down without walking two blocks to see whether the numbers are going up or down.  I'd pull out a compass to check north.  Get a raft of crap from city folk for that!

Last weekend I went out of bounds at Plattekill. The only difference between me and the folks that got lost... I didn't get lost. But I coulda.

ScottyJack wrote

confirms my opinion that K-Mart attracts the highest percentage of gapers per skier visit than any other place!  Amazing, just amazing...

I used to teach at Killington so I'd say you are on the right track.  A local band used to play a song to Pink Floyd called another Herb on east fall.  I'd say Herb was the 1990's equal to Gaper.  Of course I would not refer to my clients in such a fashion because I taught them to be cool.  I make a point of fixing the gaper gaps as well.  

Pretty much everything off the back or sides of Killington takes you nowhere that you can easily get out of

Pico on the other hand has some pretty good "off piste" options where you can ski down to Rt 4 and the pipeline cut in the late 90's does lead to Ram's Head but from experience I can tell you it is not all down hill.

ANYONE who grew up in NYC can tell you where north is... in NYC. Hardly true for the tourists that ask me for directions.

ml242 wrote

ANYONE who grew up in NYC can tell you where north is... in NYC. Hardly true for the tourists that ask me for directions.

OK but how often does sense of direction get used for navigation?

Other factors: early season powder, early nightfall panic, and these silly, high tech communication devices we all carry now.

Coach Z wrote

A local band used to play a song to Pink Floyd called another Herb on east fall.  I'd say Herb was the 1990's equal to Gaper.  

ha!  I remember Herb!  

Get your "find your way back app" for the I-PHONE and never get lost @ the K-Mart again!  

I do love the pizza from the Outback place.  Yum!

 

ScottyJack wrote

Coach Z wrote

A local band used to play a song to Pink Floyd called another Herb on east fall.  I'd say Herb was the 1990's equal to Gaper.  

ha!  I remember Herb!  

me too---sooooo funny

Harvey44 wrote

Last weekend I went out of bounds at Plattekill. The only difference between me and the folks that got lost... I didn't get lost. But I coulda.

thank you! as i'm reading all the comments - i'm oh shit this also coulda been me on any number of given days.. sure i bet a bunch were gapers and kids that had no business in there, and all the cool kids are in the "bc" now (kinda like like all the gapers in the parks previuously ) drawing more folks off trail. a little judhement does go a long way though and has probably kept me from getting lost alot more than my mad mountaineering skills or innate sense of direction.

gorgonzola wrote

Harvey44 wrote

Last weekend I went out of bounds at Plattekill. The only difference between me and the folks that got lost... I didn't get lost. But I coulda.

thank you! as i'm reading all the comments - i'm oh shit this also coulda been me on any number of given days.. sure i bet a bunch were gapers and kids that had no business in there, and all the cool kids are in the "bc" now (kinda like like all the gapers in the parks previuously ) drawing more folks off trail. a little judhement does go a long way though and has probably kept me from getting lost alot more than my mad mountaineering skills or innate sense of direction.

Yeah, you guys are spot on.

when i lived in VT i was involved in a SAR to find 3 lost skiers who went off Madonna Mt-----we found them, all good skiers---they just got lost