| Author |
Topic |
203 Posts |
Posted - 12/15/2004 : 11:41 PM
|
Here are a few things I though up:
1. Unexpected snow storm(or fog) reduces visibility to zero. You are stranded and die of exposure or wonder off cliff.
2. Avalanche buries you alive.
3. You slip on ice and are knocked unconscious. Die of exposure.
4. Snow covers a lake etc. You fall through ice and drown.
5. Snow covers a hole between rocks or logs. You either fall through and break leg or get trapped. Die of exposure.
6. You get lost and die of exposure.
7. Ice dam breaks as you climb up gully and you drown or receive massive internal injuries as the wall of water and debris comes down on you.
8. A large rock or log moves and traps you leaving you to die of exposure.
9. You slip and fall over cliff.
10. You have a heart attack or other unexpected medical crisis. Die of exposure as you can't move.
11. It gets dark earlier than you thought and you are unable to find your way back. Die of exposure.
12. Cougar or black bear attacks you.
13. Encounter a truck/car etc unexpectantly on logging road or truck/car slips in wet conditions and runs you over.
14. Fall into stream getting wet which leads to hypothermia.
15. mud slide.
16. Rock slide.
17. Walking through deep snow tires you out and puts you behind schedule. You don't get back before dark and die of exposure.
18. Temperature drops quickly and you don't have the right clothing. Die of exposure.
19. Your watch stops without you noticing. You get behind schedule and are caught outside overnight. die of exposure.
20. You bike breaks-down or someone steals your bike. You have to walk home in dark. Die of exposure on the way.
|
|
 Trail running, bike hucking, fast packing, beer drinking collector of pine cones on a day pass
AKA
Dances with Trees
Forest Gnome Cabin
Canada
13048 Posts |
Posted - 12/15/2004 : 11:59 PM
|
Grach',are you worried about dying of exposure? All kidding aside,you never know,and winter travel presents certain risks.Add to the list...
21.You are too determined to finish your trek,and fail to honour your turnaround time and/or correctly judge your time(we've all done this one,I'd bet).Result-since you're otherwise prepared and damn lucky,you get rescued and don't die of exposure |
|
|
|
Outdoors addicted flyfishing, skiing, snowshoeing, hiking car crooner and resident motormouth
Da'Wack, BC
Canada
5372 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2004 : 12:00 AM
|
Bears hibernate.
You'll lessen your risk of dying from exposure if you have the proper clothing and clothing layers along.
You'll lessen your risk of getting lost in the dark by carrying a headlamp and a backup source of light. |
|
|
203 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2004 : 12:18 AM
|
I experienced the beginnings of hypothermia one time when i was caught with only a t-shirt in the mountains and it rained all day. It was summer. I was not being picked up until 4 or 5pm. Never experienced that kind of cold before or since. Never forgot though.
Not honouring your turn around time is a real danger. I carry a flashlight. I have this small tent I might start taking with me in case i get caught out overnight. |
|
|
|
Fleece thong wearin, Buntzen Lurkin, mystic poet mountain man and international spokesman of the friends of the white squirrel society
Port Moody, B.C.
Canada
5904 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2004 : 12:30 AM
|
Exposure dosen't kill you , but it WILL get you arrested.
----------------------------------------
"No Trail is Long with Good Company"
|
|
|
203 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2004 : 01:23 AM
|
ex·po·sure ( P ) Pronunciation Key (k-spzhr)
n.
+++The condition of being exposed, especially to severe weather or other forces of nature: was hospitalized for the effects of exposure. +++++
As you get older, you realize that there is always more risk than you anticipate. i think chaos theory says something like that. |
|
|
|
Fleece thong wearin, Buntzen Lurkin, mystic poet mountain man and international spokesman of the friends of the white squirrel society
Port Moody, B.C.
Canada
5904 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2004 : 01:37 AM
|
----------------------------------------
"No Trail is Long with Good Company"
|
|
|
|
map hatin', coffee perc totin', garbage collectin', backpacking, action hero wannabe, who loves to hide out in Garibaldi park and will have his scouts sing if you keep him awake at night
2465 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2004 : 06:06 AM
|
hey grachman,
http://www.clubtread.com/sforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3523&SearchTerms=essentials
You should NOT be going out even for a day hike without the "10 Essentials". If you're carrying these with you most of your above listed concerns would be either minimalized or removed completely.
Always remember to leave information of where you're going and when you expect to return with someone. Ensure they understand who/how to contact someone if you don't come back. Plan the hike, hike the plan.
Beyond that you have to accept that hiking/camping/backpacking isn't a no risk, or even low risk activity, it's a controlled risk one.
----------------------------------------
"Any man, in the right situation, is capable of murder. But not any man is capable of being a good camper. So, murder and camping are not as similar as you might think." - Jack Handy |
Edited by - Marc on 12/16/2004 07:57 AM |
|
|
Calgary, Alberta
228 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2004 : 08:54 AM
|
quote:
Originally posted by Marc
hey grachman,
http://www.clubtread.com/sforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3523&SearchTerms=essentials
You should NOT be going out even for a day hike without the "10 Essentials". ctivity, it's a controlled risk one.
----------------------------------------
I'm going out today without any of them except the mini-jacknife on my key chain and will return fine. Some common sense is needed. True, I do carry a pocket full of peanuts and other goodeies but those are for the gray jays, downies, nuthatches and chickadees. We'll be hiking in about about 5 kms on a frozen creek to ride the frozen rapids on our ice skates.
I will survive. I've survived decades of hiking without all this necessary 'stuff'. This 'stuff' is fine in the right circumstances but certainly not for every day hike.
Hypothermia is a greatly exaggerated risk like grizzly bears or being killed by lightning. There's 31 million Canadians living in the Great White North and death and injury due to freezing is not common. We've all been uncomfortable and have all had that stinging sensation when our toes thaw out but actual danger? How many people die from hypothermia each year while cross country skiing or snowshoeing? Again, some common sense is needed. Wear mitts and socks and a hat and try and keep dry.
----------------------------------------
After hiking for 35 years I still haven't reached the end of the trail. |
|
|
 Moxie scambler of pinnacles, tireless leader haunting the CDN/US border climbing everything in sight
Burnaby, BC
Canada
1272 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2004 : 09:08 AM
|
quote:
[i]Originally posted by Grizzled
I will survive. I've survived decades of hiking without all this necessary 'stuff'. This 'stuff' is fine in the right circumstances but certainly not for every day hike.
For years, Alain Robert has scaled the outside of many buildings without ropes or any safety equipment at all and he's still alive and climbing. But I wouldn't recommend it to new climbers.
Carrying the 10 essentials (along with good common sense) is never a bad idea.
PB |
|
|
|
map hatin', coffee perc totin', garbage collectin', backpacking, action hero wannabe, who loves to hide out in Garibaldi park and will have his scouts sing if you keep him awake at night
2465 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2004 : 09:35 AM
|
Ok, maybe I should've qualified that. I've hiked plenty without carrying the 10, but really if safety is a paramount concern to you than you need the "tools" to survive. The 10 provide that.
I hike without the necessary safety equipment lots, but I also don't wear my seatbelt all the time when I drive. It's a question of defining acceptable risk.
----------------------------------------
"Any man, in the right situation, is capable of murder. But not any man is capable of being a good camper. So, murder and camping are not as similar as you might think." - Jack Handy |
|
|
Calgary, Alberta
228 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2004 : 09:57 AM
|
quote:
Originally posted by Marc
. It's a question of defining acceptable risk.
----------------------------------------
" It's a question of defining acceptable risk."
An excellent piece of advice. This is where experience enters into the equation. General outdoor experience but also experience in your own hiking environment. There's always a lot of debate about what to take or not take on an overnighter in the Canadian Rockies as it applies to the safety issue. More safety items could be either a help or a hindrance. A rope,for example, is helpful for a rescue but it also adds weight and thus leads to more fatigue and judgement failures. There's not always a universal answer when it comes to safety.
----------------------------------------
After hiking for 35 years I still haven't reached the end of the trail. |
|
|
|
ass wigglin, cheese lovin, 4x4 drivin, apostrophe hatin, hiking chick who loves camping on snow
spaceship..
Canada
7209 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2004 : 12:47 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by Marc
hey grachman,
You should NOT be going out even for a day hike without the "10 Essentials".
LOL - I broke ALL the rules last weekend  
so darn rebellious, we were on a flat trail (cant handle rocks n' stuff with the cast)
Course, I did not have the appropriate footwear, my walking cast, jeans, no food, no water, no headlamps. Hey we went for a drive, and it was a spur of the moment thing!
Oh wait, it was a night hike - do the rules apply? (hehe, just teasing  )
Before anyone panics and gives me a lecture, it was quite the safe environment, but it was fun breaking all those rules  |
|
|
 | Dru
Mountain Grammar Police
|
Sardonic sandbagging scoundrel, Cascade Climbers lobotomized spraymeister, space blanket flyer, new millennium vulgarian betaboy and friend to all squids
Climbing, a mountain
Canada
∞ Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2004 : 1:35 PM
|
Bears hibernate in winter.
Mosquitoes are dead - no chance of getting West Nile.
Sun is low in sky if visible- reduces skin cancer risk and potential for sunburn.
Lower temperatures. Don't sweat as much. Less chance of dehydration.
Snow is soft and acts as a cushion when you fall.
Can glissade on snow, nicer on the knees when descending.
No crowds except at Keiths Hut anbd Diamond Head, less chance of meeting a psycho.
Can follow own tracks back in snow -less chance of getting lost.
Eggnog.
In short there are many advantages to winter hiking vs. summer hiking!
|
Edited by - Dru on 12/16/2004 1:35 PM |
|
|
North Vancouver, BC
Canada
1542 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2004 : 3:41 PM
|
You're hiking in Whistler and your pants don't match your Jacket. You die of embarassment.
You're hiking in Saskatchewan in January. You die.
|
|
|
Delta, B.C.
Canada
457 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2004 : 4:48 PM
|
| MY greatest worry when travelling in the mountains in winter is running into grachman the troll shooting down avalanches with his gun. |
|
|
|
Manitoba's misadventurin' bushwhackin', dog sloggin', dehydratin', beer drinkin' biggie - who's eager to peak bag Mt Currie in a dress
Squamish
5041 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2004 : 5:23 PM
|
Uh-oh, with all that stuff, I better not go outside anymore. I'll just stay here glued to my computer, posting on CT
Shucks, going to work is more dangerous than being out in the bush. Unless Grachman is gonna shoot me!
"Don' shoot me, Mr. Grachman, I's just a po' little ol' avylanche"
All in good fun |
|
|
Ladner, BC
Canada
1176 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2004 : 7:27 PM
|
the above list applies year round depending where you are.. it's just that the likelihood of snow/cold are greater in the winter here. Be prepared!
-Damage to skin and eyes due to underestimation of the Suns power...even on some of those cloudier days whilst skiing.
-Getting laughed at due to Racooon goggle eyes at work.
-Ski Bunnies, $70 ticket...and sometimes you end up on Green runs all day because of them. a hottub cures all however...
----------------------------------------
The tougher the climb, the better the food tastes. -Lupin- |
|
|
Vancouver, BC
Canada
241 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2004 : 7:40 PM
|
| I feel more at danger while biking to work But after reading this maybe I should reconcider, and stay on weekends at home with my best friend TiVo. Although this is also dangerous, especially to your brain, not to say anything about the tube exploding etc... |
|
|
|
ass wigglin, cheese lovin, 4x4 drivin, apostrophe hatin, hiking chick who loves camping on snow
spaceship..
Canada
7209 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2004 : 8:31 PM
|
I think hiking in the winter there is a danger of having fun in the snow
tho sssssshhh.... who would wanna do that   |
|
|
203 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2004 : 8:35 PM
|
The 10 essentials are really not negotiable. If you get lost and have to spend the night, you could easily die without the right knowledge and equipment. I have developed a high level of complacency over the years.
As far as me being a troll, I find that notion quite amusing; I am a super-serious person with no tolerance for horseplay. |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
What are the dangers of hiking in the winter?
