avi # 2 baker

**tibaher** · 11-15-2005, 06:44 PM

here's a pic of a slide from 11-05-05 in the Blueberry area, just outside the ropes... poached from turns-all-year.com

**Agent 00X** · 11-17-2005, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by lemon boy

In other news, I think it is pretty interesting (tude vibe aside) that such a strong culture of peer enforcement for safety would exist.

Hop et al = Baker Hui.

Outstanding work Postman22 and B-RAD

**lemon boy** · 11-17-2005, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by Agent 00X

Hop et al = Baker Hui.

That's a pretty "lavender" version of the Hui.

**postman22** · 02-27-2006, 12:28 AM

this is a pretty personal response i just got. but i figure that these forums especially this post represents a learning experience so that is why i'm going to go ahead and post it. Joe Jefferson was the person we ended up saving. In a hurry to get out of the avalanche path after we had saved him, we forgot to get his personal information which i had regretted. Joe was looking through the NOAA today and found my email address and put two and two together. here is his very personal email he sent to me. i haven't asked him permission yet to post it but again like i said since these thread is a post on what to do/ not to do i figured he wouldnt mind.

Phil, my name is Joe Jefferson. You and Brad saved
> my
> life in November at Mt. Baker.
> I just came across the forum at tetongravity.com and
> realized that was me you were talking about. For a
> long time after my accident I looked on the Westwide
> Avalanche Network at avalanche.org to see if my
> accident had been recorded there and I never saw it
> until tonight when I clicked on the northwest part
> and
> got directed to nwac.us, where I saw the report of
> the
> accident and the link to your account of it in the
> forum. As I read through your account and the
> subsequent pages of the forum including entries from
> your partner that day, Brad, I had tears streaming
> down my face. Thank you for taking the time to
> record
> your account of what you two went through. After
> reading about how you guys ended up there and
> rescuing
> me I realize the full extent of how lucky I was that
> day. Becasue you and Brad had come into that area, I
> think is is called gordy's gulch, I thought you must
> be locals and that I would see you on the mountain
> eventually. I can't say that I would have remembered
> your faces, as shaken as I was, but I remembered
> that
> one of you was wearing a helmet with a face guard.
> So
> I kept an eye out but never saw you. When I saw that
> you guys were not locals who frequented the spot
> where
> I had my accident It really set in how lucky I was
> that you had come there just by chance. I never
> really
> got a clear account of what happend on top of the
> snow
> from my friend Jon. We talked about what we did
> wrong
> and what we learned when we got down to the lodge
> and
> checked in at ski patrol, but we never really talked
> about the details afterwards. I think Jon felt
> terrible about the whole situation. I vaguely knew
> the
> line, and Jon knew it better, so he wanted me to go
> first to keep and eye on me. When I didn't ride out
> to
> our saftey point I think he though he had killed me.
> Anyway it was both of our faults and I never wanted
> to
> blame him or make him explain himself. I think he
> had
> been partially burried too and when we both were so
> happy to get out of it alive that we just left it at
> that.
> I realized too that you guys handled it like pro's.
> It
> was sooo sketchy in that gully. I was so shaken up
> that I could barely ride out. I remember when you
> guys
> told me to go first so you could keep an eye on me,
> I
> went like 10 feet and this big section sluffed. I
> was
> just freaked out and riding out of the gully the
> rest
> of the way was just sketch. Jon and I tried to climb
> out and it was impossible so inspite of hardly being
> able to snowboard we tried really hard to catch back
> up to you so that we wouldn't have to ride it out
> alone.
> My body was so sore for more than a week from trying
> to stand up and push the snow off of me. I couldn't
> budge when I was in there.
>
> In retrospect I though about how crazy it must be to
> be in the situation where you are riding along and
> all
> of a sudden you come accross an accident that you
> know
> nothing about and that the victim has been buried
> more
> than 5 minuets. I honestly asked myself if I would
> have rather been Jon that day and had to go through
> what all three of you guys went through and I am not
> sure that I would have traded spots with him. I am
> so
> happy for YOU that you found me alive and that you
> did
> not have to experience the trauma of pulling a body
> from the snow. I can't tell you how bad I felt for
> what I was going to put everybody through with my
> death.
>
> As far as how you guys handled the situation that
> day
> I don't know what to say; you saved me. Not only did
> you put yourselves at risk comming down in there but
> you were totally prepared, equipment and skill wise.
> On top of that after a successfull rescue when
> neither
> Jon or I were in our right minds, you kept cool and
> got all of us focused on getting out of what was
> still
> a dangerous area. Like everyone eles on the forum
> said: GOOD WORK MAN!
>
> I instruct at Baker and for a long time after that I
> had my beakon on, switched on under my jacket, even
> in
> a lesson with little kids on the bunny hill. Best
> investment I ever made. I took an avi class not long
> after that and got in some good practice on seaching
> and probing. ANY time there is deep snow on the
> moutain I wear my stuff, even if am in bounds all
> day.
> If not to cover myself, to be prepared to help
> somebody eles if need be. I only hope that I would
> handle myself as you and Brad did in that situation.
> I
> know I would.
>
> Well that is a lot, I am also sending you a copy of
> the mail that I wrote that night, that I sent to my
> friends and family.
>
> I couldn't get Brad's email address from the forum
> but
> I am writing these words to the both of you. Could
> you
> please tell me his address or forward this mail to
> him.
>
> I really owe you guys. Damn, what can I say, GOOD
> WORK
> YOU GUYS!
>
> always in your debt,
> Joe Jefferson

**MarsB** · 02-27-2006, 09:49 AM

Thanks for the follow-up! It sounds like he certainly learned some lessons, I am glad to see he contacted you to show his appreciation. Again, kudos to you both for your amazing efforts- he and his partner are very lucky there are guys like you in the BC.

**B-RAD** · 02-27-2006, 04:52 PM

i'm really glad that Joe was finally able to find us and we were able to get an idea of what his experience was like. His words defiantly touched my heart and added a new dimension to the the whole avalanche story.

thanks again for your words joe,
brad

**Atrain505** · 02-27-2006, 07:14 PM

Wow! Everytime I come back to this thread I am amazed and incredibly thankful that my BC partners are incredible individuals.

**saraski** · 02-27-2006, 09:25 PM

Great job Phil and Brad! Joe's email was really moving, those guys were definitely lucky to have people like you run into them and handle the whole situation with great skills and attitude! It was also reassuring to hear that I'm not the only one skiing with my beacon on even when skiing inbounds! Just out of curiosity, did you guys take any avi training courses, or are you pretty much self-trained?!
Sara

**postman22** · 02-28-2006, 06:05 PM

we took an avi course but are still pretty inexperienced as im sure you could tell by my account a couple months ago. luckily we had practiced just enough

**puma** · 09-02-2006, 04:09 PM

Wow, chilling to read. I am buying a beacon prior to the first day this year, and insisting that my other rider mates also have ones. Shovel's, probes, and avalanche classes also...but the beacon is the priority!