re: 2022-2023 Ski Thread

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does anyone in Jackson run those avalanche airbag backpacks?

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More common in the resort sidecountry but not so much in the true backcountry in GTNP. The packs themselves they come in are just never great to use in my opinion, plus the weight. I think there’s some scenarios they definitely make sense. Usually spots with big open clean runouts. Alaskan heli skiing they have probably saved hundreds of lives since they’ve come into play.

My buddy Charlie who got slid used to ride with one. Trees were his main enemy in this slide. You can make a case that the airbag helps protect the head as well as floatation. Luckily he never hit his head on the ride.

He had a GoPro on and he was on top of the snow for the whole time but just kept getting ping ponged off trees. We hypothesized he would’ve ended up near where I found his snowboard and likely on top of the snow. If he had been on skis he probably could’ve stopped himself on the first tree he hit. It bounced right in the middle of his board.

Once his snowboard popped off he was able to almost walk on top of the moving snow. He tried to get off to the side of the slide and then eventually stopped when a broken tree hung up on his backpack. The videos pretty crazy. I’ve only watched it 3 times. It definitely gets me choked up. I was so confident he was dead when I saw the powder cloud crashing down the drainage. Best radio call ever.