timmytard

Have you ever ridden in deep powder? cause it sounds to me like you have no idea?

Maybe less than a foot deep, that might work.
But basically, what you describe, would be like trying to do push-ups in the deep end of the swimming pool.

Maybe Jesus could after his stroll across the top of if, but I'm thinkin' even he, might have difficulties doin' push-ups.

All I could picture after reading that, was this.

Attached Images

drowning.jpg (6.6 KB, 121 views)

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If whatever doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger.

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sil_23

The first time I tried to get up off my butt while strapped in , my arms would go right through the snow, couldn't even feel bottom, and it was hard to pack snow behind me to push off of. I found that when i flipped over it was easier to pack snow in front of me to build a solid layer to push off from. If it's flat, unstrapping is the best idea like everyone has said.

Not the most flattering picture of me in deep snow, more than a foot

poutanen

We get some of the lightest fluffiest powder in North America, and while I only got stuck in a flat area once last year (had to do Snowolfs said walk of shame ) I did have to help several other people who were stuck.

I find the easiest way to traverse across nearly bottomless powder is to sit on your board like a sled, and paddle your way through it. It's all about surface area and your board has more than you do.

The whole point of bottomless powder is that no matter what you do you can't pack yourself a layer. Just gotta rock into your board and then stand, balance, and jump turn until you're facing downhill again.

BTW it's puking powder in Calgary right now. I want the rest of the week off!!!

Bones

I got badly caught at the top of Kicking Horse last year. Couldn't see much past the end of the board and then boom, I was face down in bottomless powder. Trying to do push ups in a swimming pool is a very apt description.

I did manage to roll over on my back which solved the suffocation problem and I eventually got turned around so that my board was downhill.

My problem (and the advice I'm seeking) is that when I finally managed to stand up on my board, I was still waist deep. I knew that I was on a fairly steep pitch (although I couldn't see 5 feet) and that if I could just get sliding, then I'd be able to pull the nose up. Problem was, I just couldn't get an movement started at all. I tried jumping, I tried skootchin and I just kept losing my balance and falling over. And starting all over again. Even with the board pointing straight down the fall line, I couldn't get stand and move.

Eventually, with all my thrashing, I got to a place where the powder wasn't as bottom less and I was able to stand up and not be waist deep. So, with a bit of skootching, I was able to get going.

So my question is: all 190lbs of me was on a 161 SL. I would have thought that would be enough board for support my weight without sinking waist deep. What technique could I have used or is this just one of those situations where I just had to swim out to a better spot? I was on a steep pitch on a black run....it was just sooooo deep!

JeffreyCH

I say penguin slide that bitch...and for the love of god get video

Two years ago slednecking on Vail pass, I fell in waist deep fluff. What I did was kind of lay on my side, pulled my knees up to my chest, had my board sticking up at about a 45 degree towards my heel side, I just kind of rolled myself back on top of my board, stood up and point the board straight down the fall line. Almost like pulling a wakeboard out of the water. I dunno, it worked, and it was a fairly low angle.

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JeffreyCH

Damn you I almost spit beer all over my monitor

But yeah that was the first thing that popped into my head....uhhhh aren't you spose to stay away from trees in the deep

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tigre

Maybe it depends on the type of snow you're dealing with. Flipping over onto your belly works well in our coastal snow, even when it's 2-3 feet deep. But in dry continental snow it wouldn't make much sense.

ARSENALFAN

Well when you have chiseled rock hard abs and are an absolute babe magnet like myself, you simply perform a situp and go.

Magnum626

I had this experience several years ago at the Canyons. I was enjoying the pow on the right side of a run and didn't notice the terrain change and the tracks were all going left. I ended up doing a torpedo into the snow and almost drowned lol.

Everywhere I put my hand down my arm just sank in. Took forever just to even bend to unstrap. My board just sank another 10 inches when trying to pack around me. Took more than 20 mins to get maybe 10 yards.

Definitely stay calm. If my friends weren't within yelling distance adn them stopping I probably would've freaked and been there for days. It was like trying to do cardio in syrup. Even lying on my board with a buddy using a ski pole took a while.

I was wondering why so many people riding that day had shovels and poles sticking out of their packs....

poutanen

That's the trick eh? BTW my buddy from work and I are heading to LL tomorrow morning. If anyone ends up going and you see a guy with yellow pants and a black jacket (with white stitching) that's me!