What do you carry when you ski slidebrook

[muddy_hollow]

A ski friend of mine (we just call him Woods Ray) gave me some very good advice last year on my first trips into Slidebrook. Carry a whistle, extra hand warmers, cell phone, and if you can some water. Also go with someone who knows the general area.

We ducked into SB yesterday with a couple kids and true to his recommendation, I had all but the water with me plus a GPS. I also made sure to tell people where I was going and so on.

We have a bunch of kids (teens and pre-teens) and I thought it would be good to pass along some of that good advice to them. My own kid has a whistle on her belt as part of her pass....

What do you carry when skiing off trail?

[boze]

A ski friend of mine (we just call him Woods Ray) gave me some very good advice last year on my first trips into Slidebrook. Carry a whistle, extra hand warmers, cell phone, and if you can some water. Also go with someone who knows the general area.

We ducked into SB yesterday with a couple kids and true to his recommendation, I had all but the water with me plus a GPS. I also made sure to tell people where I was going and so on.

We have a bunch of kids (teens and pre-teens) and I thought it would be good to pass along some of that good advice to them. My own kid has a whistle on her belt as part of her pass....

What do you carry when skiing off trail?

In the slack country: water in the hydration pack (absolutely essential) along with small first aid kit. Cell phone plus high-power walkie talkie*, the later of course for line of sight comms. LED flashlight. Windproof lighter. Letherman all-purpose tool. Couple power bars. Actually that's my typical pack kit. True backcountry of course calls for some other stuff with some even packing extra binding/parts, emergency thermal-related gear, etc. I'm sure others will chime in.

*After multiple Motorola models over the years, switched to Midland & got their X-Tra Talk GXT1000VP4. Highest-legal power (there really is a difference), very rugged & waterproof. Very pleased.

[Treeskier]

I would add to the list a large strong plastic bag. Which can be used for shelter, rain gear, slippery surface to slide out on. (a guy at Mad River used one for self evac with a broken feemer a few years back) and cut into strips to secure a splint.

Just a reminder there is a emergency toboggan with first aid item at the top of the bands just after you go under the Slidebrook Express. It was donated by a bunch of us a few years back. Fortunately it has not ever been needed :)

[gone.skiing]

For slidebrook, working cell phone with patrol dispatch number programmed in and keep an eye on the kids. If they get stuck in a tree well, whistle is not going to help. If someone is hurt, patrol is your best bet (especially given the sled at the top, thank you Treeskier).

Other areas is a different question.

[Strat]

Would anyone care to post that ski patrol dispatch number? I've poked around sugarbush.com for a few minutes now and haven't found it, but definitely something I want to have in my phone.

[Hawk]

Flask....
Camera.....
Bear repellent.....
Bus Pass....
Sunglass case...... :wink:

[MntMan4Bush]

12 Avi Beacons (Receivers only)
2 Autographed Photos of Tony Shaloub (In case I loose or damage one during evac)
7 Blue M&Ms
A full size NON-Collapsible Snow Shovel
Extension Cord (To plug in my TV)
My TV
Hungry Hungry Hippo
Fog Horn from The QE2(whistles are for chumps)
Tiger Print Snuggie
A nickel (In case I run into a 1950s style pay phone)
Tony Shaloub (In case I need him to autograph another photo)

That get's me through the top part.

[Hardbooter]

I always ski with a pack so I'm always prepared. Here's what I carry:
snow shovel
phone
compass
extra batteries
short wave radio
avalanche beacon
sandwiches
cigarette lighter
6 pack (12 pack, if with friends)
snowshoes
flask of scotch
cigars
a rescue toboggan
power tools
How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
The army field manual
headlamps
the instrument cluster for a 1997 Toyota Corolla
chewing gum
Win's home phone number
a tent
firewood
gasoline
a swiss army knife
lift pass
medical kit
insurance card
recreation stuff (frizbee, lawn darts etc.)
hot tub chemicals
extra skis/poles
a topo map
a trash bin
extra clothes
passport
extra light bulbs
denim overalls
an extra pair of slippers
a cotton jumpsuit
and snorkel

Sometimes they don't let me load the lift with my snorkel so I hide it in the bottom of the pack.

[007]

H2O, food, med supplies, a means to make fire and shelter, AND at least two other CLOSE companions; always bring friends!
Late last Sat afternoon I chose 4 gorgeous young ladies, and we just HAD to end up at Chez Henri's on skis....... *\; )~

[djd66]

Don't forget your oxygen canisters, satellite phone,....



I know it started out as a serious post, I am sitting here chuckling though, you guys crack me up!

[Hawk]

....and a baby's arm holding an apple.

I always ski with a pack so I'm always prepared. Here's what I carry:
snow shovel
phone
compass
extra batteries
short wave radio
avalanche beacon
sandwiches
cigarette lighter
6 pack (12 pack, if with friends)
snowshoes
flask of scotch
cigars
a rescue toboggan
power tools
How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
The army field manual
headlamps
the instrument cluster for a 1997 Toyota Corolla
chewing gum
Win's home phone number
a tent
firewood
gasoline
a swiss army knife
lift pass
medical kit
insurance card
recreation stuff (frizbee, lawn darts etc.)
hot tub chemicals
extra skis/poles
a topo map
a trash bin
extra clothes
passport
extra light bulbs
denim overalls
an extra pair of slippers
a cotton jumpsuit
and snorkel

Sometimes they don't let me load the lift with my snorkel so I hide it in the bottom of the pack.

[slaw]

Would anyone care to post that ski patrol dispatch number? I've poked around sugarbush.com for a few minutes now and haven't found it, but definitely something I want to have in my phone.



Would like the number too for my phone.

[007]

WOW "The Tubes"; what-a-reach-back in time....



....and a baby's arm holding an apple.

I always ski with a pack so I'm always prepared. Here's what I carry:
snow shovel
phone
compass
extra batteries
short wave radio
avalanche beacon
sandwiches
cigarette lighter
6 pack (12 pack, if with friends)
snowshoes
flask of scotch
cigars
a rescue toboggan
power tools
How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
The army field manual
headlamps
the instrument cluster for a 1997 Toyota Corolla
chewing gum
Win's home phone number
a tent
firewood
gasoline
a swiss army knife
lift pass
medical kit
insurance card
recreation stuff (frizbee, lawn darts etc.)
hot tub chemicals
extra skis/poles
a topo map
a trash bin
extra clothes
passport
extra light bulbs
denim overalls
an extra pair of slippers
a cotton jumpsuit
and snorkel

Sometimes they don't let me load the lift with my snorkel so I hide it in the bottom of the pack.

[Hawk]

Hey now.....Whada ya want from life. :wink:

[gone.skiing]

I pm'ed the number to those who asked.

007, we know they were in reality good looking guys... Don't worry your secrets are safe with us.

[Hawk]

I pm'ed the number to those who asked.

007, we know they were in reality good looking guys... Don't worry your secrets are safe with us.

You are kidding. There are no secret stashes anymore. To many big mouths. :wink:

[007]

Shhh, wait-wait, did you hear that............, was it the whimpering of a jealous guy....? 8)
I heard rumor you were seen runnin' with the pretty boy last Saturday. :shock:


007, we know they were in reality good looking guys... Don't worry your secrets are safe with us.

[007]

BTW, the girls are circulating risque' photos from that afternoon escapade with me; they're on their way to you now.....



Shhh, wait-wait, did you hear that............, was it the whimpering of a jealous guy....? 8)
I heard rumor you were seen runnin' with the pretty boy last Saturday. :shock:


007, we know they were in reality good looking guys... Don't worry your secrets are safe with us.

[BushBumpGirl]

So, if ALL that gets you through the top part, MM4B... what gets you through the bottom part?? Perhaps a little lady by the name of Fran Drescher?? ;)

[scharny]

Can't believe no one mentioned a small pocket folding saw. If you are hitting quasi-backcountry woods (such as slidebrook) in deep powder, it can save a lot of time (and damaged equipment) getting a ski un-snarled if you get hooked on buried branches.

[Hardbooter]

Can't believe no one mentioned a small pocket folding saw.

Good idea. I'm going to stick one in my pack. My chain saw is really hard to ski with.

[smootharc]

I pm'ed the number to those who asked.

007, we know they were in reality good looking guys... Don't worry your secrets are safe with us.

....dressed as girls. 007 must not have had his bifocals on...

[smootharc]

one of these in my pack, and the small version each of my boys carry.

http://www.amazon.com/AMK-Thermo-Lite-Emergency-Bivvy-Sack/dp/B000YOH37A

Fits in the pocket, weighs about as much as a chapstick.


All joking aside, 007's two friends suggestion is critical, as is each person in the party having some knowledge of procedures, terrain, and basic backcountry "savvy".

This may seem weird, but I also have this as part of my on piste, and bc/sidecountry kit:

http://www.celoxmedical.com/prods_celox.htm

There have been some very interesting and nasty cuts (arteries) in ski accidents...think about it - super sharp edges...4 of them, adding up to about 15 feet of running length...flying around during a fall/ejection. Some bleed outs right on piste. In the backcountry...ya never know...weighs about as much as a bite of powerbar. There was a skiing magazine tidbit on this about 12 or 15 years ago...sort of gave me the shivers (obviously), and I never forgot it.

[Brew Ski]

Smootharc wrote"...sort of gave me the shivers (obviously)"

For the love of God, Smootharc, you've skied in Chamonix! Nothing should give you the shivers.

Well, except a personal ski video review by the VT North Pro's...

Slidebrook basic requirements:
2 friends at least, who you trust to help you out if things go bad!
Water
Snacks
Peanut butter to use as bear repellent (When friend 1 goes for help, you smear the Pb on friend 2 so the bear thinks he tastes better)
Whistle or horn or something to loudly signal for help
cell phone, charged and known to get signal!
emergency med kit and bivvy sack.

and for more safety and enjoyment:
John Atkinson clone or the real thing if possible.
6 pack of beer while waiting for the bus, no imbibing and skiing in the woods please.

[vonski]

Back country is one thing but are we not talking slide brook here! I mean lions and tigers and bears oh my! In my opinion, if you stay to the normal traverse and enter through door 1, 2,3, There is more traffic in there than on 89 at 10 pm. So, not of a real concern here what I bring or who I bring.
But I did not see Duct Tape on the list. I wrap the top of my pole with it. Identifies my poles for those thiefs and It can be used for many things. Turnicot (sp) for puncture or large cut, support a home made cast or such, and will burn to get a fire going. I also carry one of those wind proof lighters!
Doing my Snowdance! :D

[Hardbooter]

6 pack of beer while waiting for the bus, no imbibing and skiing in the woods please.
You Bush Pilots might need to bring beer into slide brook. For me, knowing the woods means knowing where the keg is. Everyone knows the stashes but how many people can ski right to the keg? And no, it isn't under the bridge, that's where the munchies are stored.

[smootharc]

For the love of God, Smootharc, you've skied in Chamonix! Nothing should give you the shivers.

Well, except a personal ski video review by the VT North Pro's...

...what happens in BP stays in BP, Mister Brew "Where is My Ski?" Ski. :lol:

P.S. And for the record, I kinda LIKE being taken behind the woodshed during video review !

P.P.S. And I never actually skied in Chamonix. Just hung out in the village wearing my stretch pants and ski boots LOOKING cool. Duh. Skiing Chamonix is scary, and I had forgotten to pack my Depends (something else you need in Slidebrook) !

[muddy_hollow]

Smootharc wrote"...sort of gave me the shivers (obviously)"


Peanut butter to use as bear repellent (When friend 1 goes for help, you smear the Pb on friend 2 so the bear thinks he tastes better)


and for more safety and enjoyment:
John Atkinson clone or the real thing if possible.
6 pack of beer while waiting for the bus, no imbibing and skiing in the woods please.


Chunky or creamy?


BTW, were the clones in for repair this weekend. NO sign of the Man with the Golden helmet......

[smootharc]

Back country is one thing but are we not talking slide brook here! I mean lions and tigers and bears oh my! In my opinion, if you stay to the normal traverse and enter through door 1, 2,3, There is more traffic in there than on 89 at 10 pm. So, not of a real concern here what I bring or who I bring.

...saw that dazed dad...lost...looking for his son...lost...two winters ago might beg to differ that despite Slidebrook's proximity to civilization...it is still a very large slice of wilderness where getting hurt and/or lost is a distinct possibility. Lady luck prevented a potentially nasty outcome there, and there have been other close calls. The obvious unpreparedness of many who enter Slidebrook gets me to shake my head. Is mommy, daddy, and 11 year old Johnny a group of three ? Let's say mommy bumps her head badly on a tree. Does daddy stay and send Johnny out for help ? Or does daddy leave Johnny with mommy and head out for help ? We could go on and on with "disaster scenarios", but I for one like John Atkinson's very cautious and prepared approach, and see the same from my son's Mountaineering Adventure Blazer group where preparedness, skill development and respect for the backcountry/sidecountry wilderness environment is being instilled in kids otherwise likely to worry more about video games and Pop Tarts.

Perhaps I overplan and overthink and am over cautious, but it is easy to stray from the "herd paths" in SB...and group dynamics sometimes lull people into complacency, and...well...we're all human beings...and, well, S&%t happens.

89 at 10pm flows smoothly, right up until that black ice over the next hill crest. I'm just sayin'...

[Hawk]

For the love of God, Smootharc, you've skied in Chamonix! Nothing should give you the shivers.

Well, except a personal ski video review by the VT North Pro's...

...what happens in BP stays in BP, Mister Brew "Where is My Ski?" Ski. :lol:

P.S. And for the record, I kinda LIKE being taken behind the woodshed during video review !

P.P.S. And I never actually skied in Chamonix. Just hung out in the village wearing my stretch pants and ski boots LOOKING cool. Duh. Skiing Chamonix is scary, and I had forgotten to pack my Depends (something else you need in Slidebrook) !

I heard tail about a separation between man and ski. Two tenths reduction on the scoring aye. Twist is always funny with the double fall line. All the more reason to ski harder next weekend. Rip it up Brew. :wink:

[HowieT2]

Smootharc wrote"...sort of gave me the shivers (obviously)"


Peanut butter to use as bear repellent (When friend 1 goes for help, you smear the Pb on friend 2 so the bear thinks he tastes better)


and for more safety and enjoyment:
John Atkinson clone or the real thing if possible.
6 pack of beer while waiting for the bus, no imbibing and skiing in the woods please.


Chunky or creamy?


BTW, were the clones in for repair this weekend. NO sign of the Man with the Golden helmet......

Saw the general on sunday with his golden dome.

[007]

Seriously:

Those who think Slidebrook is slackcountry, go it alone, and believe it is as monitored as well as the main mountain are the ones most likely to become statistics..., consequently. If you think skiing through the Slidebrook is innocuous and as busy as a main trail, practice sitting in the snow for a few hours behind a tree with nothing to eat or drink, and better yet lie there and don't make a sound, and let us know how the experience was.

Those who ask questions about what to carry are on the path to enlightnment and adventure; thankfully they too can now help themselves as well as others in unfortunate and uncomfortable situations.

Those who already drink upstream of the herd have been trained to know what to carry, and continually practice, preparing for those far away adventures like Chamonix, Greenland and Vinson Massif! It's comforting to ski in the woods with them!

Bottom line is pack your own chute before going anywhere in Slidebrook Basin, main lines or whatever, and you won't be disappointed or ill-prepared if sh*t hits the fan for you or someone else you happen to come across. Safe Skiing and Mountain Travel is no accident.

[HowieT2]

Seriously:

Those who think Slidebrook is slackcountry, go it alone, and believe it is as monitored as well as the main mountain are the ones most likely to become statistics..., consequently. If you think skiing through the Slidebrook is innocuous and as busy as a main trail, practice sitting in the snow for a few hours behind a tree with nothing to eat or drink, and better yet lie there and don't make a sound, and let us know how the experience was.

Those who ask questions about what to carry are on the path to enlightnment and adventure; thankfully they too can now help themselves as well as others in unfortunate and uncomfortable situations.

Those who already drink upstream of the herd have been trained to know what to carry, and continually practice, preparing for those far away adventures like Chamonix, Greenland and Vinson Massif! It's comforting to ski in the woods with them!

Bottom line is pack your own chute before going anywhere in Slidebrook Basin, main lines or whatever, and you won't be disappointed or ill-prepared if sh*t hits the fan for you or someone else you happen to come across. Safe Skiing and Mountain Travel is no accident.

can we practice that at the keg?

[007]

Seriously:

Those who think Slidebrook is slackcountry, go it alone, and believe it is as monitored as well as the main mountain are the ones most likely to become statistics..., consequently. If you think skiing through the Slidebrook is innocuous and as busy as a main trail, practice sitting in the snow for a few hours behind a tree with nothing to eat or drink, and better yet lie there and don't make a sound, and let us know how the experience was.

Those who ask questions about what to carry are on the path to enlightnment and adventure; thankfully they too can now help themselves as well as others in unfortunate and uncomfortable situations.

Those who already drink upstream of the herd have been trained to know what to carry, and continually practice, preparing for those far away adventures like Chamonix, Greenland and Vinson Massif! It's comforting to ski in the woods with them!

Bottom line is pack your own chute before going anywhere in Slidebrook Basin, main lines or whatever, and you won't be disappointed or ill-prepared if sh*t hits the fan for you or someone else you happen to come across. Safe Skiing and Mountain Travel is no accident.

can we practice that at the keg?
Sure! Just show us where it is; your secrets are safe..... 8)
007
IN her majesty's service.

[djd66]

You guys really have a keg stashed somewhere in the woods? Doesn't it freeze?

[HowieT2]

You guys really have a keg stashed somewhere in the woods? Doesn't it freeze?

We don't need no stinking kegs!

[Hardbooter]

You guys really have a keg stashed somewhere in the woods? Doesn't it freeze?
That's why we invented the reverse kegerator. The tough part is skiing down with a new keg each time we empty it. Well, that and avoiding all the broken beer glasses and discarded clothing around the keg. Plus I can never really get on the bar stools right with my boots trapped to the board. I guess that's motivation to learn to ski.

[vonski]

[...saw that dazed dad...lost...looking for his son...lost...two winters ago might beg to differ that despite Slidebrook's proximity to civilization...it is still a very large slice of wilderness where getting hurt and/or lost is a distinct possibility. Lady luck prevented a potentially nasty outcome there, and there have been other close calls. The obvious unpreparedness of many who enter Slidebrook gets me to shake my head. Is mommy, daddy, and 11 year old Johnny a group of three ? Let's say mommy bumps her head badly on a tree. Does daddy stay and send Johnny out for help ? Or does daddy leave Johnny with mommy and head out for help ? We could go on and on with "disaster scenarios", but I for one like John Atkinson's very cautious and prepared approach, and see the same from my son's Mountaineering Adventure Blazer group where preparedness, skill development and respect for the backcountry/sidecountry wilderness environment is being instilled in kids otherwise likely to worry more about video games and Pop Tarts.

Perhaps I overplan and overthink and am over cautious, but it is easy to stray from the "herd paths" in SB...and group dynamics sometimes lull people into complacency, and...well...we're all human beings...and, well, S&%t happens.

89 at 10pm flows smoothly, right up until that black ice over the next hill crest. I'm just sayin'...

Yeah and I always sit there and say to myself as the guy goes speeding by me on 89 as he comes up the crest where the mountain has been blasted out and the left lane never sees any daylight cause of the cut through the mountain. Hey idiot have fun in the ditch! And sure enought there he is stuck in the snow bank!

So, it is all a matter of perspective. In my opinion, there are far worse and more dangerous woods within the boundaries with greater pitch than on the main lines in Slidebrook. It also has to do with the speed and control that one skis with. Sure shit happens, but I am not an aggressive skier in the woods. The woods are for peace and quiet not speed! Not that I can't still get screwed up but less likely.

For the record, I carry radios, phone, lighter, water, food, duct tape, gps, etc. When heading out into Slidebrook and for that matter anywhere on the mountain. It does take some common sense of which many don't have I suppose. Kinda like the guy bitching on the shuttle bus at his kid for not bringing his helmet and gets pissed at me for asking him where his helmet is! No common sense with that guy!
s

[Hawk]

Personnal responcibility is where it's at Mr. Bond. I can never put someone down for soloing because I am very guilty of it almost everyweekend. My last run of the day is usualy solo back to the condo via the routes that you know. These runs are very special to me. Nothing but the wind and the birds and the sounds of the woods. As a wise skier once said, you can live your life like a Lion or you can live your life like a lamb. It's your choice. :wink:

Seriously:

Those who think Slidebrook is slackcountry, go it alone, and believe it is as monitored as well as the main mountain are the ones most likely to become statistics..., consequently. If you think skiing through the Slidebrook is innocuous and as busy as a main trail, practice sitting in the snow for a few hours behind a tree with nothing to eat or drink, and better yet lie there and don't make a sound, and let us know how the experience was.

Those who ask questions about what to carry are on the path to enlightnment and adventure; thankfully they too can now help themselves as well as others in unfortunate and uncomfortable situations.

Those who already drink upstream of the herd have been trained to know what to carry, and continually practice, preparing for those far away adventures like Chamonix, Greenland and Vinson Massif! It's comforting to ski in the woods with them!

Bottom line is pack your own chute before going anywhere in Slidebrook Basin, main lines or whatever, and you won't be disappointed or ill-prepared if sh*t hits the fan for you or someone else you happen to come across. Safe Skiing and Mountain Travel is no accident.

[007]

Just remember: lions run in prides, and lambs get slaughtered; its much more fun having you running with the pride brutha lion.


Personnal responcibility is where it's at Mr. Bond. I can never put someone down for soloing because I am very guilty of it almost everyweekend. My last run of the day is usualy solo back to the condo via the routes that you know. These runs are very special to me. Nothing but the wind and the birds and the sounds of the woods. As a wise skier once said, you can live your life like a Lion or you can live your life like a lamb. It's your choice. :wink:

Seriously:

Those who think Slidebrook is slackcountry, go it alone, and believe it is as monitored as well as the main mountain are the ones most likely to become statistics..., consequently. If you think skiing through the Slidebrook is innocuous and as busy as a main trail, practice sitting in the snow for a few hours behind a tree with nothing to eat or drink, and better yet lie there and don't make a sound, and let us know how the experience was.

Those who ask questions about what to carry are on the path to enlightnment and adventure; thankfully they too can now help themselves as well as others in unfortunate and uncomfortable situations.

Those who already drink upstream of the herd have been trained to know what to carry, and continually practice, preparing for those far away adventures like Chamonix, Greenland and Vinson Massif! It's comforting to ski in the woods with them!

Bottom line is pack your own chute before going anywhere in Slidebrook Basin, main lines or whatever, and you won't be disappointed or ill-prepared if sh*t hits the fan for you or someone else you happen to come across. Safe Skiing and Mountain Travel is no accident.

[Brew Ski]

Hawk wrote "I heard tail about a separation between man and ski....

Broken binding plate will get you just at the right moment... Like on camera in front of..., well everyone.
Makes for a very expensive "penalty round" in the pub.

I still managed to finish the day, even do a little hucking from the big rocks in the Rumble rock garden.

I am once again amazed at the excellent service provided by the VT North Pro shop team. I thought I was going to have to buy some new bindings, but Jesse was able to fix up my bindings before the night was over. Custom work and immediate service, that certainly doesn't happen at many ski shops!

BTW, even stepping out of the ski on a zipper line, I didn't fall! Little matter but at least I was in good balance which is the point I guess. I still got ridiculed by everyone. Smootharc, apparently, has a little more to offer. It's not like I fell on Liftline and bent my pole around my backside or anything!

[Hawk]

Some days you just need to get away from all the static and free you head. The pride is fun but all those opinions pushing and pulling. It's kind of like meditation. It clears the head and the soul. You should try it sometime. I might fix that hand position problem you were talking about. :wink:

Just remember: lions run in prides, and lambs get slaughtered; its much more fun having you running with the pride brutha lion.


Personnal responcibility is where it's at Mr. Bond. I can never put someone down for soloing because I am very guilty of it almost everyweekend. My last run of the day is usualy solo back to the condo via the routes that you know. These runs are very special to me. Nothing but the wind and the birds and the sounds of the woods. As a wise skier once said, you can live your life like a Lion or you can live your life like a lamb. It's your choice. :wink:

Seriously:

Those who think Slidebrook is slackcountry, go it alone, and believe it is as monitored as well as the main mountain are the ones most likely to become statistics..., consequently. If you think skiing through the Slidebrook is innocuous and as busy as a main trail, practice sitting in the snow for a few hours behind a tree with nothing to eat or drink, and better yet lie there and don't make a sound, and let us know how the experience was.

Those who ask questions about what to carry are on the path to enlightnment and adventure; thankfully they too can now help themselves as well as others in unfortunate and uncomfortable situations.

Those who already drink upstream of the herd have been trained to know what to carry, and continually practice, preparing for those far away adventures like Chamonix, Greenland and Vinson Massif! It's comforting to ski in the woods with them!

Bottom line is pack your own chute before going anywhere in Slidebrook Basin, main lines or whatever, and you won't be disappointed or ill-prepared if sh*t hits the fan for you or someone else you happen to come across. Safe Skiing and Mountain Travel is no accident.

[gone.skiing]

I thought I was going to have to buy some new bindings

Stop being a cheapskate and throw those demo bindings in the trash...
http://www.sierrasnowboard.com/Rossignol-FKS-120-Ski-Bindings.asp

[smootharc]

Smootharc, apparently, has a little more to offer. It's not like I fell on Liftline and bent my pole around my backside or anything!

A touche and salute to you would be in order...IF that was a fall, and IF I had bent my ski pole.

But you are confused, dear sir, as that was a PBRRPS (planned barrel roll recovery practice scenario), and what appeared to be a bent ski pole was actually my magic wand, with which I do amazing things. Perhaps you were a Shot Block or two down in blood sugar, hence your confusion... :wink:

Back on topic, I do like 007's thinking. Last year he, myself, and patroller friend of his took my two sons into slidebrook for a "practice" run as a group. Full "serious" mode, and full discussions as we proceeded from point to point to point. Use of buddy system, knowledge of whereabouts, group skiing, choosing good stopping points, and general backcountry respect and safety were all discussed and very much on the "front burner" for the run. I felt it was an educational, fun, and very good run for my boys to experience.

[Hardbooter]

My best slide brook slack-country safety tip: LOOK OUT!

Some of those Road 2 water bars are in the shade. (Faces were planted.)

I did my friends a favor. It's a lot easier to see a small shady water bar if someone is lying in a heap just past it. That goes for stumps and horizontal logs too. Those are easy to find if you see a friend face down on the trail.

[skibum1321]

My best slide brook slack-country safety tip: LOOK OUT!

Some of those Road 2 water bars are in the shade. (Faces were planted.)

I did my friends a favor. It's a lot easier to see a small shady water bar if someone is lying in a heap just past it. That goes for stumps and horizontal logs too. Those are easy to find if you see a friend face down on the trail.
It's true, I was much more aware of the size of the waterbar after watching you eat it. Thanks!

[MntMan4Bush]

To each their own. Know your abilities and ski within them. For some SB is slack country. To others maybe not. Some feel comfortable solo-ing and others don't. Apparently some of you forgot something else you keep stashed deep in your pack. A big ole bottle of self righteousness.

Bottom line is take risk if you are comfortable with it, but at the end of the day live with your actions. If you feel comfortable taking enough emergency equipment into Sleeper Woods that it requires a sherpa built like Bull from Night Court then enjoy. If you want to go in with nothing but a big Sack O'nutz and nothing else then do so. What we don't know about the original poster is their ski ability and comfort level. If it's lower then maybe having a few items mentioned would make you feel comfortable until you run it a few more times and realize it's a wooded glade between two major ski resorts as in bounds as the free throw line. (I know. I know. Lambast me all you want. It's not technically in-bounds, but I saw a groomer going up it last week. Hell they blew more snow in there then all of the Heaven's Gate pod)

What you are currently carrying is fine and I don't think an inconvenience or too little. Sounds about right to me. Have fun, but watch out for the guy carrying a Barca-lounger down on his shoulders. He'd hate to run into a situation where he couldn't sit down.

[smootharc]

a sherpa built like Bull from Night Court then enjoy.

...in LA about 8 years ago. Self-effacing, very funny, very laid back and an overall interesting and cool dude. Where is Bull today ?!?!


And good thoughts on the whole "personal responsibility" angle. Obvious in one sense, but unfortunately needs to be brought up in today's "not my fault" America. But that slippery-slope heads off topic pretty fast...

[Tin Woodsman]

a sherpa built like Bull from Night Court then enjoy.

...in LA about 8 years ago. Self-effacing, very funny, very laid back and an overall interesting and cool dude. Where is Bull today ?!?!



http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0596959/

[TreeBandit]

Since I tend not to go into Slidebrook via the tourist route;

Backpack
Cell Phone
GPS
2-way radio
First aid kit (weekend) enough to help others that may need help
whistle
water
power bar or PB&J
Leatherman
Skins
Ducktape
TP for kids if required
HeadLamp
space blanket
Sam Splint
Voile straps
Face mask or Hat
Shovel

From the tourist side I would leave out the Skins and Shovel. The rest of the stuff is easy to carry in a small pack that works well to rest on if required.