This is just a reminder about being prepared, the mountains are not forgiving. This Sunday (9 Feb) I saw a column of smoke back in the mountains where I ride. I new immediately that it was a sled burning. Raced thru the powder to try and help. Arrived in time to see a sled smoldering in a pile of ashes and 3 men wandering around. I hollered at them to ask if they were OK. They had been stuck in deep snow for 28 hours and were cold and hungry. They said they could climb out, they made it about 50 feet before they were wore out. I told them to stay there, to which they told me there was no way out from where they are. I know that country as well as any. Myself and 2 others dropped down to help. They were very concerned that we would all be stuck. LOL I told them we live for deep powder. I blew a trail out, ran up and down it a couple time to pack it. They could not beleive how easy we could manuever in the same area that had alsmost killed them. This is an abbreviated version, the whole rescue took a couple hours. I will attach a few pictures and tell the whole story later Remember


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My helpers getting my sled out.

3 guys who made some mistakes. I am glad we were able to save them.

This is what all 3 of there sleds looked like after being torched for heat.

The mighty RX1 almost killed us getting out. LOL

The excavation that was required to get the RX1 out.

Damn! I was in powder half that deep and we were winded trying to get the sleds unstuck! I think I would be dead by the time I got one of those unstuck! :D

Great pics and story glad to hear everyone made out well. Hmm i can t imagine coming to the point of burning my sled for warmth, but then again there are trees everywhere down here. You guys got some serious powder up there . I have been playing in it here for a bit now finally. Hitting some deep drifts and overhangs that are over my head

TG you saw them OMOTM !!! !!! I have great fears of this sort of thing. Those 3 fellas were sure glad to see you guys I bet. You must be some kind of guardian angel OMOTM :) :) :) :D

Originally posted by LadyK@Feb 11 2003, 05:08 AM
TG you saw them OMOTM !!! !!! I have great fears of this sort of thing. Those 3 fellas were sure glad to see you guys I bet. You must be some kind of guardian angel OMOTM :) :) :) :D
OMOTM that was fantastic and very rewarding for you and the guys you were with. This is the kind of stuff that neest to hit the headlines. Not the bad things. Trouble is the bad over shadows the good. Thanks for sharing this with us. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Wow, good story, and nice pics.
Hard to comprehend burning your sled, but desperate times............

I'm glad everyone is OK. Must suck waking up the next morning, knowing you had to torch your sled. But at least they got to wake up.

[/QUOTE]Wow, good story, and nice pics.
Hard to comprehend burning your sled, but desperate times............

I'm glad everyone is OK. Must suck waking up the next morning, knowing you had to torch your sled. But at least they got to wake up.

NO kidding! Way to go OMOTM and friends! :thumbsup: Must feel nice. Poor guys though ???

I am truly happy that all survived with all body parts still intact. They actually posted a reward for us at our dealer. That was not expected. I also received a call from an Anchorage reporter today, he interviewed me, I asked him to place a paragraph in the article requesting avy and mountain survival courses be provide by the state. After all we mountain riders do not ride groomed trails, yet we have to pay to register our sleds. I suggested that the courses be at all the major population centers and the only requirement to attend would be to give your sled registration number. It would be cheap to have avy training in large groups and will be the only return we receive for our registration dollars.


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OMOTM I see the article in the paper leave it to a reporter not to put what you asked to put in there. Great job to you and your son and friend for finding them guys. I'm sure you remember the people that died a few years back on the Denali Highway from when there car got stuck. To bad there deal didnt turn out like this that was a sad thing to happen to those people. I know of a great thing that would be a good deal for carrying extra gear riding and no back pack on your back or nothing. My father in law is building seats that have under the seat storage and will build them for any sled. With that a guy could carry a sleeping bag and dry clothes heck could even put a little tent in there. If you or anyone would like to know more about them email me. Once again great job. dtruett@mtaonline.net

Can you guys post a copy of the article on here or a link to it? It'd be nice to see a good story for once instead of all the negative ones!!

I hope if I'm ever in trouble there will be someone like OMOTM around! :D

http://www.adn.com/front/story/2608494p-2654842c.html
Here is the site, somebody else will have to make it clickable. I do sleds, not puters. LOL


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Oh and I had a bad experience in October and was thankful that 3 teenage kids helped me out. I hit a rock on my sled in Hatchers Pass and busted up my leg really bad at the ankle up. One of the kids was broke down on the road well he heard me hit the rock and he come running up to me and i told him i was fine to just get my sled off that rock so i could get the hell out of there. He looked at my sled and said it wasnt going anyplace, wiped out the whole left front. Thankful the road was packed hard enough from the snowmachines that he ran down and got his buddys and the drove the tahoe right up to me picked me up and put me in the back seat. Then got down to my truck they took it and went and got my sled and loaded it up. My son was with me when this happened but he was at the truck with the girl I was seeing at the time. So we tryed driving out in my regular cab truck and she was driving it didnt matter one mile a hour couldnt keep my foot from hitting the floor board. So we made the decision to call the ambulance since there was no way in hell I was making it that way. Why waiting for it the 3 kids came up and so put me in the back seat of the tahoe again and away we went. We get a few miles down the road and here is the ambulance stopped waiting in the road for me to show up, I was so discusted I refused there services. The 3 kids took me all the way to the hospital and made sure I was ok all the way talking to me and it was great that 3 teenage boys came and helped me out. I think of them kids alot, always wondering what if I was there alone and that happened? Who knows what the out come would have been then. Iam just glad that everything is working out. I still cant ride yet but it is getting better. Just wanted to share my story. Ride safe and have fun.

I can only imagin what was going through those guys heads. having to burn their sleds for heat. as as it happed burning the last sled was what got them saved. hard to think what they were thinking as the last sled was burning. Glad to see this story has a happy ending.

they owe their lives to OMOTM .

Good story with a happy ending.
Clickable (http://www.adn.com/front/story/2608494p-2654842c.html)

"Old Man of the Mountain" sounded like a myth, legend, or some type of superhero anyway.
Now he really is the hero of the day.

Great story, i know those guys will be sending you something nice for your birthday. :D