about two months ago I got caught in a pretty serious avalanche I went for
pretty serious avalanche I went for
pretty serious avalanche I went for 2,000 feet basically the whole
2,000 feet basically the whole
2,000 feet basically the whole mountainside came down and the
mountainside came down and the
mountainside came down and the avalanches are rated by their class
avalanches are rated by their class
avalanches are rated by their class class one being you know an avalanche
class one being you know an avalanche
class one being you know an avalanche that takes out trees and cars and class
that takes out trees and cars and class
that takes out trees and cars and class two is a Avalanche that takes out trees
two is a Avalanche that takes out trees
two is a Avalanche that takes out trees cars and probably a bus sized vehicles
cars and probably a bus sized vehicles
cars and probably a bus sized vehicles and then class three is when an
and then class three is when an
and then class three is when an avalanche can take out you know trees
avalanche can take out you know trees
avalanche can take out you know trees cars buses and homes houses and people
cars buses and homes houses and people
cars buses and homes houses and people don’t generally survive you know people
don’t generally survive you know people
don’t generally survive you know people don’t survive class one avalanches often
don’t survive class one avalanches often
don’t survive class one avalanches often um I don’t know very many people that
um I don’t know very many people that
um I don’t know very many people that have survived a class three avalanche
have survived a class three avalanche
have survived a class three avalanche and that was the kind of Avalanche I got
and that was the kind of Avalanche I got
and that was the kind of Avalanche I got caught in so when the Avalanche happened
caught in so when the Avalanche happened
caught in so when the Avalanche happened I just finished filming with Jeremy
I just finished filming with Jeremy
I just finished filming with Jeremy Jones and Xavi a Delarue in the Tetons
Jones and Xavi a Delarue in the Tetons
Jones and Xavi a Delarue in the Tetons we were checking conditions we’d skied
we were checking conditions we’d skied
we were checking conditions we’d skied the our objective which was you know
the our objective which was you know
the our objective which was you know this line called the sliver and it’s
this line called the sliver and it’s
this line called the sliver and it’s just this little sliver that comes down
just this little sliver that comes down
just this little sliver that comes down the middle of this big face and we were
the middle of this big face and we were
the middle of this big face and we were coming out and it the temperatures were
coming out and it the temperatures were
coming out and it the temperatures were rising pretty significantly and so
rising pretty significantly and so
rising pretty significantly and so there’s a lot of change happening in the
there’s a lot of change happening in the
there’s a lot of change happening in the snowpack we were aware of that you know
snowpack we were aware of that you know
snowpack we were aware of that you know we’ve all spent a lot of time in the
we’ve all spent a lot of time in the
we’ve all spent a lot of time in the mountains and we’re trying to manage the
mountains and we’re trying to manage the
mountains and we’re trying to manage the terrain and the snowpack and I was
terrain and the snowpack and I was
terrain and the snowpack and I was actually third on slope and those two
actually third on slope and those two
actually third on slope and those two guys were up on the side on this little
guys were up on the side on this little
guys were up on the side on this little safe zone and I just watched this the
safe zone and I just watched this the
safe zone and I just watched this the whole mountain pretty much cracked
whole mountain pretty much cracked
whole mountain pretty much cracked behind me and
behind me and
behind me and I got caught in the avalanche I was good
I got caught in the avalanche I was good
I got caught in the avalanche I was good you know probably a few hundred feet
you know probably a few hundred feet
you know probably a few hundred feet down I was still on top and I watched a
down I was still on top and I watched a
down I was still on top and I watched a bunch of these trees just snap in half
bunch of these trees just snap in half
bunch of these trees just snap in half in front of me and went over this big
in front of me and went over this big
in front of me and went over this big rollover and I went to the bottom the
rollover and I went to the bottom the
rollover and I went to the bottom the snowpack and just got crushed and held
snowpack and just got crushed and held
snowpack and just got crushed and held down for a while and then I eventually
down for a while and then I eventually
down for a while and then I eventually resurfaced to the top you know when
resurfaced to the top you know when
resurfaced to the top you know when you’re at the bottom you’re you don’t
you’re at the bottom you’re you don’t
you’re at the bottom you’re you don’t want it to stop because you know if it
want it to stop because you know if it
want it to stop because you know if it stops they will never find you because
stops they will never find you because
stops they will never find you because it was too big you know there was no way
it was too big you know there was no way
it was too big you know there was no way they were gonna find me it was so I came
they were gonna find me it was so I came
they were gonna find me it was so I came up to the top and eventually you can
up to the top and eventually you can
up to the top and eventually you can feel the weight coming off of you it’s
feel the weight coming off of you it’s
feel the weight coming off of you it’s really kind of an unbearable amount of
really kind of an unbearable amount of
really kind of an unbearable amount of weight because it’s it’s like hundreds
weight because it’s it’s like hundreds
weight because it’s it’s like hundreds of tons of snow essentially and then I
of tons of snow essentially and then I
of tons of snow essentially and then I came back to the top and I kind of
came back to the top and I kind of
came back to the top and I kind of rolled over and I was back on top of the
rolled over and I was back on top of the
rolled over and I was back on top of the snowpack and I I looked around me and
snowpack and I I looked around me and
snowpack and I I looked around me and for a moment actually I stopped being
for a moment actually I stopped being
for a moment actually I stopped being scared because just the magnitude of
scared because just the magnitude of
scared because just the magnitude of what I was caught in was so incredible
what I was caught in was so incredible
what I was caught in was so incredible that you know it was like I had the
that you know it was like I had the
that you know it was like I had the moment to pause and you know you don’t
moment to pause and you know you don’t
moment to pause and you know you don’t generally feel that kind of power ever
generally feel that kind of power ever
generally feel that kind of power ever especially in an uncontrolled
especially in an uncontrolled
especially in an uncontrolled environment I mean because you know
environment I mean because you know
environment I mean because you know we’re talking about the weight of
we’re talking about the weight of
we’re talking about the weight of several airplanes essentially flying
several airplanes essentially flying
several airplanes essentially flying down the mountain around you like an
down the mountain around you like an
down the mountain around you like an ocean of you know this avalanche and in
ocean of you know this avalanche and in
ocean of you know this avalanche and in this far I got a couple hundred feet to
this far I got a couple hundred feet to
this far I got a couple hundred feet to either side of me it was just in motion
either side of me it was just in motion
either side of me it was just in motion and all around me and then I went back
and all around me and then I went back
and all around me and then I went back into the snowpack I remember looking to
into the snowpack I remember looking to
into the snowpack I remember looking to and I looked down and I could see the
and I looked down and I could see the
and I looked down and I could see the entire Avalanche paths and there’s all I
entire Avalanche paths and there’s all I
entire Avalanche paths and there’s all I knew I was going to the bottom of the
knew I was going to the bottom of the
knew I was going to the bottom of the valley and you know the trees are like
valley and you know the trees are like
valley and you know the trees are like that big and these are like 200 100 foot
that big and these are like 200 100 foot
that big and these are like 200 100 foot tall trees and I was like okay I’m going
tall trees and I was like okay I’m going
tall trees and I was like okay I’m going back to the but I’m going all the way
back to the but I’m going all the way
back to the but I’m going all the way and I I went another thousand feet to
and I I went another thousand feet to
and I I went another thousand feet to the bottom and
the bottom and
the bottom and same thing got caught deep in the bottom
same thing got caught deep in the bottom
same thing got caught deep in the bottom um you know just thought I was gonna get
um you know just thought I was gonna get
um you know just thought I was gonna get ripped apart from the the forces and
ripped apart from the the forces and
ripped apart from the the forces and then I don’t know what happened I got to
then I don’t know what happened I got to
then I don’t know what happened I got to the bottom I could feel it slowing down
the bottom I could feel it slowing down
the bottom I could feel it slowing down and I popped right out at the toe of the
and I popped right out at the toe of the
and I popped right out at the toe of the Avalanche and you know it took my
Avalanche and you know it took my
Avalanche and you know it took my partner’s 20 minutes 30 minutes to even
partner’s 20 minutes 30 minutes to even
partner’s 20 minutes 30 minutes to even get down and they were a hundred percent
get down and they were a hundred percent
get down and they were a hundred percent sure I was gone they were like I mean
sure I was gone they were like I mean
sure I was gone they were like I mean they would have been less surprised if
they would have been less surprised if
they would have been less surprised if they had been talking to my ghost when
they had been talking to my ghost when
they had been talking to my ghost when they showed up and they saw me they were
they showed up and they saw me they were
they showed up and they saw me they were just couldn’t believe it it’s very rare
just couldn’t believe it it’s very rare
just couldn’t believe it it’s very rare when I experienced something like that
when I experienced something like that
when I experienced something like that hopefully in a hurry and but where I’m
hopefully in a hurry and but where I’m
hopefully in a hurry and but where I’m you know I usually just try to push
you know I usually just try to push
you know I usually just try to push through it and this time
through it and this time
through it and this time I decided I should probably take a
I decided I should probably take a
I decided I should probably take a little break but so I took a month off I
little break but so I took a month off I
little break but so I took a month off I went down to Mexico I love surfing so I
went down to Mexico I love surfing so I
went down to Mexico I love surfing so I was down there surfing for a while the
was down there surfing for a while the
was down there surfing for a while the people that worked on me afterwards said
people that worked on me afterwards said
people that worked on me afterwards said that my body felt like was like it was
that my body felt like was like it was
that my body felt like was like it was reacting as if every bone in my body had
reacting as if every bone in my body had
reacting as if every bone in my body had broken even though nothing had broken
broken even though nothing had broken
broken even though nothing had broken but essentially everything had gotten
but essentially everything had gotten
but essentially everything had gotten taken to the point of breaking like
taken to the point of breaking like
taken to the point of breaking like everything so I was you know for a month
everything so I was you know for a month
everything so I was you know for a month I felt like I’d been run over by a Mack
I felt like I’d been run over by a Mack
I felt like I’d been run over by a Mack truck or several Mac trucks and then I
truck or several Mac trucks and then I
truck or several Mac trucks and then I but it was good the ocean was very
but it was good the ocean was very
but it was good the ocean was very healing and I think in your 20s and even
healing and I think in your 20s and even
healing and I think in your 20s and even early 30s or for me you know there’s a
early 30s or for me you know there’s a
early 30s or for me you know there’s a certain sense of immortality or actually
certain sense of immortality or actually
certain sense of immortality or actually if that’s not true it’s not a sense of
if that’s not true it’s not a sense of
if that’s not true it’s not a sense of immortality it’s no sense of mortality
immortality it’s no sense of mortality
immortality it’s no sense of mortality um you know certainly there are lessons
um you know certainly there are lessons
um you know certainly there are lessons that I could go on and on about
that I could go on and on about
that I could go on and on about it’s important to do what’s meaningful
it’s important to do what’s meaningful
it’s important to do what’s meaningful to you and that you know you don’t want
to you and that you know you don’t want
to you and that you know you don’t want to take your time for granted of course
”
Be First to Comment