Mountain Lessons Archives - 14erskiers.com

Gothic West Side (or a look at backcountry decision-making) – 11 Mar 2018

March 19, 2018March 19, 2018 Brittany Walker Konsella 0 Comments

I kept saying the line made me uncomfortable, that we’d find more mature snow further down the ridge. You could see that the snow in that particular gully had been less affected by solar radiation, and could therefore be less stable. What I didn’t explain was that the wind-loaded gully was the classic thing we should be avoiding right now given the history of remote triggers in similar terrain throughout the season. We were already venturing out on more risky terrain, why not ski the safest line possible given we had choices? But, somehow that never made it out of my mouth. Why? Because I was upset that my friends wanted to ski something we had previously all agreed on was unsafe. Instead, I just found myself feeling bad for being the one who was trying to change everyone’s mind.

Biking Interviews Miscellaneous Mountain Lessons

Backcountry Lifeline – Wilderness First Aid for Mountain Bikers

June 5, 2017 Brittany Walker Konsella 3 Comments

For some reason, many people feel that mountain biking is a relatively safe activity, especially compared to backcountry skiing. And perhaps it is. But, accidents on mountain bikes happen. A lot. And the injuries can be a lot more serious than people realize sometimes. When you are miles deep in the backcountry in a place where cell phones won’t work, will you know what to do to help a fallen friend and riders? That’s where Backcountry Lifeline comes in – first aid for mountain bikers, by mountain bikers.

Backcountry Skiing Mountain Lessons

Mountain Lessons: Summer Skiing Slide for Life

March 26, 2017March 27, 2017 Brittany Walker Konsella 2 Comments

I looked down at Diamond Lake below. Then I looked ahead. Boy this snow is slippery, I thought to myself. I looked down at the snow that led almost all the way to the lake below. At least if I fall, I have a clean run-out.

One, two, three, maybe four steps later…. Woosh! One foot slipped, then the other. I tried to use my ice axe to self arrest but by the time I even had a chance to think about it I was flying down the snow on my back, with my backpack weighing me down. I could not flip over to use my ice axe to self-arrest.

Miscellaneous Mountain Lessons Respect the Snow

Mountain Lessons: Helping an Injured Skier on Fletcher Mountain

March 8, 2017March 16, 2017 Brittany Walker Konsella 4 Comments

We decided to continue to approach them, and see if they needed help. There were two skiers, one injured and one not. They explained that they had approached from the other side and that their first skier to drop in to the line, Josh Barilar, had gotten caught up on some wet slough which had steered him into the rock wall that lined the side of the chute. He then fell into the moat, the deep gap that forms between snow and rock walls. His ski was broken and he had a severe laceration on his leg which squirted blood out every time they tried to move him. In fact I could see the splatter of blood on the rock wall.

Follow Brittany's account of her trauma on July 6th and her recovery since!

Gimps Resort Skiing Trauma Incident

Unlucky Lucky: Skiing Again!

February 4, 2020 Brittany Walker Konsella 3

At the end of the appointment, the doctor sat me down and said, “Let’s talk about skiing.” In my head I said, “I thought you’d never ask!” But, I refrained. He asked, “Do you even want to ski this year?” I nodded my head in silent response, but inside I was screaming, “Oh hell yeah!” Then he asked, “Do you have a seasons pass?” I nodded my head again and mumbled something about buying it before the accident and just keeping it because I thought I’d be skiing in spring for sure. Then he said, “I think you should get out and ski. I think it will help you mentally.” Yep, this doc knows me, or at least knows my type. Of course, there was the whole spiel about starting out slow, on groomers only, etc. But, I already knew this. It’s not like I haven’t been through 3 ACL surgeries before.

Gimps