a story overheard...

A recent and true story that I heard last night (that I will try not to embellish)...

A Mt. Baker Ski Patroller was watching a snowboarder as he climbed out of bounds. At some point the boarder stepped on a small cornice which collapsed and deposited him on the slope below which slid...but not too deeply.

The boarder was fine but lost his board. He did a few laps of the area to try to find his board and eventually gave up.

When the boarder made it back to the resort the Ski Patroller asked him why he didnt use his shovel to try to find the board? The ski patroller could see the shovel handle protruding from the boarder's pack.

The snowboarder replied that he only put the handle on the pack so that he would be allowed through the gates.

He was promptly escorted off the mountain.

Amazing...simply amazing.

Yep, true. Some friends witnessed this genius take some steps out on the cornice to take a leak...and poof, there it went. This "accident" happened on the Shuksan Arm. The resulting slide fractured approx. 10" deep. I actually triggered a wind deposited slab of the same depth on the "Around the Horn" run on Table Mtn. the same day (Tues.) which ran to the lakes. Everything was holding quite well, even steeps, below 5500'. It seemed that the previous days rain event reached about that level. Above that level, the snow had a different feel to it. Anyway, great bluebird, blower powder day. One of the best this year. Can't believe the guy only carries around a shovel handle.

oh my...I thought I wasnt remembering right about the reason he was stepping out on the cornice. I thought I was making it up that he was on the cornice to take a leak. What a story.

so that's where my shovel handle i lost went

incredible.

what boggles my mind is where would you get just a handle? and its not like the rest of the shovel is too much more money once you have a handle..... ???