Tree well safety

You’ve heard about Sony Bono, one of the Kennedys and other people getting killed from skiing into trees? If you’re going faster than, say, 25 miles per hours–very easy on a groomed slope–and you hit a tree head-on, no helmet will save you.

You could argue that there’s no more enjoyable kind of riding than riding in powder, among the trees. I might have to agree with you. I spent my childhood in a house on a 1.5 acre lot that had plenty of 70-foot tall (or higher) pines. And during the last season I enjoyed riding among the trees at Bretton Woods, Buttermilk, and Snowmass. There’s something interesting and sometimes thrilling about being in a forest. The shape and color of the trees adds variety, especially if the trees are evergreen. Trees simply give a descent down the mountain a different feel.

But trees can be deadly, and not only because of the possibility of head injuries. There’s also suffocation in tree wells, which are areas right next to the trunk of a tree. Ironically, they don’t have as much snow as the ground a few further away from the trunk.

Does all this mean that you shouldn’t ride in the trees? Only if the fact that people die in automobile crashes keeps you from ever being in a car. The key is not to avoid risk entirely, but to minimize it.

Last year, Shayboarder offered up some useful information on how to ride safely through trees. See also the site Tree Well Safety.