Trees: Are they out to get us?

By Wendy Clinch •  Updated: 04/29/14 •  3 min read

Not that I blame them. People are tough on trees. We cut them down for lumber and paper. We clear them away for housing developments and strip malls. And we change the environment, creating conditions that can make it hard for them to grow.

But how well do we really know trees? I mean, look at them standing there, strong, tall, and silent.  Who knows what they’re really thinking? And even though this past Friday was Arbor Day, a day set aside for us to celebrate trees, maybe that’s not enough to keep them appeased. Maybe they’re actually plotting their revenge, luring us to ski among them and then taking us out with collisions or tree wells.

Ah, they’re wily devils, aren’t they?

So this Arbor Day week, I propose we fight back. Let’s step up, people, and show the trees we will not be defeated! Let’s take tree safety into our own hands.

By far, the best way to stay safe is to never ski in the trees alone. Always ski with a buddy, and always stay within sight of one another. If you lose visual contact, don’t ski on ahead. Regroup instead of meeting down at the lift.

Why? Because someone who falls into a tree well can drown as quickly as someone who’s submerged in water. Tree wells account for 20% of ski area fatalities. And 90% of  people involved in tree well research experiments were unable to rescue themselves.

So what can you do, if your ski buddy falls in? Here are some tips, from deepsnowsafety.org by way of unofficial networks.com:

And what can you do for yourself, if somehow you fall into a tree well and you’re buddy’s not around?

Remember, there are more of them than there are of us. And they’re very, very patient…….

Be careful out there.

 

 

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