Skiing the trees where Jesse blew out her knee. Photo provided by Kevin Luby
She came out of the steep trees hot and squirrelly, struggling to control her speed because of the oversized pack hanging from her back like a small unruly child. When she fell, I felt her backward twisting fall in my own knee joints. You alright? Is everything good? we hollered. With her little yelp in response, we knew Jesse's hut trip was over on the first run.
At that moment the entire group dynamic changed. What began as a fun day of noodling in some short, sporty trees near the Lost Wonder Hut on Colorados Monarch Pass became an evacuation situation. I wouldn't call what happened next chaos, but given our large group, the first few minutes came with a bit of confusion. Luckily, we were armed with four BC Link radios. I had just picked them up from the shop and this was their inaugural trip.
Thanks to our ability to communicate clearly and easily, it didn't take long to formulate a plan. One small group would work to stabilize Jesse and move her down the slope to the access road a few hundred vertical feet, a stream crossing, and a small climb away from the scene of the accident. I'd hustle back to the hut to grab the kiddie chariot wed used to cart in all the beer for the trip. Wed meet back on the road, load her up, and transport her the leg back to the car. It seemed almost too easy given the seriousness of Jesses' injury, but in short order, she was on the road to the hospital, and the rest of us were back powder skiing, bummed about the situation but thoroughly impressed with the smoothness of the whole operation.
Even in the little bit of touring and skiing we got before Jesses injury, we were blown away by the utility of the BC Link radios. We could easily coordinate one-at-a-time descents, relay snow stability, and quality information, and even keep the stoke high by telling jokes.
But after the swift and painless (for everyone but Jesse) evacuation, it was obvious to the whole group that the easy-to-use radios are perhaps the most important tool to bring into the backcountry. The seamless communication afforded by the BC Link system helped us ski safer, find better snow, and coordinate more effectively. Now, my BC Link radios are a permanent fixture in my kit. For me, they've achieved the status of backcountry essentials: beacon, probe, shovel, radios. All are equally as critical to a day of touring, and I never leave home without them.
Formerly an editor at Skiing Magazine, Kevin Luby now collects a paycheck working as the Athlete and Event Coordinator for SCARPA North America. When he's not at the desk, he can be found cruising groomers at Loveland or exploring his favorite range, the Indian Peaks.