>>16308It's all about throttle control.
You've got a big rotating mass under you, the track.
Throttle increases its rotation, lifting the front end up. Brake slows rotation, pulling the front end down. Snow's pretty soft (most of the time), plus you've got a bit of suspension travel on the track and skis to soften the landing.
This is one of my favorite videos, and a great demonstration of what happens when you panic and grab the brake mid-air:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQUizGX8E00Mentioned my avalanche pack a few times now...
Backpack's got a harness system built into it, with a gas cylinder, airbag tucked into the shoulders and behind the neck, and a handle on the left shoulder.
In an avalanche, pulling that handle pulls a pin on the cylinder, dumping its contents into the airbag, inflating it. Since you're now a large bubble in the river of snow, it'll pull you to the top instead of getting sucked underneath it.
This makes you easier to see for those riding with you, facilitating a faster rescue in case you can't self-rescue.
Avalanche scree sets up like concrete as soon as it stops moving. If you're caught underneath and aren't injured from trauma of hitting something, you've got about 5 minutes before you pass out from lack of oxygen in your ice coffin. If your buddies don't dig you out in <15mins, there's a good chance there won't be a rescue.
Staying on top of the snow is a very good thing in a slide.
Know a guy here in town (actually,
>>15976guy) who was caught in a slide a couple of years ago. He popped his pack and was able to swim to the side of the slide. His sled went off a 600 foot cliff.... it was folded up like a taco when they recovered it a few weeks later. It took a hell of a beating.
It hurt writing that check, but if I ever have to pull that orange handle on the mountain the cost of that pack will be the last thing on my mind.
