Yes I’m turning this into a sappy Mommy blog today. The little man, the youngest son (but not child–Liv is still here) went to Kindergarten this morning.  He was mostly raring to go, as these photos from orientation and the first day this morning show, but still, it’s always a bittersweet day. [Click on any of them to see them larger.]  Now what excuse will I have to whip out the 120’s on an inch of snow in the middle of the day?

Yes, there’s no living with him now.  Bill has been on the news.  Real news.  Well, as real as you consider Fox News to be.  And not for anything illegal.

Fox 25 from Boston recently came to neighboring Hardwick, where Bill hails from, to cover the Community Fair, the oldest reportedly in the US.  He runs the lumberjack, or as we call it the “chainsaw” contest there every year.

There’s a lot more to the contest and actually to the segment that aired, but here is a link to what made the clip on the Fox News website.  Look for the handsome rugged guy running the show at 3:46 on the clip.  He’s mine.

It’s a little tougher getting through his “people” these days, but he is offering autographs.  Send a penny and a SASE to Bill’s Lumberjack Fan Club and we’ll be sure to get yours right out to you.

The recent post about the questions Duke had for the ABS Avalanche backpack has attracted the interest of our resident adventure guide, Jason Hendricks, aka The Adventurist.  In the comments section of that post he asks,

Alright, Mary. You have piqued my interest. What he!! [ed] is an ABS Avalanche backpack? What is it used for? Have you made another post concerning this? It is a bit intriguing that here might be something out there that I have never heard of-at least I don’t think.

I have to admit I thought for a moment about screwing with him, but after yelling at my kids who have been out of school far too long I just don’t have the creative energy to do it.  So to answer the question seriously, here is where Jason and you can find more information about the ABS Avalanche backpack.

The Lowdown on the ABS Avalanche Backpack

To answer your question very basically, Jason, the backpack is a life-saving device used by mountain sledders (and others I would imagine) designed to keep them atop the avalanche and prevent suffocating when the downslide settles. At least that’s what I uderstand it to be; I only ride trails, so it’s not something I have a use for but some of my readers (obviously) do.

Here is how the maker, Mountain Safety Sysytems Ltd, explains it:

An avalanche consists of different particles of snow. Those particles move underneath each body and push it to the surface by rotating until the avalanche slows down. This fact and the change of direction of the avalanche are the reason why approximately half of all avalanche victims end up on top of the avalanche….

A completely different scenario exists for those who do not end up on the surface of the avalanche. Once the avalanche slows down, rotation and lifting abilities also slow down. The victim cannot reach the surface anymore due to the higher density and lesser volume. In most cases this burial is deadly.

With the ABS you have 150 liters more volume …

Once activated, the ABS equalizes the volume and density of the victim relative to the surrounding snow by working on the principle of “inverse particles” .

As with a life vest in the water, the victims swims on the surface of the avalanche. The added volume of 150 liters has been calculated to be needed for cold, dry and loose snow. If the snow is denser, wetter and heavier less volume is needed. The statistics show that all victims carried down by a moving avalanche stayed on top and survived the incident (see the statistics) .

You can learn more about the products at the ABS Avalanche Backpack website.  And yes, we did talk about it here a while back; this post on SledChix blog talks about the new terms for distribution in North America and changes to the contract Klim has as its distributor.

Hope I was successful at telling you something you didn’t already know!

You might recall a while back when I posted about Klim taking on a broadened role as North American distributor of the ABS Avalanche backpacks. That sparked a question from one of my readers who wanted to buy American where he could, and wondered about the manufacture and construction of the backpack and components. Duke asked,

…do you know if any part of the ABS system is made here. IS the canister made in USA?

The answer wasn’t immediately apparent, but after emailing a very helpful customer service rep at Klim I was able to get an answer to Duke’s question. Here was Klim’s response, for those of you who want to know:

The ABS backpack is a German product and Klim has become the U.S. distributor for them… therefore it is not a U.S. made product. There is not a life saving avalanche pack in existence that is made in the U.S. right now. Where they have them made are a few different places I will list for you. The reason it is not made in one place is to make a bag to work so well with the greatest quality and best parts they found the best resources for each one of the pieces in various places.

The actual airbags inside the pack are manufactured in Germany .

The triggers used to set off the canisters are manufactured in Germany as well.

The bag itself fabric is made in the U.S. and is welded in China .

The canisters for the pack are manufactured in Canada and filled in the U.S.

You can find more information about the pack on their website www.abssystem.com or on our website www.klim.com.

So there we have it; components of the pack have US ties, but the pack in its entirety does not (not that much of anything is completely made here in the US anymore, anyway). You won’t find an avalanche backack that does at this point in time, but at least you can buy one whose major component is manufactured in the United States.

Hope that helps, Duke; stay safe!

Let’s play another game of “find the difference.”

Here’s the Vermont state snowmobile law governing age restrictions for ATV’s and sledding. See if you can see how it differs from Massachusetts.

Incidentally, the Vermont laws are considered leaders for sledding and ATV’s by leading snowmobile organizations in Massachusetts, including the Snowmobile Association of Massachusetts (SAM), so you have to wonder why Mass feels it necessary to go further than their mentors…

Vermont Snowmobile & ATV Restrictions

(7) By a child under eight years of age unless he or she is on land owned by his or her parents, family, or legal guardian.

(8) By a person born after July 1, 1983, on private or public land and water without first obtaining a certificate of snowmobile education, unless he or she is operating on land owned, leased or farmed by his or her parents, family or guardian or the operator is the land owner.

(A) A person who is required to have a certificate of snowmobile education shall:

(i) possess the certificate when operating a snowmobile on public or private lands and waters of the state; and

(ii) show the certificate on demand of an enforcement officer wearing an insignia identifying him or her as a law enforcement officer. However, no person charged with violating this subdivision shall be convicted if the person produces in court, to the officer, or to a state’s attorney, a certificate which was valid at the time the violation occurred.

(B) The following persons are exempt from the requirements of this subdivision:

(i) a person is operating on land owned by his or her parents, family, or guardian or the operator is the landowner;

(ii) any other person exempted by rules of the department of public safety;

(iii) any person who is under the direct supervision of a certified snowmobile safety instructor;

(iv) a child not yet 12 years of age, but not younger than eight when under the direct supervision of a parent or legal guardian who shall be liable for the actions of the child.

Vermont Snowmobile Law Resources

You can read the full text of the law here:

Vermont Snowmobile Laws

You can also read the State’s Snowmobile Operator’s manual, which summarizes and then details the law, here:

Vermont Snowmobile Operator’s Manual

Do you see the major difference yet?