Thousands of people in the United States, Canada and elsewhere in the world enjoy winter sports. A couple of the most popular are skiing and snowboarding. What could be more exhilarating than flying down the side of a steep mountain at a high rate of speed? If you stay on the ski trails provided by ski resorts, it is generally quite safe, but if you are an outdoorsman and like the thrill of mountain skiing on your own, there is the serious risk of an avalanche to consider.
Serious Warning
Even experienced skiers can be caught in an avalanche. This is because they ignore the warning signs, or, if they do see them, they think that it won’t happen to them. There is also the tendency to rely, if necessary, on avalanche equipment to save them. But that doesn’t always work. Such was the case with six young men who were caught in an avalanche in Colorado. They were in their early to mid 30s, in the prime of life, virile, active and ready for a good day of snowboarding. Only one of them would survive.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center had issued a serious warning: “If you find the wrong spot, the resulting avalanche will be very large, destructive and dangerous.” There was good reason for this warning, as they knew that the chance for a “deep persistent slab avalanche” was great. This is when a thick, hard-packed layer of snow breaks away from a weaker layer of snowpack underneath it. A powerful avalanche can and will take anything in its path: trees, animals, cars, buildings, and definitely humans.
Avalanches are not mysterious; there are clear warning signs that lead up to an avalanche. Heavy snowfall, sudden changes in weather, high winds and steep slopes can all cause the snow to become unstable. Over 90% of people killed in avalanches trigger those avalanches themselves.
Insufficient Precautions
Parking in the Loveland Ski Area’s parking lot, these six men read the posted warning. They decided to take what they thought were reasonable precautions. They would not snowboard on the slopes facing north, but instead on the northwestern slopes. However, in order to get there, they had to cross a dangerous area first. To minimize risks, they spaced themselves 50 feet apart from each other and started across the open slope. But it wasn’t enough; suddenly, they felt the snow under them give way, and in a few seconds a crack raced uphill to release the deep slab of snow. They had triggered a massive avalanche 800 feet wide and 600 feet long! In a desperate attempt to save themselves, they ran for a stand of trees, but they never made it. They were quickly swept into the Sheep Creek gully and buried alive. One of them was buried in 10 to 12 feet of snow.
Jerome Boulay, the only survivor, found himself buried with just his left forearm sticking out of the snow. He was able to dig the snow away from his face so that he could breathe, but he could not dig himself out, so he called for help. But there was no one to hear him, no one to call 911, and no other person to dig any of them out. It was not until four long hours later that help arrived on the scene and he was rescued.
What a tragedy! And yet it was totally avoidable, said Ethan Greene, the Avalanche Information Center’s director. He went on to say, “Nobody’s immune from getting caught in avalanches. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been doing this, how athletic you are ... everybody can get killed. It’s an equal opportunity hazard.”
These six men knew the seriousness of the danger. They had read the warning posted, and they did not ignore it. They thought they knew the best action to take in order to avoid being swallowed up in a deadly avalanche. Yet they were sincerely wrong, and five of them paid for it with their lives.
Our Serious Warning
We, too, have been given a faithful warning from God of eternal judgment to come, if we do not accept His way of salvation. The warning is: “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27)). Then God tells us why this is so. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)). God tells us what the end result will be for those who do not come to Him in faith through the Lord Jesus Christ. It is this: “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:1515And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)). There is no reversing this decision, no second chance, and no getting out of the lake of fire. God reinforces it with these words: “Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:9).
Not only does God give us clear warning of our condition before Him, but, in love, He also tells us how we can be made fit for His holy presence. Salvation is God’s equal opportunity gift. But we cannot come our own way, no matter how sincere we may be. Only God’s way will get us safely to heaven. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)). This is because “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)). God wants us to see ourselves as He does — as helpless, guilty sinners before Him. That is why the Lord Jesus died and bled on Calvary’s cross — He took our place and became a “ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:66Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (1 Timothy 2:6)). But you are free, right now, to accept God’s loving gift of salvation. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)).
Man’s determination and will is exceedingly strong — even in the face of known danger. It can lead to sudden disaster, without warning, as it did in Two Blocked Railroads.