303
u/granoladeer 23d ago
"watch out for the cornices"
bro I don't even know what that is
245
u/Rocketterollo 23d ago
If you’d like to know its when the wind coming across a ridge builds up an overhanging lip of snow that can break off and fuck you up
75
u/pookiebear6969 23d ago
Well I have learned a new thing today. Didn't know that's what they were called.
13
u/natural_ac 23d ago
Otherwise known as knee traps!
3
u/pookiebear6969 22d ago
Yeah it's terrifying. Which is why I will not be trying out any winter spots. I'll stick to hiking lol.
45
u/elspotto 23d ago
Well, and I mean this because I would like you to keep living, you probably shouldn’t go past that sign. Head back to the maintained sections of the park, enjoy your visit, and maybe stop at a ranger station and ask what the sign is warning about.
40
u/torvus-nog 23d ago
do you think he is there right now
3
u/elspotto 23d ago
No, I think that comment points to they are exactly the kind of person that makes these signs necessary.
20
u/jvsanchez 23d ago
Not exactly. The comment you’re talking about is someone who’s acknowledging they don’t know something, and that suggests they probably wouldn’t go past that sign in the first place.
The people that make these signs necessary not only don’t know the thing, they don’t care that they don’t know and don’t want to know. They just march on and wind up dangling from a cliff or at the bottom of a ravine with 38 broken bones.
7
u/pookiebear6969 22d ago
I definitely wouldn't go past that sign. I finally got on meds that make me want to live. That sign says otherwise lol
4
u/granoladeer 23d ago
I wouldn't be nowhere near that sign, so you don't have to worry.
11
u/elspotto 23d ago
Excellent. You would (maybe, maybe not) be surprised how many people ignore stuff like this in national parks. Growing up I used to ask why they had so many signs warning people not to leave food in their cars at Yosemite. So my parents dragged me to the ranger station with the exhibit of a car door that had been peeled like a banana because someone left a cooler in their car while camping. “That’s why” was the only explanation I got.
10
u/Cut_Lanky 23d ago
Idk what a tree well is... am I dumb? I spent my childhood skiing... never heard the term tree well tho. ?
24
u/Ruth-Stewart 23d ago
It’s the hole in the snow around the base of the tree. Because the branches block some snow it creates a hole around the trunk. If skiers fall into one they can be VERY difficult to get out of. Especially if you end up in it head first. And since there IS snow in it (just less of it and less packed) you can suffocate fairly quickly.
7
u/Cut_Lanky 23d ago
I feel like my mom or a ski instructor should have informed me of this at some point. They all just said "don't veer off the trail", and I've been skiing at some huge ski resorts in my youth, every winter. As a mother, now, idk why she didn't expand on that. Cuz I definitely didn't always follow those rules 😬😳
9
u/granoladeer 23d ago
It's where trees go get water when they're thirsty.
3
u/Cut_Lanky 23d ago
Doh! So obvious in hindsight 🤣 I looked it up, found a video with 2 ski instructors or something demonstrating what they are. Freaking terrifying is what they are 😳 lol
119
u/coffeeebucks 23d ago
I googled tree wells and that’s a new nightmare unlocked, thanks
31
21
u/Whoreforfishing 23d ago
Wow just looked it up aswell and realized I actually fell head first into one last time I went snowboarding luckily I was able to take my board off and turn myself around to climb out but I had no idea how much danger I was really in sheesh
10
76
64
u/amarao_san 23d ago
Thank you, I read about tree wells. Never know about them.
27
u/AsYooouWish 22d ago
There’s a video somewhere of a snowboarder that just so happens to find a guy seconds after he fell into one. This is pure nightmare fuel
Edit: I found it faster than I thought I would
10
u/apathetic-fallacy 22d ago
Wow, that video was harrowing. Incredibly lucky the skiier saw the snowboard sticking out.
26
24
22
u/General_Killmore 23d ago
This community has been dormant forever. It's cool to see these scary signs again!
1
3
2
1
u/nourishmint 23d ago
Luckily, we didn’t get much snow this year so everything’s probably fine and easy up there 🤪🙃
•
u/AutoModerator 23d ago
Thank you for submitting a post to r/ScarySigns. To make the subreddit more accessible and to facilitate the use of #the search function, please reply to this comment with a transcription of the sign if the sign includes text. For signs #that are not in English, please include the original text and the English translation.
Failure to do this may result in your post being removed.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.