Along with joy of shredding the half-pipe or schussing down a pristine white slope, comes a certain amount of risk and an obligation to be courteous to others enjoying the slopes. Many of us don’t even think about these risks – we grew up on skis – we’re not going to be injured, right? Common sense and personal awareness can make your day skiing or snowboarding a safe and positive experience for yourself and for those sharing the slopes with you.

According to the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), an average 38 people have died each year snowboarding or skiing over the past 10 years. There are about 42 serious injuries, including paralysis and serious head injuries per year.

Given the total estimated number of 57.4 million skiers and snowboarder days per year in the 2008/2009 season, the number of deaths and injuries are quite small. However, at Bachus & Schanker, we believe any deaths or injuries are too many.

One of the easiest ways to protect yourself while skiing or snowboarding is to use a helmet. In its annual Demographic Study, NSAA found that:

- 77 percent of children 9 years old or younger wear ski helmets
- 66 percent of children between 10 and 14 wear ski helmets
- 63 percent of adults over the age of 65 wear ski helmets
- Helmet usage by skiers and boarders aged 18 to 24 is currently 32 percent, representing a 78 percent increase in usage for this age group since the 2002/03 season, when only 18 percent wore helmets.

Here are some skiing/snowboarding safety tips from NSAA:- Take a lesson. Like anything, you’ll improve the most when you receive some guidance. The best way to become a good skier or snowboarder is to take a lesson from a qualified instructor.
- The key to successful skiing/snowboarding is control. To have it, you must be aware of your technique, the terrain and the skiers/snowboarders around you. Be aware of the snow conditions and how they can change. As conditions turn firm, the skiing gets hard and fast. Begin a run slowly.
- Skiing and snowboarding require a mental and physical presence.
- If you find yourself on a slope that exceeds your ability level, always leave your skis/snowboard on and side step down the slope.
- The all-important warm-up run prepares you mentally and physically for the day ahead.
- Drink plenty of water. Be careful not to become dehydrated.
- Curb alcohol consumption. Skiing and snowboarding do not mix well with alcohol or drugs.
- Know your limits. Learn to ski and snowboard smoothly – and in control. Stop before you become fatigued and, most of all have fun.
- If you’re tired, stop skiing. In this day and age of multi-passenger gondolas and high-speed chairlifts, you can get a lot more time on the slopes compared to the days of the past when guests were limited to fixed grip chairlifts.
- Follow the “Your Responsibility Code,” the seven safety rules of the slopes:

1. Always stay in control.
2. People ahead of you have the right of way.
3. Stop in a safe place for you and others.
4. Whenever starting downhill or merging, look uphill and yield.
5. Use devices to help prevent runaway equipment.
6. Observe signs and warnings, and keep off closed trails.
7. Know how to use the lifts safely.

Let’s all be more safety conscience and courteous to other and help reduce the number of fatatalities and injuries on the Colorado slopes this season.

Today was the first day I finished the ride. It definitely boosted my self confidence a bunch. The last five miles I could not wipe the smile off my face. I was so thrilled to finish the last 33 miles.

Dying of Heatstroke - But Not for Long!

On the Way Up Fremont Pass

I Made It...11,318 ft

The End!!!

This year the Courage Classic raised over $2.5 million. This has been such an amazing experience I am considering coming back next year after all my bruises heal and with a little more training.

Ellaura Harris

It was 36 miles to lunch and I made it the whole way. The last 18 I could not do because my butt is so bruised it hurts to sit on the bike seat. I was in tears riding into lunch because I was in so much pain. I am still extremely proud of the amount of riding I have been able to do.

...And We're Off!

My Brother's Shirt

Tomorrow is the last day and I have mixed feelings about it. I am excited because it will mean I have completed it. I am sad because it has been such a wonderful experience and I have been able to spend time with my uncle.

They Made It!!!

Stay tuned for Day Four of my ride.

Ellaura Harris

I am kind of disappointed in myself but I am also very proud of what I did accomplish. At one point we were going down a hill, a steep one, and my uncle who was riding behind me said, “The biggest bug just flew into me!” I laughed at him only to find out the second largest bug in the world hit me.

Putting On My Rider Number

On the Bridge We Weren't Supposed to Stop On Over the Eagle River

A Beautiful Rainbow

Stay tuned for Day Three of my ride.

Ellaura Harris

I am riding in the 157 mile Courage Classic benefiting the Children’s Hospital because they have been extremely helpful through all the problems I have had. When I was four years old I had to have decompression surgery for Arnold-Chiari Malformation.

Arnold-Chiari Malformation is a genetic disorder where my brain does not fit in my skull, pushing down into the spinal column stopping my spinal fluid from circulating. A week after the diagnosis I went in for the four hour surgery. During it the surgeon broke the back of my skull, pulled it out, shaved off part of my cerebellum, took the back half of my top vertebrae and placed a natural tissue patch over it to protect my spinal cord. I also had a bubble of spinal fluid in my syrinx. At nearly the same time I had a syrinx shunt put in. I did not have any problems until eleven years later when I was diagnosed with Chronic Pain. We were not sure if another decompression surgery would work but it was a slight problem and if we didn’t do it now we would have to have another one later down the road. We decided to do it. It was unsuccessful as far as the pain but I will not have to have it later. As far as the Chronic Pain is concerned I am controlling it pretty well with medication and other means. We have had absolutely no bad experiences working with Children’s. I want to give back part of what I have taken. I will never be able to completely give back because there is no payment for my life.

I am also hoping to grow mentally and emotionally. This is going to be a huge challenge for me because I have not ridden very much and we are five thousand feet higher than where I have trained. I am slightly worried about my pain and having to stop or not complete the ride.

Yesterday the Aurora Sentinel came out and interviewed me about the ride. It was press for the hospital…and it worked. I have raised $100 from the press release.

Stay tuned for the next day of my ride in the Courage Classic.

Ellaura Harris

While Richardson’s death seems to be an extremely rare case, possibly talk and die syndrome, it begs the question; how could a simple fall turn deadly?

According to Dr. Keith Black, chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, in an interview by Scientific American,

The possibilities range from what we call an arterial dissection to a preexisting condition that might have been triggered by the event. An arterial dissection is where patients have a very mild injury tear the inner lining of the arteries of the neck, either the carotid or vertebral arteries, and that can occur with even minor trauma that one may not believe to be significant. That tearing in the artery can cause clotting, which can set up a stroke (an interruption of the brain’s blood supply caused by a blockage or a rupture of a blood vessel). If that clot is in the vertebral artery system, it can cause a stroke in the brain stem, which can be devastating.

The other possibility is delayed bleeding in the brain. That can be from either a tear in a vein or an artery in the brain tissue itself, and that can be either an epidural hematoma (between the skull and the dura, the membrane that surrounds the brain) or a subdural hematoma (between the dura and the brain).

Another possibility is that she had a condition that predisposed her to having a more catastrophic event. This could be an abnormality in how fast her blood clots after a bleed. Or if she’s been on any aspirin, blood thinners, or, supplements like omega-3 fish oil that can make things worse. The other thing one has to worry about is whether she had a vascular abnormality in the brain like an arteriovenous malformation (an abnormal connection between high-pressure arteries and low-pressure veins). If an AVM tears one can get a more significant bleed.

While there has been some debate as to whether or not wearing a helmet might have saved Richardson, erring on the side of safety is always a good thing, especially with our children.

Our sympathy goes out to the family and friends of Natasha Richardson. Let her death be a reminder to be careful out on the slopes and if you do suffer a head injury, no matter how minor it seems at the time, go see a doctor immediately and get it checked out.

I realize that all are not so fortunate. And I know it’s impossible to help every homeless child and every battered woman; I know I can’t raise enough money alone to cure AIDS and cancer. And I probably can’t end world hunger or heal the ozone with the tomato plant on my deck. But I also know that every small part helps. And that if everyone felt responsible for “their part,” we might be in a better position as a world community.

When my friend John announced at our company staff meeting that he would be hiking Pikes Peak’s 13 miles and 7400 feet in elevation to raise money for brain injury awareness and then posed “Does anyone want to join me/” – the room was fairly silent. The idea of getting up at 4am to hike uphill for 6 hours left the room wondering “What’s the matter with John?” But as I am an experienced hiker who loves to conquer Colorado’s 13-ers and 14-ers, I decided that this was a good project for me – this was a way in which *I* could participate in bettering our world community. The Pikes Peak Challenge was on.

I enlisted the companionship of my dear friend Kelly who is also nuts enough to love hiking where the oxygen is in short supply. Over the course of several weeks of fundraising, our friends and family reached out and supported not only me and Kelly, but also those who have suffered from traumatic brain injuries. Working in a personal injury firm, it is all too often that I meet a client who has suffered such a tragedy. It is probably one of the most difficult injuries to deal with – for the bumps, bruises and scars experienced in the brain are impalpable to the average Joe. A brain injury isn’t like a broken leg or a lacerated arm that can evoke sympathy, empathy and assistance from strangers who offer to hold doors open and carry groceries. What goes on in the brain is impossible to see, and it is as invisible as it is mysterious to the doctors that study it. Hence, the Pikes Peak Challenge fundraiser.

Kelly and I got up before dawn and after setting my camping stove on fire (I have a knack for kitchen fires, both indoor and outdoor), we headed to 7-11 for coffee and hot water for our oatmeal and then drove to the designated meeting area. The perky volunteers at Manitou Springs’ Memorial Park handed us our bibs and wished us luck. The vans dropped us off at the trailhead, and the hiking commenced. Like donkeys with headlamps, Kelly and I trotted up the hillside. The scenery was gorgeous. The dark misty morning burned off as the sun rose over the cities below, and the chilly dawn warmed into a lovely 75-degree “bluebird.” Not a cloud in the sky threatened an afternoon storm, and Kelly and I pressed onward and upward.

Shortly after we broke treeline (about 10 miles in), we were needing some added encouragement to battle gravity. Alas, a Mexican fiesta of volunteers greeted us with bells and whistles at the 2-mile marker. It was then that we realized that of the 7400 feet in elevation, we had covered 5900 in the first 11 miles… and we had 1500 to go in just these last 2 miles. A challenge is a challenge, so Kelly and I ate another Clif Bar and proceeded upward. Pirates waved to us from above at the 1-mile marker and shared their booty of Starbursts and chocolate. 1 mile and 800 feet to go… When we finally reached the top, brain injury survivors and volunteers alike congratulated us, awarded us a gold medal and took our picture. They had hot soup, sugary snacks and cold gatorade for us, which made us feel good… but not as good as knowing that we had helped provide direct services to 2,000 brain injury survivors, families and professionals this year!

While we were waiting for the van to take us back down the mountain, we met a young man who was studying environmental engineering. He was personable and inquisitive; we started talking about what brought us to the Pikes Peak Challenge. Kelly relayed her personal story about a family member who had been affected by a traumatic brain injury. And I told our new friend about working at Bachus & Schanker and how sad I feel when I meet new clients whose families describe them as “not the same”… When we asked the tired hiker what his connection to the event was, he replied, “I am a survivor.” Our new buddy who had just conquered 13 miles and 7400 feet in elevation was once in Craig Hospital for 6 months. He was now getting his masters degree. He said the doctors really weren’t sure if he was fully recovered or not – it was just too hard to tell. This guy was living proof of not only why research needs to be done on the brain, but the possibilities of what a person can do if he is given the chance to heal and get better. Perhaps it was his will to get better that made him jump out of bed one day and head back to school. Perhaps it was genetics. Or maybe his destiny lay in what part of his brain the trauma affected. However you slice it, this guy was not just living and breathing, he was leaping off the page – and partly due to the help that the Brain Injury Association of Colorado provided him with funds collected from events like the Peaks Peak Challenge.

A personal thanks to Kyle Bachus and Darin Schanker as well as my friends and family who sponsored me for this challenge. Until the next time…

Jodie Sandell
Pre-Litigation Department Manager

Funds raised from the Pikes Peak Challenge helps provide support to over two thousand survivors of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), their families and professionals. Thousands more are served through community outreach programs such as Memorial Health System’s Think First for Kids Head and Spinal Cord Injury Prevention Program, which teaches children, through classroom presentations, the necessary tools for brain injury prevention. Additionally, these funds help enable the BIAC to incorporate soldiers who have suffered TBI while serving in Iraq, into existing programs.

John Gleason and Jodie Sandell will join survivors of TBI along with family members and other supporters early Saturday morning at Barr Trail in Manitou Springs, Colorado to begin the ascent up this glorious 14,110 foot mountain. They will crest the summit after 13 miles and 7400 vertical feet to the cheers of spectators and supporters.

While we may not be at the finish line to cheer on John and Jodie, we can help support them by making a donation by visiting the Pikes Peak Challenge web site.