Phaedrus - my thoughts exactly:
Besides, the whole crash happened because he hit a rock! Hey, carry a Bic if you like; that's really a minor tangent barely related to the story. Apparently he carried practically nothing. But with the mindset he had, maybe nothing he could have carried would have helped. Starting a fire takes more than gear, even more than skill- it requires presence of mind. It sounds like when he realized he didn't know where he was he simply panicked and ran like a rabbit. From what I've read that's the most common reaction. That's why the experts say S.T.O.P. (Stop, Think, Observe & Plan).
We don't know, but the wording clearly gives me the impression that he wasn't operating at full mental capacity. That could be due to a hit on the head in his fall, or just the stress.
I think the "play park" illusion of skiing resorts creates a mental barrier. Because you're in a "play park" state of mind it will be really hard to realize that it is no longer Disneyland, but Mother Nature that is running the show.
Laurence Gonzales describes a similar mental barrier in his book "Deep survival". After a long day skiing, Gonzales and his daugther had to catch the lift UP to get away from the impeding snow storm to the hot chocolate and cookies. He found himself going DOWN because civilization is always at the base of high mountains. Right there and then, there was a storm approaching => zero visibility, no gear, above the tree line with no gear in winter => big trouble => GET DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN - NOW! They were actually looking UP at the resort with all its comfort and stilll skiing DOWN. Nothing but wilderness in their down direction... it took the wits of his 12 year old daughter to break through the spell of his mental barrier.
And no, except appropriate clothing I don't carry much gear when I'm at ski resorts. Maybe a Doug Ritter PSK, but that's about it. It is much more comfortable to tumble in the snow without lots of stuff in my pockets. (If you're never falling doing telemark you're not trying hard enough). A day pack will only be with me when we plan a lunch stop.
Skiing off piste into the wilderness I'll of course bring a day pack.
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