Blogs: Avalanche Safety

Provided by: David Budge, Mountain Guide, Utah Mountain Adventures

It was another great year for participants at the Wastatch Backcountry Rescue In-House Dog School.  A wide range of dogs, handlers, educators, and volunteers gathered at Brighton Ski Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon for the four-day training. 

Atomic Backcountry Skis, Wasatch Backcountry Rescue, and Level Nine Sports are hosting a free avalanche awareness clinic Friday February 24th.  The free clinic will include a multi-media presentation by Wasatch avalanche professionals and guest Snowbird ski patrollers.  They will speak on safety in the backcountry and sidecountry for your travel and recreation.

On October 13th, teams from throughout northern Utah gathered at the Utah Olympic Park for obedience testing and "hot load" training with AirMed.

The teams started off the morning by performing their annual obedience test.  Every "A" level team must complete an annual obedience test to be considered operational for the up-and-coming winter season.  The test focuses on the K-9's ability to heel, stay, stay with the handler out of site, and aggression with other avalanche teams.  Congratulations to the teams that passed!

The Canyons Rescue Training Center is up and running in it's new home.  It took a little while longer than we hoped, but we finally got enough snow to bury the targets and open it up.  It is currently located at Mid Mountain on the Chicane ski run - about 100 Yards north of it's old location.  It's still a great, convienent place to stop and do a few quick drills to keep your skills sharp on your way to Tombstone and beyond, or use it to learn your beacon and hone your skills.  Stay tuned for beacon seminars later this month.

CSP

Slick...that is the general consensus of the WBR Interagency training in Little Cottonwood Canyon on Friday, December 17, 2010.  The Interagency training was designed to facilitate the seamless interface of the several WBR affiliated agencies that operate as an cohesive team in the Wasatch Mountains of northern Utah.

One of the worst scenes a professional rescuer could respond to is a active avalanche burial.  Just finding the victim can be a herculean task.  Once the victim is extricated, the medical treatment of that victim becomes a priority.  WBR Medical Advisor Dr. George Vargyas has reviewed the current guidelines regarding the medical treatment of the avalanche burial victim.

WBR Snowbird and the Snowbird Ski Patrol in conjunction with Backcountry Access is testing the new BCA Avalanche Airbag System.  The backpack, the Float 30 Avalanche Airbag, was created with concept of keeping a skier caught in an avalanche on top of the slide in addition to protecting vital organs and preventing injury.

From BCA's Website

The Rescue Training Center (RTC) in Little Cottonwood Canyon is up and running for the season.  Snowbird Ski Patrollers set up and tested the training center today.  The Snowbird Freeride Avalanche Summit 2009 attendees were the first out at the RTC this season practicing their transceiver search skills.  With over 40 inches in the last week it is a great pre ski activity to refresh yourselves with transceiver search and probing practice and the RTC is a worthwhile venue to sharpen your avy rescue skills.