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Show The Salt Lake Tribune, Thursday January !(), Cll l'Jllb Backcountry Skiers Should Have Healthy Respect for Avalanches Some people are fascinated with geology Others try to learn the name of mere bird they see Still olheis are intet tested in Among I'tah s thousands el outdoor eiiihusiasts theie are experts in dozens ol dll leient iields Take the last of Wall Haas a local Sierra Hub member and avid cross country skier who has studied avalanches extensively He ' an tell you where avalanche danger occurs, when the last fatality in the West happened and what vou can do to avoid getting caught in an avalanche That's why when Haas talks, backcountry skiers ought to listen And. frankly, the Sierra Club ski enthusiast is concerned by some of the trends he is seeing in backcountry skiing these days ' The culture of backcountry skiing is going to have to mature." he says "It hasn't matured as fast as other sports, like rock climbing Backcountry skiing is becoming much like hang gliding The more expertise you develop the better chance you have of getting wild-flower- s hurl " occur just after a heavy snowstorm when the avalanche danger is the highest Thus expert backcountry skiers aie otten willing to take chances with avalanches to Many skiers are very careless continued Haas They will fasten their seat belts when they go up the tanyons and tl en not worry about avalanches when they get up there Weve already had eight avalanche totalities in the W est this year ' enjoy a fine day of skiing The first thing Walt suvs skiers have to recognize is that even experts should never gel the impression that they can predict avalanches It s no accident that even protession-a- l ski patrol members or very expert skiers get caught and killed by avalanches every season There are. however, some basic rules to follow to help a skier avoid getting trapped by an avalanche "Avalanches happen in the same places over and over again." said Haas "You can learn to recognize where they occur The hard " part is predicting when they will happen Basically, any mountain with a 30 to 60 degree slope is a potential avalanche area Skiers should look for areas w here there ai e relatively few mature trees or where the mature trees that are standing are missing their er branches as likely avalanche areas low Because avalanches are so hard to predict, the easiest way to avoid getting caught is to simply stay out of areas where they occur Avoiding narrow gullies, which are very common. is also a good idea Almost every side canyon in the Wasatch Front has at least one avalanche slope that should be avoided The problem is that some of the best skiing areas are found in the most dangerous avalanche areas And some of the finest ski days Haas says skiers w ho take their chances on these days should be equipped with a good piep sy ,tem. which costs in the neighborhood of $100 Skiers carrying a pieper can be quickly dug out of an avalanche by friends carry ing a sirmliar system because they can be found quickly Obviously, owning a good avalanche shovel is another very necessary component to this system ere are other basic rules in av oiding getting trapped by an avalanche The snow is most unstable 24 hours alter a storm 1 2 Look for fractures They are a sign, but their absence doesn t mean you are sale 3 Look at the natural avalanches on the south facing slopes closely. How much sliding action is there on the dav vou aie planning to ski1 Grand Canyon By Snowmobile Continued From 673-267- 8 673-491- 9 Tribune Staff Photo by Tom Wharton Its ered at the state line to dedicate the new intrastate trail complex in Logan Canyon. not exactly the driving of the golden spike. Officials from Idaho and Utah gath- - cobs Inn New Snowmobile Trail System Connects Utah, Idaho 0 well The trail from the St. Charles trail-hea- d to the Beaver Mountain trail-hea- d is 18 miles long, with numerous play areas and open ground in between. We get unbelieveable use in this area. said White, who grooms 260 miles of trail in Idaho's Franklin, Caribou and Bear Lake counties. On a Saturday, you can expect to see put one person at alum he slope 5 Only tial av a time on Never stand at the bottom b ot a zone 7 a poten deposit Just because several people have skioo down a slope doesn't mean that it is sale hxpert skiers often know a great deal of information about snow layers temperature Vk gradients and conditions that trigger an avalanche This knowledge, which can be oh-- ' tained bv taking one of many avalancffti courses offered by clubs and ski touring cetj. v s-ters or in numerous books that have on the subject, can help reduce a skl er s chances of getting caught Yet skiers should not be lulled into a sense of complaceny by thinking they can predict avalanches Kven expel ts get killed - been-writte- Here is a roundup ot recreation news Items trom around Utah ond the area If you have an Item vou would like published in this section, write to Recreation Editor, PO Bo 867, Salt Lake City, utoh 84110 or call Running News The net running events ore the net events In the Solt Lake Cltv Track Club's 50 and series scheduled t eb 8 For information, contact Richoi d Bar nunv Reece at Nordic Ski Races The Blue Cross Blue Shield ot Utah Wasatch Cltuens' Series Cross-CountrSki Race is scheduled ot the lower parking lot of Snowbasin In Ogden Canyon at 1 a.m Registration fee Is J5 and registration wil be held trom 8 30 a.m. on race dav. For Information, contact Ogden Touring at 0 From reached from parking areas at the Cub River trailhead east of Franklin, Idaho, and the St. Charles Canyon trailhead. Another popular trailhead. at Franklin Basin between the Tony Grove road and the Beaver Mountain turnoff in Logan Canyon, provides some access to the trail complex as try londitions Remember that most ava lanche accidents happen when the danger is listed as moderate Recreation News Roundup about 43 minutes to photograph and explore the immediate area. Then it's oil to the trailer for lunch and some steaming hot chocolate The shadows begin to grow long The true temperature of w inter in the high country comes back to remind us of the need for warm clothing The trek back to Jacobs Inn is still another 40 or so miles, making the total journey somewhere around 100 miles. Headlights, and tailights stream through the darkening forest creating a illusion of an illuminated trail. McKnight will be running the tours Wednsday through Saturday through the winter, snow and weather permitting For information, he can be conor at McKnight tacted at Sports in St George at There is also lodging available at Ja- Continued The Avalanche Forecast t enter i.IM 1T81 will give i ur i ent hacki nun 4 in Salt Lake (Tty 400 to 500 snowmobilers. There a lot of tremendous play areas." According to Bruce Olsen, a superintendent at Hyrum State Park who from are works on the snowmobile trail grooming program in the winter, 90 percent of the use of the trail system is in Utah. But he's pleased that the new cooperative trail system opens access to the Idaho trails. This trail is one of the first interstate trail systems, said Olsen. Weve never groomed up this far before. We've been working on this trail system for a couple of years. Utah officials would like to groom even more of this canyon area, with trails from Logan Canyon to Hardware Ranch in Blacksmith Fork Canyon connecting with both Rich Coun e Cristo ty and the Ant system in Ogden Canyon. But, unlike Idaho, funds are scarce. White says some $300,000 in Idaho fuel taxes are transferred to that state's snowmobile program each year, enabling the Gem State to groom 5,000 miles of trails with 24 groomers. The Utah parks division, which has proposed a similiar fuel tax transfer to its legislature, has just five old groomers that struggle to keep 400 miles of trail open each winter. At the dedication ceremony, Utah Parks Director Jerry Miller praised the cooperation of the many agencies involved in putting together the interstate trail system. It is interesting to see two states Flat-Mont- and this many governmental organizations work together for a common said Miller. The taxpayer goal, really gains when we work gether like this The trail system is all on U.S Forest Service ground. It is groomed by the state parks agencies from Idaho and Utah with Cache County providing snow removal in parking areas and the Utah Division of State Lands providing some rest room facilities at the trailheads. In addition, a private concessionaire operating out of Logan Canyon and the Sweetwater Resort on Bear Lake is offering machines to the public to rent. The White Pine Ski Club ol Ely, Nev , Is sponsoring Its annual Brlstlecone Buke-belne- r cross country ski race Saturday at 9.30 a.m. at the Murry Summit Campground six miles southwest of Ely. Entry tee Is S5 for children and 57 50 for adults. a For entry Information, contact Karen at City. The Brighton Open Cross Country ski is scheduled Feb. 8 at the Brighton Touring Center. For Information, call race In et 57 The Nor-AQuallter Wasatch Telemark Series race Is scheduled Saturday at 10 o.m. at Snowbird. Entry tee Is 510. For registration Information, contact Turner 3 In Park Competition Services at 9 Powder Mountain will hold o sinn-liu- r event Satuiday and Sunday ot I pm Snowbird will host the Laiiy H Miller Mosters Ski Race on Feb 7 and 8 It Is o slalom event which begins at 10 30 a m Skiers must be 71 or older Entr y tee is 58 with a lift ticket costing 510 It is a USSA sanctioned race for mote Intoi motion, 4180 call 521 6040, Dog Sled Roces The Cooi s Dog Sled Classic is scheduled Saturday and Sunday at Wasutch State Park The teams will race on the golf course ond can be viewed tiom the golf clubhouse. Dog teams aie divided Into thr ee categories with thr ee, six and eight-dosleds competing About 45 teams ti am Coioi ado, Idaho and Utah are expected to compete Competition runs from lOam.to 2 pm. both days The race Is open to the public. A 52 per cai load admission lee to the state patk will be charged For more Information, call Snowmobile Tour The Salt Loke Valley Snowmobile Club will host a tour of the Fairvlew areo on Saturday. The event Is open to the public. For Information, contoct Russell Ellason at 7pm The Nate Wade Subaru Grand Prlx race tire Wasatch Telemark Series Is set Feb. at Deer Valley. For Information, call Alpine Ski Roces d Snowbird offers Its racing from Sunday through Feb. 7. The chorge Is 5 lor one run, 54 for five runs and 57 lor 10 runs. It Is located on lower Wllbere Ridge. Snowbird offers NASTAR races on Tuesday, Feb. 6 and Feb. 7. Registration is from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and the start Is at noon. Entry fee Is 54 for the first run and 52 for each additional run. The Channel 5Coca Cola Cup ski race series continues Saturday at Brlanhead. Registration begins at 7.30 a.m. For Infor1. mation, contact Alan Seko at 575-57- 1 Brighton will host an Equitable Family Ski Challenge race Saturday and Feb. 8 at Sierra Club Tours The Salt Lake Group ol the Utah Sierro Club has on eosy Intermediate ski tour of the Stansbury Mountains scheduled Sun-- ' day Register with Olck Dougherty by callafter 6 p.m ing Wasatch Front Lecture The next lecture In the Wasatch Front lecture sei les Is scheduled Mondoy at 7'30 p.m. at Highland High School. The lecture will include a panel discussion on water ond will Include Ted At now, chief ot the water resources division ot U.S. Geologi cal Survey; Dorothy Harvey, cooidlnoto Water Alliance, Dr ol the Intermountain Joy M. Bagley, protessor ot civil and envi ronmental engineering of Utah State Uni of the versify; Sara Michl, ot the Natural Resources Committee League of Women Voters ol Utah and Salt Lake City; and Robert Hilbert, general manager of the Salt Lake County Water Conservarjcy Dish let. 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