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Show Volume XIII Issue V THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS December under the hood of a machine, and it’s a good idea for each machine to be so equipped. But do not put the beacon there—the search will be for the rider, not the machine. Reports often indicate that victims of avalanches were experienced snowmobilers—or climbers, skiers, or whatever. Experience at your activity will not help you avoid avalanches. You might even be more likely to be caught in an avalanche since you will be more likely to be getting into hazardous terrain. So keep your avalanche skills on a par with your sledding skills, and particularly with your highmarking skills. Learning More The best way to learn more is to take an avalanche safety class. It seems like most of these courses are still oriented towards s i snowmobile community is pretty well organized with clubs and associations, which is a good way to arrange a class. Get a group together through your local club or association, and contact instructors about teaching the class. Many instructors who do not schedule and market classes for snowmobilers will teach one when it is requested and the group is already assembled. Larger groups or regional/national associations may be able to supply smaller groups with a list of potential instructors. 15, 2005 Books and Videos Currently, most books and videos are oriented towards skiers, snowboarders, and climbers, but materials currently in production will change that situation. Fortunately, much of the information in available books and videos is not specific to any one particular activity. A few items I would highly recommend for snowmobilers are the following: ~ ~ i AVALANCHE cont. from page 14 the body easier for Search and Rescue, once they get there. kay, we have a buried individual. Now what? Other members of the group were watching the person exposed to the hazard so they should know where the victim was last seen and what general path he or she followed in the avalanche. This provides a general idea of where to begin searching. Whatever you search method you find you must use, it is important not to panic and not to send for help beyond the immediate area. Remember, you have 30 minutes for a 50-50 chance. Panic will burn up this time, and outside help can rarely get to the scene within 30 minutes. Instead, response is usually measured in hours, not minutes. An exception might be if you were to sled to another group nearby to ask for their help, especially if the only method of searching is probing the snow with probes poles or tree branches tt you were better prepared than that, right?) Another exception would be to send somebody to retrieve probe poles from a rescue cache at a trailhead or warmin, n most instances, though, you'll want to stay on the scene and begin searching immediately. Once you’ve located the buried person, you have to dig him or her out. So be sure everyone in the group carries a shovel. You can carry a shovel and a collapsible probe Page 15 Sledding in Avalanche Terrain by Bruce Jamieson- Thisis a very basic book at about the same level as this article. But it is longer and covers more. It is written for snowmobilers and costs very little. For most readers of this article, this book would be the best next step. Avalanche Rescue Beacons: A Race Against Time by Dale Atkins - This excellent video shows very clearly how to use beacons and the basics of how they operate. It also has a few tips for practicing. Order one with your beacon. Avalanche Awareness: A Question of Balance - This well done, half-hour video covers the basic terrain, weather, and snowpack factors affecting snow stability. A good introduction. These and other educational materials can be ordered on the web at the CSAC On-line Avalanche Store. Proceeds from sales help to fund the Center’s public-education efforts. References on the Internet The definitive avalanche web site is the “Cyberspace Snow and Avalanche Center.” This site maintains links to various other resources around the net and is often the best way to find new related sites. The site contains current avalanche hazard and weather information, educational resources, and more. The incident reports are cross-referenced by activity, so you can focus on learning about past snowmobiling accidents. The reports are also linked to the hazard bulletin in effect at the time (if one is available), so you can read the bulletin that the unfortunate party should have read (or should have paid more attention to). Conclusion The key points made in this article (can you list them?) all come down to being prepared, being aware, and learning as much as you can over time. Know the general conditions before you go, carry rescue equipment that you have practiced with, observe constantly while you are out there, and stop to think about your observations from time to time. This simple approach could have saved the lives of most of those who have died in avalanches. And it just might save yours. "Devoted to Your Dreams..." She . Wendy Anderson GRI 430-7064 9 vILLIAMS AL TY. - Wil non JUST LISTED! Liberty eAUTO ACCIDENTS °SPORTS INJURIES *CORRECTIVE CARE °*WALK-INS WELCOME $598,000 Warm and rustic, this gorgeous custom built home will have it all! 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