Okay, I know we don't have much snow for skiing yet, but I have hope that we will get some... So this months newsletter is dedicated to keeping you safe in our many avalanche prone areas. Did you know:

• 90 % of avalanche victims die in slides triggered by themselves or someone in their group
• After 20-30 minutes there is less than 50% chance of survival

Even though we associate avalanche danger with back country skiers, snowboarders and snow machine riding; here in Juneau we are also exposed to urban avalanches, especially in the White, Behrends and Flume areas of Downtown Juneau. First Responder's train hard every year just in case we have a huge urban avalanche. They also train for quick response times on back country avalanches. 

However, your best bet for survival is to be prepared. Know what to look for, know how to react and practice your own search and rescue techniques. You may carry a Pieps, a Tracker or some other brand of transmitter, but do you know how to use it? Can you find your buddy in under 20 minutes in a hard to travel area the size of a football field? Can you use a probe without stabbing them? Do you know how to dig them out without the walls caving in and in such a way as to not plunge your shovel into the person that you are trying to rescue? 

The following links are full of important information for novice to expert skiers; 

• stories from those who have experienced avalanches, 
• avalanche and weather forecasting and 
• classes in avalanche prediction and safety for Southeast Alaska. 

A quick tutorial on Avalanches

Great tutorial on what to look for when approaching avalanche prone areas.

Powder.com's "The Human Factor"

Incredible story of survival and loss due to avalanche

Check this site before you go out - avalanche forecast for Juneau

Juneau Avalanche center provides local avalanche advice

Avalanche classes offered at UAS

UAS avalanche classes levels I & II

Alaska Avalanche Specialists

Owned and operated by Bill Glude. Contains information about rescue techniques, historical data on avalanche deaths and how to predict an avalanche. Take a look through his class notes on the Resources page under "Avalanche Topic Handouts and References". His site also has links for weather forecasting and maps showing the Juneau Urban Avalanche slide zones and CBJ's avalanche plan in case there is a big urban avalanche.

Wild Snow Blog

Blog about ski touring, with product reviews and general information