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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.
We are wishing you many safe and fun skiing adventures.
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