Basic Avalanche Awareness classes are an early season tradition around these parts. About 300 people turned out for a basics/refresher course offered by the Gallatin Avalanche Center. A couple of things that struck me: for being a basic class, most people had a lot of knowledge; the class had everyone from 11 year old kids to some seniors; Bozemanites take their avalanche education very seriously.
I learned a lot, remembered a lot, and had a few wake-up calls. 1. The most educated people are the ones who are likely to be out in the snow; the more you're in the snow, the more you're exposed to avalanche hazards. 2. If the numbers on your beacon start getting bigger, turn around (I know, this sounds simple, but I thought for sure I was on the signal and was just following its flux line). 3. Digging a pit yields valuable information but this step is often overlooked. 4. Snow is really fascinating and I want to be around for a long time to play in it.
Practice, dig, think, speak up.
No comments:
Post a Comment