With the winter training and racing season upon us, it's imperative that we incorporate a bit of respect for the white stuff that's collecting on our front range playground into our outdoor plans. Last winter season ('99-'00), eight people were killed in Colorado avalanches, three of those were killed while snowshoeing near an area on the back side of Berthoud pass where we were considering doing some training for last years Salomon WAR, which was held in the general area. [NOTE: as it turns out, the race course didn't go near the slide area]. Since hunkering down indoors all winter is an unacceptable option for most of us, take some time to educate yourself on the factors involved in avalanche prediction so you can make better assessments of the risks. A great resource for information and conditions in our area is the Colorado Avalanche Information Center in Boulder. You can call at (303) 499-9650, or check them out on-line at http://www.caic.state.co.us/ .
A Climbing Magazine tech tip on Slab avalanches (the real killers) by Joe Stock:
"…Unstable and deadly slabs of snow usually build on open slopes of 30 to 45 degrees - deceptively benign-looking terrain. Slab avalanches often release under bodyweight with a sudden "whoomp" and fracture. If you are lucky the avalanche will move away below you, but more than likely the snow will fracture around you, capturing you in the middle of the moving debris (figure 1). Slab avalanches can also be triggered by natural causes, sweeping down thousands of feet and across flat terrain. Avoid becoming victim to slab avalanches by giving the snow a few days to settle and bond with other snow layers after a big storm (although dangerous slabs may persist long after storm activity). Also pay close attention to hollow "whoomp" sounds as you walk through the snow - this is a sign of poorly bonded snow layers."
Factoid: The most common bed slope angle for dry slab avalanches in the continental US is 37 to 38 degrees.
So what do you do if one of your teammates is caught and buried in an avalanche? Do not go/send someone for help. Seconds and minutes count, and any able body person on sight should assist in the immediate search and excavation! Read up on search procedures, if you accept risk and travel in avalanche prone areas, be prepared with the right gear and know what to do. PS. If you're in the market for an avalanche beacon, the Dec 00 issue of Couloir (Vol XIII,No 3) has a review of the latest and greatest.
Probably the best reference I've seen (and pocket sized at that) is the book Snow Sense : A Guide to Evaluating Snow... by Jill Fredston and Doug Fesler, but if you're not one to shy away from feeding your head via cyber-media - read on…
Charley Shimanski of Evergreen has posted a short but thorough summary of the many factors contributing to avalanches, safe route selection, and avalanche survival and rescue. His Student Workbook is intended for backcountry users who have had little or no experience with avalanche safety.
You say your head still doesn't hurt? Here's a few links to some more interesting information…