Best money spent...EVER!
Hi Lori and Randy,
The March 28/29 ‘09 AST level 1 course you instructed in Chetwynd was very informative, and I commend the both of you for doing a really good job.
Keep up the good work, for I sincerely feel that you are saving lives. The knowledge received from this course has definitely changed the way I will look at snow for the rest of my life.
All the information from the classroom session and all the practice from the field session was amazing. Our group is now turning the screws on the remaining members from our area that did not attend. I personally feel that anyone who is thinking about sledding in the mountains, or even experienced riders, should seriously consider taking this course, for it was the best money I spent, EVER!
I think most would agree that the unstable snowpack and all the attention with the unfortunate avalanche victims this year has really raised avalanche awareness, and what better year to learn and study snowpack conditions. I will admit that some of our (my) previous riding habits, and lack of knowledge could have easily made us a statistic maybe we were just lucky no incidences occurred.
For all those who have suffered a loss of a loved one due to an avalanche, my heart goes out to you. I hope I never have to use the knowledge from this course to rescue a fellow friend or family member, but I do feel a lot more comfortable knowing that I now have the professional training to recognise the dangers, and warning signs, and what to do if trapped victims in an avalanche has occurred.
Thanks again ZacsTracs, a definite two thumbs up from me! I wish you all the best, and I hope our paths cross again in the future.
Sincerely, Rick Sawchyn, High Prairie, Ab
You Tube Clip - Avalanche in motion at Clemina Creek
Careful, there is some language in this video that some may find offensive. This is a video that has been posted on YouTube. I have embedded the link should you wish to view it.
Take some time to view the many other pieces of footage that are linked to this video. If there are any that are particularly good….please email me the link. I would like to embed other clips as well.
A few things to notice:
- the rider makes it very close to the breakover point of this hill (the convex roll). This is a VERY COMMON STRESS POINT on any slope.
- notice how thin and rocky this snowpack is. ALSO A VERY COMMON CHARACTERISTIC OF WEAK SNOWPACKS.
- the vast majority of the hill slides. The weakness is very WIDESPREAD versus localized (or small pockets) of instability. Take extreme care in these conditions.
- notice that the initial avalanche has stepped down in a couple of places to even lower layers. Deep avalanche fractures can be very dangerous due to the amount of snow. Although they are harder to trigger, once started they can propagate widely across the slope.
CAC Photo Analysis - Snowmobile Fatalities
All of us at the Canadian Avalanche Centre extend our sympathies and support to the families and friends of those who have perished in avalanches this winter. We are continually striving to provide the best possible information, advice, education, and tools to all backcountry users. In an effort to prevent further tragedies, we have compiled this
photo analysis from a few recent incidents. We hope this information will help all backcountry users with future decision making in avalanche terrain….
CLICK HERE to view the full article prepared by the Forecasters at the Canadian Avalanche Centre.
R.I.P. Albert, you will always be remembered
Recently I took an avalanche course from Lori and Randy in Fort Saskatchewan then followed by the field course in Valemount, BC. Since the course and all the recent avalanche activity in the mountains this year we decided to play with a lot of caution. We were very cautious and spent most of the time in the tree’s and meadows, with some playing on smaller slopes after evaluating them. We played all day and were just having a great day. There was a mid slope over to the north east side of the area a few of them went to ride through earlier, that we were informed not to climb by our fallen friend, just play in the lower section that’s it. I seen him playing in the trees and meadows and making his way up the mid slope and decided to tag along, I always ride in two’s in case someone is stuck or in trouble. He never climbed and stayed in the mid slope, then he turned around on the burm to the slope and while he was turning around he was overcome by large avalanche, he pulled his Snowpulse bag and headed east, the avalanche by then was coming from the west, north and east and he was doomed. I pulled my ABS and hit my throttle, as the ground beneath me was disappearing and all I can see was a large wall of snow I started taking off, then bang, my head and chest hit the handlebars, I had a huge wall of snow hit me. Everything went black for a split second then I found myself pulling out of the wall and flying down the hill through trees and everything in my path, I held on for my life. I made it down, then right away every thing came to me that I learned in the course, I quickly opened my jacket to let all the packed snow out and cleaned my face and headed back up, with my ABS pulled and waving my arm to my friends on the slope beside they came to the hill. I took charge, looked at the risk and made sure my sled was faced downhill as well as the others. We started heading up with my Pieps DSP on search I discovered a burial at 55m, then we started making our way up, then it found at 33m then 16m at that time his sled was discovered just the handlebars and the top of the seat, heading in the wrong direction. We kept running up the hill in the exact direction of my Pieps and at 6m we discovered a bit of his Snowpulse bag sticking through the snow, we ran there and started digging him out. This all happened between 5 and 8 minutes of the incident. We got him turned over and commenced CPR that two of us learned through work earlier. Unfortunately he did not make it through this, and he will be in our hearts forever. But through all this I felt very confident about our ability to find him and get him out in a short time, and to be as calm as we possibly could. With the training we had this was invaluable, we knew exactly what to do and this kicked in immediately with out even thinking about it. I would have been totally lost without it. I also remembered once we located the victim, to put click my Pieps back onto send which is very important as well. The only mistake we made that day was we should of read the hill better, we stayed off the slope but we should of not been on the mid area at all, there were terrain traps and trees which took our friend’s life.
We will learn from this and spread the word, even though there are areas that look ok and there are a lot of trees an avalanche can strike anywhere and anytime, and the training we took from Zac’s Tracs was invaluable. Every mountain snowmobiler should have this. RIP Albert.
Regards, Ron Willert Snowandmud.com
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From all of us at Zac’s Tracs we would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of all the riders that we have lost this year. It has been a tragic season….and I am concerned that it is not over yet.
Please take a moment to read this article about Solar Warming. CLICK HERE
It is likely that very large avalanches are in store for this spring.
Mature timber will not necessarily guarantee a safe zone. Avalanches may create new paths this year. CLICK HERE to learn more.
While not all accidents are preventable, many may have been avoided. I keep asking myself what we could do to get the messages across to more people. Should you have any suggestions…please email me at lori@zacstracs.com.
Please take care everyone. Enjoy the snow, but save the slopes for next year.
For those wishing to attend the celebration of Albert Beck’s life, April 3, 2009 please CLICK HERE to be redirected to the Snow and Mud web forum for the details.
Solar Aspects - to avoid or not?
_Got a question…guys were talkin and I’ve been doing a little more reading. The discussion was when or what time of day should we decide to ride south facing or north facing slopes. Shouldn’t the warm weather generally settle and stabilize the snow? But then I was thinking or would that just start to load up on the facet layer below causing it to fail.
I know there is alot of variables but what is the usual general rule??....
_ Bob P., March 2009
It always depends on the blueprint in the snow.
Solar heating of a dry snowpack can trigger a loose, dry avalanche. Of course, solar heating of a snowpack with warm upper snow layers can trigger a loose, wet avalanche. These point release avalanches can happen with increasing frequency as the temperatures rise. Although this activity is hard to miss as steep slopes release noisy sluffs, these slides usually only involve the surface of the snowpack and aren’t typically responsible for high consequence avalanches.
Let’s look deeper into the snowpack. Strong layers….weak layers….? Are slab avalanches a possibility? If so, what are the layers of concern? Are they layers that will heal with warmth (windslab, storm snow layers), or are they layers that will fail due to a softening and warming of the surface snow (buried ice layer, midpack PWL)?
Image credit: Laura Bakermans
What are the internal snow temperatures? If the internal temps are -5C or lower, then the radiation might be a moderating force. If the upper layers of the snowpack are nearing zero degrees, then the solar aspects may be more unstable due to the daytime heating.
Are things warming enough that liquid water is moving throughout the snowpack? If so, where is it pooling? On a mid-pack dense layer? On the rocks below the snowpack? A safer bet in these conditions is to retreat to the shady or cooler slopes and beware of overhead solar aspects on your trail ride home. Naturally triggered avalanches are a VERY SERIOUS CONCERN in these ‘spring-like’ conditions. Are the trees raining? Dropping ‘snowbombs’?
Consider how much heat the black rocks are soaking up on a warm sunny day. This heat is radiating out to the surrounding snow, potentially weakening the snowpack above you…even if the temps are relatively moderate in the valley below.
But what if it doesn’t refreeze over night? What if the overall air temp is super warm? You might find that if the temps are warm enough, even the shady slopes might let loose.
How quickly and how intense did the temperatures change? If the change was fast and intense, the upper snowpack layers may be seriously weak, and yet the situation may not allow the heat to penetrate to the unconsolidated snow that is insulated beneath the surface layers. The unconsolidated snow could be fresh snow that hasn’t had a chance to set up or even small facets. Both of these weak layers could be healed by the process of rounding once the warming penetrates deep enough into the snowpack to moderate the temperatures and allow for settlement.
Generally, north east slopes are the site of statistically more fatalities, however much of this is due to the fact that our prevailing winds are from the south west, thereby making the north east the lee slopes. Windloaded slopes are linked to the vast majority of all fatalities.
I realize that I didn’t give you a definitive answer. Unfortunately there really are no hard and fast rules. Avy safety is all about responding to the current weather, snowpack and avalanche conditions. Read the Public Bulletins, browse the Snowmobile Forums for recent avy conditions in the riding areas that you are headed to and stay alert and gather observations throughout your riding day.
Make it a habit to use your best travel habits no matter the avy conditions. For example: travel one at a time, park, play or gather in safe areas (not exposed to overhead hazards), maintain visual with anyone exposed to danger, always plan an escape route, choose survivable slopes (i.e. no terrain traps). And the list goes on.
For a discussion about the foundation of our snowpack CLICK HERE to read ‘The Spooky Snowpack Dec 2008’
It is this poor foundation that is creating the potential for massive avalanches this spring…entire snowpacks releasing to the ground. It is entirely likely to see new avalanche paths created this season from avalanches ripping out mature timber by running on slopes that have never slid before, or by slides running further down slope than normal. Please maintain a LARGE safety margin during these conditions.
Photo credit: Randy Toronchuk
This photo is from the Dore area near McBride. It was taken ~March 20/09. Here are some of Randy’s comments.
We were in Dore when the slides came down, none were visible when we went in. The pictures are of the biggest slide at about KM20? Thought we were trapped…about 2 hours to get a trail around the slide. This slide was at least 350 yards wide, up to 40’ deep, 15’ crevasses like a lava flow. The amazing part was the run out. The terrain at the base of the mountain is almost flat and the length of snow at this depth was about 1km long. The entire mountain must have let go at the top. This slide encompassed the previous runout area in all directions and took out every tree in its way. This was wet heavy rained on snow, if some one would have been on the trail I don’t think they would have had time to get out of the way. I do not believe an air bag would help in this type of a slide, a scary sight. There was another slide at about km12. The third slide was at KM6 on the sharp bend. It was stacked about 40 to 50’ high across the road. We had to do about an 80’ drop down the bank onto the river ice, go around the slide and make a track up through the trees.
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For a discussion about why experienced riders might be getting caught CLICK HERE
To everyone reading this: how recently have you completed your AST1 (16 hr hands-on avy training)? If your answer is never, or more than 2 years ago, we recommend that you check out our upcoming courses by CLICKING HERE.
There are always new skills to learn and practice.
Amazed
Thanks again for putting on the GP course, it may have already saved my life.
I was sledding out in Kakwa by Mt. Alexander, travelling across a glacier. I was only going about 5-10km/hr (basically just sightseeing) when the snow underneath me gaveway. Turns out it was a crevasse that was blown over, I just looked forward to see the snow breaking up under my ski’s but it was to late to do anything. I landed in the bottom and was wedged between two ice surfaces and more snow landed on top of me.
I could not move, see, and quickly ran out of breath. I was fighting like mad to get free and realized if I didn’t get air I would passout. I remembered in your course about one guy having to calm himself and control his breathing. So I stopped fighting and look small breaths and in between rests I fought to get free.
I was probably only trapped for 5 minutes but that was long enough. Once I got my feet under me and looked up I was about 85 feet down and my sled was about 10 – 15 feet hanging upside down above me.
When my friend came back looking for me he went to run around the hole and fell in the same crack, luckily it was narrow and with his leg dangling he was able to pull himself to the side. They had just enough rope to send down to me, with a shovel handle tied to the end I sat on it like a t-bar and they hoisted me straight up to the surface.
All I suffered were bruises, so as bad as it went it really couldn’t have gone any better haha. My sled is still there and we’re working out a plan to retrieve it. In all it probably took an hour to get me out. In retrospect I shouldn’t have been where I was and my friend should have evaluated the scene before running to my aid.
So, we learned a couple lessons the hard way. I know you guys don’t really talk about glaciers but hopefully you can take a little from my experience to teach others. So again thanks and talk to you soon.
Kory B., Grande Prairie Feb 27/09
CLICK HERE to go to Snowest for more photos
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My father and I took the AST1 course in Grande Prairie and I would like to start out saying thank you to you and Randy for putting on such a great course. I’m pretty new to the whole sledding business and I learned a ton of useful information. My father, that has been sledding for years with his friends, told me he was amazed on how much he learned from your info and rescue strategies. I feel much more safe going riding with him now that he knows that much more, and I’m sure he feels the same about me. Jason R., Grande Prairie, AB – Feb 19/09
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Hi Lori,
Just a quick note to thank you and your staff for such a fantastic course. The info you provided and the manner in which you provided it was just awesome.
I took in so much critical info both in the classroom and in the field. The way you made the classroom portion so interactive really kept it interesting and lively. The pics and videos were also a real eye-opener. You talked about tools and equipment to bring out with you, but what I learned in this course will be the best tool in my pack.
I would highly recommend this course to anyone who enjoys the great winter outdoors. One thing I’ve definitely noticed is how I look at the mountains now when riding. A few friends and I just got back from Hasler, BC and it was so reassuring knowing what to look for and where not to go. We saw evidence of several slab avalanches on windloaded slopes. It was great looking for things taken up in the course.
At any rate you had mentioned coming back to do an AST2 course next year. Please keep me posted as I am definitely game for a that course as well as a refresher in AST1. Since taking the course I have told many people about it that are looking forward to you coming back.
Take good care and please keep me in the loop.
Cheers, Rich E., Grovedale, AB – Feb 22/09
These students participated in the 2009 Grande Prairie AST1 course.
Over 110 sledders took part. For the low down on this class, please CLICK HERE.
Priceless
The following write-up was submitted to Zac’s Tracs by a concerned rider. Norm is hopeful that the media attention and awareness that the recent snowmobile accidents has generated will convert into improved levels of avalanche training within our community.
“Riding in the back-country, for those of you who haven’t had the opportunity, is breathtaking and rewarding. The mountains deserve a great deal of respect, and when the respect isn’t there, there are cases where unfortunately, lives are lost. I have personally pulled an avalanche victim (a complete stranger) from a slide – it was difficult for me to watch his friends as we fought to revive him and were unsuccessful. I saw the pain that his friends were experiencing and I can assure you that it wasn’t an experience I’d like to have again. I don’t work for, nor am I affiliated with, an avalanche training organization, but I am passionate about making a difference and hoping that this information will help to save a life – yours or your buddy’s. Think of your loved ones that get left behind, or in some cases the rescuers that are caught in a secondary slide.
Just as a pilot or sailor checks weather conditions to plan their route, snowmobilers should be checking for current weather and avalanche conditions before venturing into the back-country. They should also have adequate training and safety and survival equipment (not just during avalanche conditions, but at all times).
In light of all the recent snowmobiling fatalities in the mountains this season, I’ve put together a checklist of items that will help in saving lives (I’m sure there are more helpful tips, this is just a starting point).
- Take an avalanche safety course – this is a great resource for practical and classroom information; new information and techniques are always being discovered and taught. If you’ve taken the training and know what to look for, do the other members of your group know what to do in an emergency situation? You need a license to operate a vehicle, boat, airplane, etc. – this should be no different. Suggest that you update your avalanche safety training every three years, in addition to First Aid (CPR) training.
- Check the current weather report (www.theweathernetwork.ca).
- Check the current avalance bulletins (www.avalanche.ca).
- Practice using all of your emergency equipment daily when snowmobiling in the back-country and then critique the exercise for areas of improvement (i.e. hide a beeper in a safe snowpack area and take turns, within your group, of leading as incident command) – you may know what to do, but what if you’re the one buried?
- Always carry your shovel, probe, beeper and survival equipment on your body – if you separate from your equipment, you’ve just wasted valuable rescue time. An airbag backpack is also another safety tool.
- Stay off slopes designated as unsafe (see avalanche bulletins). * Also, look for evidence of recent slides.
- Avoid alcohol and drugs on the hill – you need to stay sharp.
- Refrain from high-marking (it weakens the snowpack) – you lose bragging rights when you lose your life.
- One climber on a hill at a time.
- The only help you have on the hill are fellow snowmobilers – medical aid can be hours away.
- Do your best to never put yourself or anyone else in danger.
Having many years of experience of riding in the mountains doesn’t mean we’re experienced mountain riders. In addition, we need avalanche training, tools and respect to ride in the back-country. Don’t become a statistic. Live to play another day.”
Snowmobile: $10,000-15,000
Safety Equipment and Training: PRICELESS
Norm B.
Snowpulse
CLICK HERE to download the 1 page .pdf
February 27, 2009
Please read the attached document, Important Snowpulse Safety Warning, which was issued by Snowpulse this morning. I am expecting to have Velcro patches by the middle of next week and will be sending them out immediately.
Sincerely, Chuck Gorton
Director of Operations
Avalanche Safety Solutions
917 10th Ave N, PO Box 991, Golden, BC, V0A 1H0
Toll Free in NA: 888 742-8769
Internationally: 01 250 344-5060
Fax: 250 344-2353
www.avalanchesafety.ca
NOTE: Zac’s Tracs has demonstrated the Snowpulse avalanche air bag approximately 25 times and we have never had any mis-fires. I will start to pay more attention to the velcro closure…perhaps is was not firmly secured. For the demonstration purposes I have purposely only filled the bags to 2500 psi, versus 3000 psi to see if we could notice a difference in inflation. No difference, the airbag has always been filled to capacity.
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The Spooky Snowpack Dec 2008
In our avy classes we talk about the weather being the ‘architect’ and that the snowpack ‘blueprint’ changes every season. Ideally we pray for early season snow (and lots of it!) and mild temperatures. These weather events typically result in a well bonded snowpack and therefore a great foundation to support the mid-season snowfalls.
Unless you had a seriously festive Christmas season you will remember the couple weeks of frigid temperatures in December 2008. Combine this with the average or below average snow depths in much of the mountains areas and our blueprint isn’t structurally sound at this time.
CLICK HERE to view the CAC PAB for the South Rockies for January 6, 2009
The students brave enough to participate in our field sessions at -28*C this December figured it out. While testing the snow for resistances (the density of the snow) it was easy to notice the layers of unconsolidated snow.
They could visualize how the warm storms expected over Christmas and in early January would settle quickly and create slabs near the surface. The upper layers then act as insulation and can inhibit the warmer air temperatures from penetrating into the deeper weak layers. This can lengthen the time taken for the lower layers to heal. Unfortunately this leads to the familiar formula of ‘a strong layer over a weaker layer’ which leads to slab avalanches.
Successive snowfalls bury this weak layer deeper and deeper creating a spooky snowpack. The deeper layers become harder to trigger, however the consequences of triggering one get higher and higher.
CLICK HERE to view another Zac’s blog ‘But they were experienced….why did they get caught?’
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Below is part of an article that was posted on an internet site ‘WildSnow’. It was written in response to avalanche fatalities in Colorado and Utah. Based on the description, their snowpack is very similar to the snowpack in much of western Canada this season.
Copyright 2008
Posted by Lou Dawson on December 15, 2008
http://www.wildsnow.com
Black Sunday — Avalanches Kill in Colorado & Utah
When Colorado (or for that matter, Utah) goes through an early winter with minimal snow, the result is inevitable. Cold nights cause the snowpack to metamorphose. Instead of a foundation that holds subsequent storms like cinder blocks bedded in mortar, the older snow becomes a layer of ball-bearing like crystals that hold said cinder blocks as tenuously as if they’d been dropped on sand.
Such snowpacks do inevitably stabilize….
To read the entire article, CLICK HERE to be redirected to www.wildsnow.com
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Remotely triggered avalanche?! What is that?
An avalanche that is triggered from very low on the slope, sometimes way out in the flats. The failure is triggered in a weak layer beneath a slab (that is supporting the rider). The person may not even know that this has happened. If the weakness is very unstable and widespread the failure may then propagate (travel quickly) through the weak layer and up the slope, searching for weak points (tension failures) to rip the overlying slab apart. These weaknesses then connect the dots and become the fracture line.
This type of avalanche activity is possible with our reported avy conditions. Please take care.
CLICK on the picture below to view a video clip of two snowmobilers that remotely triggered an avalanche in Montana on Boxing Day.
Remotely Triggered Avalanche Little Wapiti Drainage – Dec 26, 2008
The Avalanche Guys from the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center always have great video clips uploaded to YouTube_TM_ as well.
Henderson Ridge Avalanche – Dec 28, 2008
Northern Bridgers, MT – Dec 20, 2008
