Quick Links to Zac's 2012 Newsletters

Short articles with photos, video clips and links that highlight current avalanche problems, tools, and observations.

7 Questions with the Father of Avalanche Airbags
Special Warning Mar 23-25 – Deep crowns!
Words to Live By – Death Changes One’s Perspective on Life
Successful recovery of snowmobiler without an avalanche beacon
Caught by Surprise – Snowmobiler Killed on Groomed Trail
Feb 2012 Persistent Weak Layers
Live to Tell – YouTube
Parks Canada Smart Phone App – more icons!
Free Online Training Series

7 Questions with the Father of Avalanche Airbags

Avalanche Airbags are a pretty hot topic as of late. The following questions were addressed in an online article by Ryan Dionne in ‘Skiing Business’.

Ryan interviewed Peter Aschauer, founder of the modern avalanche airbag.

CLICK HERE to read the full article.

  1. What do you think it will take for airbags to become mainstream enough for the occasional sidecountry or backcountry user? And when do you see the price and weight coming down enough for the mainstream user?
  2. What do you see as the biggest barriers in the airbag market worldwide?
  3. Do you think some of the avalanche deaths this year (in North America) are because people think they are over-prepared and over-protected? Does avy safety gear, including airbags, help create a “fearless” mentality?
  4. Why, years ago, did ABS abandon the technology and design that many of your competitors are using today?
  5. Where do you see airbag technology going in the next 5 years?
  6. What are the biggest changes you’ve seen since the ‘80s when you more-or-less invented the airbag? What do you attribute that to?
  7. What market do you see as the biggest potential for airbag sales?
  1. Ready for the answers? CLICK HERE to be redirected to the full article.

    If this link does not work, CLICK HERE to download a .pdf.

    Special Warning Mar 23-25 - Deep crowns!

    Where is the problem?

    CLICK HERE to read the latest SPAW (Special Avalanche Warning).

    “Over the past few days, we (the CAC Forecasters) have received numerous reports of very large avalanches and near-misses throughout the areas affected by the warning. We’re hearing about people with lots of experience who were surprised by avalanches, sometimes triggered from a significant distance,” explains Storm. “What’s significant is that in many of these cases, the terrain was relatively simple. That tells us this weak layer is primed for triggering.”

    CLICK HERE to read the latest CAC Public Avalanche Bulletin

    Why the cause for concern?

    CAC Forecasters have POSTED THIS SHORT SLIDE SHOW= to explain the situation.

    Want to see an example of the deep releases that backcountry riders are experiencing in interior BC?

    CLICK HERE to watch a video from the Golden area.
    This clip has been posted on Snowandmud.com, an online Snowmobile and ATV Forum.

    Check out the huge crown line. This avalanche was remotely triggered (from the ridge above). The video clip includes images from the top and bottom of the path.
    A size 3, large, destructive avalanche. Deep releases like this are tricky to predict. As weak layers get deeper they often lead to low likelihood but high consequence avalanches.

    NOTE: A Size 3 avalanche is large enough to destroy a vehicle, a timber frame building and break trees. They may involve ~1,000 tonnes and ~1,000m.

    Slopes that absorb significant heat from the sun this weekend may decrease in stability as the upper layers warm and weaken.

    Words to Live By - Death Changes One's Perspective on Life

    Listen to the words of Zackary Readwin as he reflects on the death of his close friend, David Ng. David passed away in an avalanche accident near Revelstoke, BC on Sunday March 11, 2012.


    CLICK on the image above to open this Global TV interview.

    “Something that I have learned from this experience.
    I always thought that if we died doing what we loved that we died well.
    I don’t believe that anymore. We should live doing the things we love and we should die of old age.” Zackary Readwin, March 15, 2012

    Very well said.
    I am sure that our spouses, our kids and our parents feel the same way as Zackary.

    What do you believe?

    Quiz your riding buddies….what do they believe?

    Do their actions match their stated beliefs?

    Special Warning Mar 16-19 - Avalanches running into mature timber!

    Special Public Avalanche Warning for BC’s Interior Mountains
    Third warning in four weeks for recreational backcountry users

    March 15, 2012, Revelstoke, BC: For the third time in four weeks, the Canadian Avalanche Centre (CAC) is issuing a Special Public Avalanche Warning for recreational backcountry users. The warning area includes all the mountains of interior BC—from Mackenzie and Chetwynd south to the US boundary, and west of the Alberta border to Pemberton and Hope. Not included are the Sea to Sky region, and the Northwest Coastal and Northwest Inland regions. The warning is in effect from Friday March 16 through to Monday March 19.

    “What concerns us is an expected lull in the stormy weather this weekend, which will give backcountry users an opportunity to get up into the alpine,” explains Karl Klassen, Manager of the CAC’s Public Avalanche Warning Services. “But there’s up to two metres of new snow in the high country that has not yet stabilized, on top of those same deeply buried weak layers we’ve been concerned about for the past month.”

    The CAC has received numerous reports of very large avalanches throughout the warning area during the storm over the past week. “Many slopes are at or close to the tipping point,” warns Klassen. “Very large, very destructive avalanches are expected this weekend. Some of these will likely overrun low angle terrain, striking valley bottom and it’s possible that historical boundaries will be extended in some avalanche paths.”


    Photo: Ryan Buhler, Grizzly Slide Path, Golden area
    Natural avalanche overnight on Mar 13/12 blew through 40 year old timber.

    The CAC advises all recreational backcountry users to make consistently cautious decisions this weekend and to avoid avalanche terrain. All members of a backcountry party need to be equipped with a shovel, probe and transceiver. The CAC strongly recommends all backcountry users take an Avalanche Skills Training course. Snowpack stability changes constantly throughout the winter. Backcountry users need to check the avalanche bulletin regularly to keep informed of conditions in their area. More detailed information is also available on the CAC forecaster’s blog. For the bulletins, blog and information on training, check www.avalanche.ca/cac.

    Successful recovery of snowmobiler without an avalanche beacon

    Change of plans…rider didn’t intend on climbing…chose not to wear beacon…now what?

    Pretty freaky. Despite a few broken shovels, poor quality probes and some unequipped riders, this group from Utah worked very hard and successfully delegated searchers to locate a rider with no beacon.

    Very lucky recovery. According to the latest Canadian stats there is only a ~25% chance of a successful recovery for a person that is buried for 25 minutes.

    CLICK HERE to view a VIDEO CLIP posted by the Utah Avalanche Center, March 4, 2012

    Everything happens fast on a sled. We have to think faster than our track!

    It is so easy to let our guard down…it happens all the time and usually we get away with it…but sometimes we don’t.

    The sledders that are interviewed in this clip remind us that no one plans to be in an accident…keep the odds in your favor and always ride prepared (training and gear) and alert.
    Demand the same from your riding partners.

    Remember that recent avalanches are Warning Signs
    THAT MUST NOT BE IGNORED!

    Don’t get me wrong. Lots of things were done right by this group: one on the slope at a time, spotting from a safe location, multiple spotters with gear and training, quick, decisive rescue actions with great communication and delegation, but it looks like a recent avalanche to the viewer’s right. Were there other signs? Would a decision system, such as the AVALUATOR2 have avoided this close call?

    Be alert to the snowpack around you and under your feet.

    It doesn’t take much time to stop and really scour the slopes within visual range. Even if you are not planning to ride in these areas, look in the runout zones as well as the start zones for signs of recent avalanches. These areas might be similar to the slopes you are headed to.

    In most avalanche involvements – obvious signs of instability were missed or dismissed by the group.

    Learn how to dig a quick test pit.
    Hunt for the problem layers identified in the Avalanche Forecast.
    It doesn’t take long to see how the snow reacts to Compression Tests or Extended Column tests.

    Of course, a pit is just one observation giving you a general indication of the layering…always make decisions based on a variety of observations.

    Forecasters with the Utah Avalanche Center explain their findings from a fracture line snowpit at the accident site.
    CLICK HERE to view a VIDEO CLIP posted by the Utah Avalanche Center, March 4, 2012

    Their comments about an avalanche path reloading on the old bed surface can happen with other weak layers as well. The weakness in this case in Utah was badly faceted/depth hoar crystals (think sugar snow) at the bottom of the snowpack. Generally the base this season (2011-12) in the Canadian mountains (where snowmobiling is allowed) is more stable than this, however in many regions there are layers from mid-February that are capable of reloading.
    During our AST1 Field Session in Valemount late February we observed a nasty surface hoar layer sitting on a thin sun crust. Not a nice combo.

    The key is top notch group management and situational awareness by ALL MEMBERS of your group. Not sure what we mean by this…get yourself into an AST1 OR 2 class ASAP!

    Upcoming Zac’s Tracs Avalanche Classes
    Canadian Avalanche Bulletins
    United States Avalanche Bulletins

    Caught by Surprise - Snowmobiler Killed on Groomed Trail

    Non-obvious avalanche path.

    Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center – February 24, 2012 Avalanche Bulletin

    Read this bulletin and follow the links to videos and pictures that demonstrate how careful we need to be when the snowpack is super weak.

    Video

    Even the accident investigator/forecaster admitted that he has parked very near this same spot as the path was so unassuming.
    Very unfortunate situation of wrong place wrong time.

    Mountains Very Deadly This Weekend!

    TAKE CARE EVERYONE! A CAC SPAW has been issued!!

    Recent snowfalls are sitting on a variety of ugly layers. Some of the CAC Avalanche Forecasts are calling for ‘Human Triggered avalanches up to Size 3.5 on all aspects and elevations on slopes over 30 degrees’. YUCKY!!!

    Enjoy the fresh snow but avoid taking any chances this weekend. Unsurvivable sizes of avalanches are possible. In some cases remote triggering (triggering from nearby slopes…low angle slopes, even valley bottom) is possible. Doesn’t matter how smart and prepared your group thinks they are. Large avalanches are brutal.

    CLICK HERE to read the Feb 23, 2012 – CAC Special Avalanche Warning

    Feb 2012 Persistent Weak Layers

    This photo below shows one of the types of weaknesses that have been buried in the mountains around BC. Photo taken ~Feb 9th at Castle Creek near McBride, BC.
    ‘member…even the pretty hoars are bad!
    Unfortunately these nasty persistent weak layers are going to stick around for a long while.

    Photos of whumpfing (the snowpack dropping and failing into the thick, weak surface hoar layer) are pretty impressive. They have been posted on the CAC’s Photo Gallery for 2011-2012. CLICK HERE to view.

    Interested to learn more about the layers and how the forecaster’s expect the weekend to turn out? CLICK HERE to read the Forecaster’s BLOG.

    Avalanches are serial killers and it is in your best interest to learn to be a top notch CSI (Crime Scene Investigator). The Forecasters are spoon feeding us. We have only ourselves to blame if we don’t take advantage of their skill at profiling. Check out the topics of conversation below…looks pretty obvious that something big is happening this weekend!

    This is a NEW resource on the CAC website. If you are having any troubles with the vocabulary or can’t quite visualize what they are talking about, get in an AST class.
    We do performance updates on all the hardware and software in our lives…maybe it’s time to boost the capacity and performance of your personal processing device (I’m talkin’ about your head)!

    This is definitely a weekend that you want ALL YOUR RIDING GROUP operating at peak awareness. Take care when riding near other groups. Sleds often move faster than the operator’s brain!!

    Live to Tell - YouTube

    You may have already seen this clip. It has certainly gone viral on the internet. There were 30,000 views last night and this afternoon I see that that it is up to 73,000. Wow!! Can’t imagine what it is up to by now…while you are reading this.

    CLICK ON THE PICTURE to view the clip on YouTube.

    Some of the comments last night were poking blame at the companions for not having shovel and gear right away. In my opinion the companions acted exactly right. Zero in on the most likely burial area and get the head exposed pronto. Couldn’t have happened any faster. Riders had visual on the person caught. Soft slab avalanche that didn’t set up, easy to clear away an air space. Luckily the rider that triggered the slope had great reactions and good visual contact…maybe even physical contact?! Ouch! Can’t tell if he rides over the fellas legs or not?!

    Of course shovels will probably be needed to get the rider completely out of the snow, but as long as there are no serious injuries, the group and the rider can settle. Hard to tell in the video, but it is likely that there isn’t enough snow left for the hill to naturally release and catch the group in a second slide. At this point, calming down might be the best thing for everyone involved.

    Not much of a hill, nor much of a snowpack. Trouble is on years with a shallow snowpack we can get surprised with unusual releases on unusual slopes.
    Chances are there is more snow where you are riding than in this video clip, but this clip reminds us that it is important to keep our guard up and practice habits like ‘one at a time on the hill’...at all times.

    Glad to see that everyone was ok! And thanks to those that capture and post their stories, photos and videos. We all learn faster through each other’s experiences. It would take many lifetimes (literally) to fill our avalanche safety toolboxes if each of us learned everything through trial and error! It certainly costs less, hurts less, and takes less time to learn from the experiences of others!