PSA - Backcountry Equipment

Transceivers are also on sale right now.  The BCA ones at least.  Down to $229 from $290, so if anyone wants one, now is the time to do so.
And, thanks for the heads up Will, I think it's great that they are doing that.  Hopefully kids don't think that the loaner packs and gear will make them invincible though, that could make this whole thing backfire.

that's sick

huh, it didn't work

Ya it does, just takes a little longer for it to turn blue.

http://www.powdermag.com/media/photo/flash/Mammut-Installs-Transceiver-Check-Stations-at-North-American-Resorts/

^ link title pretty much explains it.  alpy, stevens, crystal got'em.

hopefully it works.

one of the more scary things you can do is put a receiver (on send) in a backpack.  then take a second receiver (on receive) and start stepping backwards away from the backpack.  and see when you lose the signal. 

I think this is a good idea, but I certainly don't trust someone who has to borrow all their gear with my life in the BC. No thank you.

Ya for real.  I don't think this is a good thing at all.
It's going to encourage inexperienced people to go int he BC and just think that they are invincible with their borrowed gear.

for beginner BC'ers like myself, how would you all advise me getting into it?

like, should i try to find a group going out there already with equips and just tag along...? or would i just look like a jackass?

i did a tad bit of BC at bachelor last season, but since i moved to seattle, i duno where exactly to start...

Take a Level 1 Avie class. Many are offered for free, it's a great way to be exposed to the knowledge you  need as well as put it into some practice. Do it with your friends so that you are on the same page, and have buddies to go with.

Find someone or go with someone you know who has a more experience than you do. You can always learn something from each time you go out.

Pay attention. Know the snowpack, look at reports from your local avalanche center (the PNW has NWAC and northwest Montana has GCAC if you want two examples), remember (write it down if you need to) what has slide and what hasn't, and if you are questioning or uncertain, know that your life is on the line.

good advice man, thanks a lot i appreciate it!

once the season gets rolling a little more here i'll definitely check out the nwac reports

I concur w/ just about everything everyone is saying in here, but I'm beginning to seriously question this idea no information is better than some information. I'd like to see some statistics concerning deaths in the backcountry. Were more deaths and avalanches caused by people w/ some education and no certification than those w/ certs?

Both sides of this argument are valid. I'm just starting to lean toward giving the public pieces of education in order to attract them to learn more. It's a classic marketing technique. Something about yelling at people and making them feel stupid, makes that person go out anyway - only this time alienated and more defiant.

Thoughts?

i'd recommend poking around nwac's site for a bit

in the summaries, you can read things like "5 snowmobilers caught in avalanche, 2 wearing beacons"
http://www.nwac.us/accidents.htm

this will give you an idea about how many people were even expecting an avalanche (id assume a BC skier at least has a thought about avy occurance vs.
http://www.nwac.us/education_resources/statistics/us_avi_fatal_by_activity_from_1997.htm

avalanche.org also has fairly up-to-date stats on slides and deaths.  their forecasts are colorado-oriented.
http://www.avalanche.org/av-reports/index.html

also remember that patrols is handing out the packs.  i would assume theyd ask a few questions.  both because theyd want to know the snow science knowledge of who is taking the packs.  and also can you imagine the lawsuit if someone with a borrowed pack got killed in an avy? 

the dude with the awesome glasses on the alpy BC card actually does not instantly stablize the snowpack as i ski over it.

on the education versus deaths.....i honestly don't think they track that.  because i've asked before.  patrollers die on AC duty taking every precaution.  thats different than some person fresh out of an REI avy class assuming that a piece of paper makes them invincible. and last year in montana i think, some people high on a ridge cut the slope burying some people skinning up the valley.  people with the certs and education are more likely to be in the dangerous situations anyways than joe weekender.  which probably skeews the statistics heavily in favor if you are wearing a beacon you are more likely to die in an avalanche.

and the famous quote "the avalanche does not care if you are an expert"

^^^In regards to weather they track BC related deaths compared to the level of training, that type of info has been tracked and reported on. My Avy course (through AAI, highly recommended) covered a bunch on this topic, no matter the level of training you are succeptable to human error and influence. In fact, in certain situations, you are more likely to be in an avalanche if you have proper training. Everybody lets their guard down at some point, everybody makes mistakes. I'll see if I can find the report we read in class, was very interesting.

Ah, found it, check it out: http://www.snowpit.com/articles/traps%20reprint.pdf

If you hop into the backcountry regularly, this will be an interesting read for you

Welcome to the washington regional forums, get out while you still can!~

Thanks for the link. Good info. I'd really like to see this information more well known.

crystal removed theirs already

How do those recco things work and what resorts have got em and how do they work?

Recco is bullshit. It's a body finder, that's all it should be viewed as.

"so your loved ones don't have to delay the funeral arrangements until the spring thaw" -recco

I'm thinking of super gluing reflectors to my skis. Lost in powder? There you go.

except you have to carry around a medium sized kitchen appliance to find your skis.  it be easier to carry a couple icelantics inside your pack in case you lose your main skis.

scroll really fast:

Pieps issued this warning-reminder yesterday:



PIEPS GmbH of Austria, one of several manufacturers of avalanche rescue transceivers, has become aware of a potential issue involving carrying the PIEPS DSP avalanche transceiver in close proximity to the Motorola Model GP340 radio transceiver. Although the GP340 radio is a European version, it is very similar to the Motorola HT750 series used in North America.

Avalanche rescue transceivers are extremely sensitive devices, and can be affected by the magnet found in a radio speaker. If the radio, or even a speaker-microphone, comes in close proximity with the avalanche transceiver, magnetic fields are present that can activate magnetic switches in the PIEPS DSP to turn it off or change it from transmit mode to search mode. This is NOT a Motorola radio issue-this is NOT a radio frequency issue-it doesn't matter if you are using VHF, UHF, or 800 MHz radios-it's a magnetism issue that apparently affects other transceiver brands and models as well.

The manufacturers of avalanche rescue transceivers also caution users against wearing clothing containing permanent magnets (e.g. magnetic button closures, magnetic nametags) while operating avalanche rescue transceivers.

The issue is being investigated and is of no immediate cause for alarm. It does not appear to affect transceivers that are carried according to the separation criteria already specified in the PIEPS DSP owner's manual (at least 15 cm [6"] from other devices while in "send" mode, and 1.5 m [approx. 5 feet] while in "search" mode).

However, the situation should serve as a reminder for all users of avalanche transceivers to read their owner's manual, and observe the criteria specified for separation distance between their transceiver and other potential sources of magnetic interference, regardless of brand or model.




Mike Laney Dick Woolf

National Avalanche Program Director National Telecom Advisor