TH E A Publication of the American Avalanche Association
RE V I E W VOLUME 22, NO. 1 • OCTOBER 2003 Website: www.a v a l a n c h e . o rg / ~ a a a p
US $4.95
National Avalanche Center 2002-03 Season Roundup
Compiled by Janet Kellam, July 2003 An avalanche triggered during backcountry explosive testing by a helicopter skiing company. Little Superior Buttress, Wasatch Range, Utah. Bruce Tremper photo (U.S. Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center)
he Forest Service National Av a l a n c h e Center had another successful year work- T ing toward our core mission, which is to support and provide program guidance to the regional avalanche centers, transfer technology to those centers and to the U.S. avalanche com- m u n i t y, coordinate and manage the military In This Issue artillery for avalanche mitigation program, pro- vide expertise to Forest Service field units deal- From the President ...... 2 ing with avalanche problems, and provide both Metamorphism ...... 2 Forest Service and public avalanche education. What’s New With just two employees – Doug Abromeit in BCA - New Binding ...... 3 Ketchum, Idaho and Karl Birkeland in Bozeman, ISSW 2004 ...... 3 Forestry Handbook ...... 3 Montana – to fulfill this mission, you can bet we Orthovox F1 Heli ...... 3 stayed plenty busy! The NAC started the year in our traditional Media Surviving Digital Photography . 4 way, hosting a meeting of all the U.S. avalanche center personnel. This year Doug hosted the Crown Profiles Europe Report ...... 6 meeting in Ketchum. In addition to a business Montroc ...... 7 meeting that helps all of the avalanche centers to Snow Science maintain consistency, we also had a day of train- Hazard Mapping ...... 10 Hazard In Khazakstan ...... 11 Spatial Variability Revisited ..... 13 Continues on page 14 PAGE 2 THE AVALANCHE REVIEW VOL. 22, NO. 1, OCTOBER 2003
THE FROM THE PRESIDENT: RUSS JOHNSON
REVIEW y the time you read this summer will be a thing of produce a Powerpoint presentation which explosive users the past. Ironically, summer seems to be the busiest could purchase. Based on a Canadian model, the time for the Governing Board as far as AAA work presentation can easily be modified to suit individual OCTOBER 2003 • VOL. 22 • NUMBER 1 B goes. We’re mostly too busy in the winter to get a lot users. With both the NSAA and AAA collaborating, this The Avalanche Review is published each fall through done. Furthermore, at the spring meeting we set goals for work should become the definitive training manual for spring by the American Avalanche Association, Inc., a ourselves to take care of business in preparation for the explosives use in our industry. non-profit corporation. The Avalanche Review welcomes fall general membership meeting. F i n a l l y, we are initiating an internet store at the submission of articles, photographs and illustrations. This fall we planned an extravaganza for the fall w w w. a m e r i c a n a v a l a n c h e a s s o c i a t i o n . o rg with A A A l o g o Please send submissions to: membership meeting: a weather seminar and also an products. This is an effort to spread the name of the Blase Reardon –– Editor education seminar. Hopefully, as you read this TAR you Association as well as to raise funds. We plan a modest 636 Columbia Avenue Whitefish, Montana 59937 are attending these events. If not, I’m sure a future TAR start but hope the membership will access the store and tel: (406) 862-0812 will cover them. think about purchasing Christmas gifts there as well. work: (406) 888-7926 The research committee under Ethan Greene and As the new winter unfolds I want to thank you again [email protected], [email protected] Craig Sterbenz is currently tackling a U.S. version of the for your support of the American Avalanche Association. Canadian OGRES. The ultimate idea would be to have a It is the membership which keeps the association going Advertising : North American standard for these guidelines. Whether and relevant. At the spring meeting we welcomed an Halsted Morris –– Advertising Coordinator this could ever come about we don’t know, but in the additional thirty professional members which tells us we 867 unit A Hill and Dale Road meantime the Avalanche Association would like to a re on the right track in re s e a rch, education and Golden, CO p roduce an American standard to facilitate information. 80401-8580 communication between professionals as well with the [email protected] tel 720-746-1542 public. Safe, fresh turns to all. fax 720-746-1543 Rockies Section Representative Woody Sherwood Russ Johnson continues working on an explosives training curriculum Business and Subscription Office: Mark Mueller –– AAA Executive Director and is currently in collusion with the NSAA and CAA to ❊ P.O.Box 2831 Pagosa Springs, CO 81147 [email protected] tel: (970) 946-0822 fax: (970) 731-2486 M E TA M O R P H I S M The American Avalanche Association The Avalanche Review: Write it up; send it to us. The Avalanche Review is only as good as the material you send. A Call for Submissions TAR is accepting articles, stories, queries, papers, photos. We can help if you’re not sure how to write it up. Deadline for Vol. 22, Issue 2 is October 15, 2003 Executive Director ...... Mark Mueller een any good avalanches lately? Deadline for Vol. 22, Issue 3 is January 15, 2004 AAA Officers Got some gossip for the other snow nerds out *President...... Russ Johnson S there? Deadline for Vol. 22, Issue 4 is March 15, 2004 *Vice President...... Bill Williamson Developing new tools or ideas? Send text as .doc or .rtf files. Send photos as black and *Secretary ...... Andy Gleason Learn something from an accident investigation? white .jpg files. *Treasurer...... Dave Ream Tell us about a particularly tricky spot of terrain; Committee Chairs Send photos of a crown, of avalanche workers plowing S end materials to: The Avalanche Review Awards...... Denny Hogan [email protected] Data...... Dan Judd roads, throwing bombs, teaching classes, or digging holes Education...... Don Sharaf in the snow; C/O Blase Reardon Ethics ...... Janet Kellam Pass on some industry news; 636 Columbia Ave. Membership...... Stuart Thompson Whitefish, MT 59937 Research...... Ethan Greene 406/862-0812 Search & Rescue...... Dale Atkins Ski Area ...... Onno Wieringa Standards Awareness...... Craig Sterbenz *Publications...... Steve Conger Congratulations to these new AAA Certified seminar agenda will be finalized in the month or so. Publications Committee Avalanche Instructors; Look for updated information at the AAA website: Editor...... Blase Reardon Tyson Bradley, Salt Lake City, UT http://www.avalanche.org/aaa. Or feel free to contact me Assistant Editor ...... Lynne Wolfe Rod Newcomb, Wilson, WY by phone or email. Editor Emeritus...... Steve Conger Editor Emeritus...... Sue Ferguson Editor Emeritus...... Bruce Tremper AAA News At Snowbird the latest in AAAmerchandise will also Advertising...... Halsted Morris NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING, CONTINUING be available; hats, vests, fleece, and t-shirts. Web Asst...... Jay Gress, EDUCATION SEMINAR, AND FOR SOME OF YOU Karl Birkeland, Janet Kellam, Gary Murphy IT’S TIME TO RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP Membership Renewal: Section Representatives It is time for many, but not all of you to renew your Alaska…...... Bill Glude Annual Meeting: AAAMembership. A Membership Renewal Form is Eastern Section...... Bob Bailey European Section...... Peter Höller The AAAAnnual Membership meeting will be held enclosed with this letter if this is the case. Your member- Intermountain North...... Fay Johnson Friday, October 3, 2003, from 7pm to 9pm in the Magpie ship category, and renewal date are on the label of this Intermountain South...... Dave Ream Room at the Cliff Lodge, Snowbird, Utah. correspondence if you are unsure of your status. If you Northwest...... Jon Andrews have any questions about your renewal or status do not Rockies...... Woody Sherwood Sierra...... Gary Murphy Continuing Education Seminar: hesitate to contact me. In the past, many of you have Member Representative...... Halsted Morris In conjunction with the annual meeting, AAA will included additional donations to AAA.Ê Donations can sponsor a continuing education seminar on Saturday the be made to the General Operating Fund or to the Executive Committee denoted by * 4th and Sunday the 5th in Ballroom 3 also at the Cliff Educational Endowment Fund Donations further the The mission of the AAA is: A. To provide information about snow and avalanches; Lodge in Snowbird. Saturday’s theme is Avalanche AAAmission and sponsor pertinent avalanche research B. To represent the professional interests of the United States Weather and Sunday’s is Avalanche Education. AAAis and education opportunities. avalanche community C. To contribute toward high standards of professional competence and lining up some great speakers and both of these days ethics for persons engaged in avalanche activities; promise to be interesting and bring valuable avalanche Several reminders for successful renewals: D. To exchange technical information and maintain communications among persons engaged in avalanche activities; information to you. The cost of these seminars is reason- 1): Payment must be made in US dollars. E. To promote and act as a resource base for public awareness pro- grams about avalanche hazards and safety measures; able; $20 per day for Pros, Affiliates, Life, Honorary, 2): If your company is paying for your memberships F. To promote research and development in avalanche safety. Trade, and Comp members, $25 per day for Subscribers, make sure payment indicates for whom the payment and $50 per day for non-Members. Members must be in is intended. Subscription: $20 per year (4 issues). The price of subscription is included with membership dues to AAA. See good standing with membership dues paid. www.avalanche.org/~aaa for subscription and membership informa - tion. Your prompt attention to renewing your member- Contributions: Please submit material eight weeks prior to publica- Lodging: ship is always appreciated. tion date. Include address and telephone number. Please submit typed manuscripts by e-mail or disk (3.5", Zip or CD), using any Snowbird is offering a very reasonable lodging pack- popular word processing program. Submit any figures in B & W, or as a TIFF or EPS file (300 dpi resolution at 100%). We will return age, $75 per night plus taxes for double rooms. Contact AAA values your membership and support. Let us materials if you include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Snowbird Central Reservations by calling 1-800-453-3000 know how AAA can serve you better. Contact me by Articles, including editorials, appearing in The Avalanche Review reflect the individual views of the authors and not the official points or by emailing to [email protected] before September mail, phone, or email with your suggestions. Thank you of view adopted by AAA or the organizations with which the authors are affiliated unless otherwise stated. 7 to reserve rooms at this rate. Mention the avalanche in advance for your continued support of AAA. Best © 2003 by the American Avalanche Association. Materials may be seminar to receive the special rate. Snowbird has been wishes and I hope to see you in Snowbird. reproduced for research or classroom use. Permission is also granted for use of short quotations, figures and tables in scientific very generous in hosting our seminar so please support books and journals. For permission for other uses, contact The them by staying at Snowbird. You are on your own for Mark Mueller, Executive Director Avalanche Review. meals, but restaurants will be open at Snowbird. The ❊ VOL. 22, NO. 1, OCTOBER 2003 THE AVALANCHE REVIEW PAGE 3 W H AT’S NEW
BCA Introduces Ortovox Announces F1 Heli High-Performance AT binding to North American Market
ackcountry Access (BCA) has announced today that it is B marketing and distributing the revolutionary new Naxo alpine tour- ing (AT) binding in North America, effective immediately. The Naxo nx01 is a super high- performance AT binding fro m Switzerland with a full alpine toe- piece, maximum DIN setting of 12, and an innovative “virtual rotation system” that increases stride e rgonomics while touring. It was developed by Naxo AG of Thun, Switzerland, a company founded in 2001 by former managers at alpine touring manufacturer, Fritschi AG. McGowan. In addition, the heel piece Naxo was introduced to the locks down in such a way that it can- European market during the 2002-03 not prerelease due to flexion of the season. ski. Binding length and spring ten- The crux of the Naxo design is its sion at the toe and heel can be adjust- beefy toepiece and virtual rotation ed quickly by hand, making it ideal system. By providing two pivot for rental use. points – one beneath and one in front BCA began taking orders from of the toepiece, the system allows for North American retailers on June 5 a full-sized alpine-style toe conform- for delivery in autumn 2003. The U.S. ing to DIN standards for both suggested retail price for the nx01 is alpine/downhill and alpine touring $299.95, including ski brakes. The boots. It also creates a more rounded professional price is $180. gait, reducing the “Frankenstein” For more information, contact stride often experienced with exist- Bruce Edgerly at [email protected] rtovox has modified its classic and High Mountain Heli. Te s t i n g ing AT bindings, according to or (303)417-1345. F1 avalanche transceiver is and training begins this fall. ❊ O modified to give heli pilots an even more valuable role in search and rescue operations. The Heli F1 ISSW 2004 Registration and Information is modified to only receive signals will be available October l, 2003 at and be installed in reach of the pilot September l9-24 www.issw.net. so he or she can handle the volume Field session on Teton Pass and control switch while flying. Ortovox Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is removed the steel antennae from the Walk Festival Hall. planned for Wednesday, September beacon and situated it in a tube out- 22. side of the helicopter or attached to Mark the dates and reserve your Criteria for submission of pre- the helicopter skid for maximum space now. sentations and posters will be posted range. Ortovox’s analog technology Tuition - $l90 until Mar l, 2004 on the web site. gives the Heli F1 a range of over 80 Tuition - $2l5 until Aug 3l, 2004 meters and the ability to isolate sig- Tuition - $235 after Aug 3l, 2004 ❊ nals with the volume control switch, when searching for multiple victims. “Through our work with rescue, guide and patrol pro f e s s i o n a l s worldwide, we created a reasonably Forestry Avalanche priced product specifically for the Handbook Available g rowing helicopter market,” says For additional information, visit On-Line Marcus Peterson, General Manager the Ortovox website at of Ortovox USA. “Ortovox created www.ortovox.com. the Heli F1 as another level of our ❊ eter We i r’s hand- commitment to increasing the num- book, Snow Av a - ber of rescues and decreasing the P lanche Management critical time factor.” in Forested Terrain, is now Like all Ortovox avalanche available on the web as a transceivers, the helicopter system .PDF file. Weir prepared has a plug socket for connecting an the book, which addresses earphone. The signal can be fed into snow and avalanche phe- the radio equipment, allowing the nomena in a forestry set- pilot to directly approach the victim. ting, for the BC Ministry The rescue team can then be dropped of Forests. The handbook o ff at the point where the pilot outlines harvest design received the strongest signal to start and silvicultural strategies a pinpoint search and rescue of the to reduce the risk of buried person. The searchers need to avalanche damage result- be carrying their own avalanche ing from forest harvesting. transceivers, probe poles and shov- Weir also presents strate- els. gies for managing The Federal Border Guard of avalanche risks, and Germany and other European guide includes an extensive bib- services tested the Heli F1 last winter liography. The .PDF during rescues and training; it file is free and available at: proved itself easy to use and time h t t p : / / w w w. f o r. g o v. b c . c a saving. Winter 2003-2004 will mark / h f d / p u b s / D o c s / L m h the F1 Heli’s trip across the pond as it /Lmh55.htm. is added to safety efforts of guide operations across North A m e r i c a ❊ including, Ruby Mountain Heli Ski PAGE 4 THE AVALANCHE REVIEW VOL. 22, NO. 1, OCTOBER 2003 M E D I A
Surviving Digital Photography Editor’s note: This is the first of a two part series by Bruce Tremper on Digital Photography. Next issue’s installment will cover managing and editing digital By Bruce Tremper images on the computer.
t’s no use. We can’t hold back the print digital images — you can print 128 megabyte flash card will be image quality, so you can choose a deluge any longer. Film is it yourself. plenty. In fact, most of the time, my low quality when you save the file. If I officially dead. Many of the old You can easily stitch photos t rusty lightweight 2 megapixel you want to print the image or save it time photographers like me had to be together to make very high resolution camera images need to be chopped for archive on a CD or hard drive, drug, kicking and screaming, into the panoramas or composite images down to a smaller size if I’m doing then save it with a high quality scary world of digital photography. composed of many different smaller anything except printing. setting. Most people will probably Like many others, I waited patiently images that you can blow up to the Next, here are some other want to shoot all their photos as JPEG until the technology finally came of size of a wall. No more heavy and concepts we need to know: files unless you plan on making large age. But a couple years ago, we cumbersome, large or medium R e s o l u t i o n simply means the prints or you want to sell images to finally decided that it was time we format cameras. You can even control number of pixels per inch on the magazines, in which case, you should dove on into the big pond. We perspective, like a large format computer screen or the number of shoot, edit and store the image in one bought digital cameras for everyone camera. You do it on the computer. dots per inch on a printed page. For of the next two file types. on our staff and since I started You can easily attach digital images instance, computer screens use 72 TIFF files. This is a file in which shooting digital, I—like almost to a database of avalanche pixels per inch and most printers every single piece of information everyone else who have spent more occurrence. need 300 dots per inch. In other your camera recorded for each pixel than a few minutes with a digital You can submit them to 20 words, you need a much larger file is saved in the file. This makes for camera—have hardly touched my different magazines for publication at size if you want to print something high quality images but huge files. film camera since. I’m hooked for the same time without spending a than if you just want to display it on The advantage of TIFF files is that good. fortune on film dupes—yippee! the computer screen. It takes some you can open them up, edit them, and The bad news is that big, paradigm-shifting change like film to Disadvantages of digital photography digital involves some pain, especially Hmmm. Let me think…. for the technophobic, a category into OK, maybe one: which most avalanche people Digital projectors are more expensive, happily relegate themselves. The but they are coming down in price good news is that once you’ve made fast. the switch, it often ranks somewhere The technology is daunting at first on the level of a religious epiphany. but it’s astoundingly addictive once You can spot the other converts at you get the hang of it. parties, off in the corner talking with wild-eyed glee to other born-again The Basics of Digital Photography: brethren about the evils of film and We might as well get it over with the innumerable saintly qualities of right away. At some point, everyone digital. They will speak in tongues— needs to dive on in and learn the about “transform tools, layer masks, basics of pixels, resolution, file types luminosity channels, monitor and other geek stuff. Unfortunately, calibrations, compression schemes there’s no way around it, so grab a and magnetic lassos.” And like the cup of tea and laser on in for a few computer nerds of 20 years ago, yes, minutes. they’re boring at parties but they live Digital cameras store their at the cutting edge of a brand new information in “pixels,” i.e. tiny world. Sadly, I am now one of them. specks of digital data that magically The high contrast world of snow where digital photography excels. A slide in Little Water Make no mistake, once you switch, appear on your computer screen or Gulch, Wasatch Range, Utah, January 5, 2003. Bruce Tremper photo (U.S. Forest Service once you bite the bullet and dive on on a printer. Pixels amassed together Utah Avalanche Center). in face first, you will absolutely never make an image; on most computer go back. Digital is good—very, very screens, there are 1024 of them lined time to grasp all this so spend some re-save them as many times as you good. across the screen and 760 of them time studying the little table below. want and you suffer no image loss. Here is a very abbreviated lined up vertically making a total of So if you want a high quality image primer on what everyone needs to 778,240 pixels. In other words, a File types: for printing or to send to a magazine, know about the brave new world of computer screen displays nearly one JPEG files: Most of the cheaper or if you plan on editing the photo digital photography. “megapixel” (one million pixels) the cameras can only store the files as several times on your computer, then now-familiar term you read in most “JPEG” files, while the more you should save it as a TIFF or RAW Advantages of digital photography advertisements for digital cameras. expensive cameras can also store file (see below). But remember, these Ah, let me count the ways… The more pixels you can build into a them as either TIFF files or as RAW files are so large that they will quickly Small, compact cameras. camera, on a computer screen or onto files. Here’s the difference: JPEG (or fill up your hard drive and they take You can look at your photo right a printer, the sharper the image also JPG) is a file compression scheme a long time to load into any program. after you take it—instant feedback. (higher resolution). Cheap cameras which takes repetitive portions of RAW files: For the true geeks, You can experiment like crazy have one or two mega pixels and your photograph—say, a patch of R AW files contain the maximum because it costs nothing except your expensive cameras have 5 or 6 blue sky—and compresses all those amount of information possible and time. megapixels—which cost somewhere identical pixels into a single piece of the file size is correspondingly huge. You can post the photo on the a round $200 per megapixel. A n d information. This way, the file takes Shoot in RAW only if you are a Internet or e-mail it to someone right instead of being stored on film, all up less room on your computer or Photoshop expert and plan to make after you take it. these pixels are stored on tiny little memory chip. When the image is very large prints of your photos and, Digital has much wider exposure flash cards, which, of course, rise in viewed on the computer, it expands and/or want to sell your images to latitude than film (you can see price with the amount of data you the image to its original size. The magazines. For instance, for serious shadows and highlights better, which can store on each card. trouble with JPEG is that each time work, I usually shoot and edit in means that it is far superior for The trouble with expensive you open the file, edit the image and RAW mode, then store them as a shooting in the high contrast world of cameras are that, yes, they take high store the file again, you lose some Photoshop file after I’m done editing. outdoor photography, especially on resolution photos but they also information and your image looks Then I make a duplicate copy in JPEG snow). generate huge, cumbersome files, worse every time you re-save the file. in the appropriate size so I can e-mail Digital has better color and you which require large flash cards and Most image editing programs let it, post it on the web or use it in a can easily manipulate the color large hard drives on your computer you choose how much compression Powerpoint presentation. afterwards. to store them. Most avalanche folks you want in your saved file. If you Printed size (at 300 dpi) Pixel It is much easier to organize and store will use digital photos for relatively choose a high quality (12) it won’t dimensions Resolution in pixels per images and add captions to digital low-tech things, like teaching compress the image very much, you inch Saved as JPEG quality images. avalanche classes, posting images on lose very little quality, but you end up Compressed File Size Download When giving pre s e n t a t i o n s , the web, e-mailing images to with a large file size. If you choose a Time with a 56 k modem Works best digital images are far easier and faster someone, putting images into a low number (3), you get a small file for: 8 x 10 inches 3000 x 2500 300 12 to organize into a slide show. Plus, database program to keep track of size, but the image starts looking very high 3.3 mb 10 minutes Printing you can use a digital projector, which avalanches, or printing up an 8 x 10 fuzzy and ragged. As with most 8 x 10 prints 5 x 7 inches 2100 x 1500 is brighter than the old Kodak photo to hang on the wall. For any of things in life, there’s a trade off. If 300 12 very high 2.2 mb 7 minutes carousel. Now, you don’t even have these purposes, the good news is that y o u ’ re posting the photo to the Printing 5 x 7 prints 6.8 x 4.5 inches to dim the lights in the room. you won’t need a very expensive Internet or e-mailing it, you are much 1050 x 750 150 12 very high 656 kb 2 It is much easier and cheaper to camera. A 2 megapixel camera with a more concerned with image size than minutes Printing on lower resolution VOL. 22, NO. 1, OCTOBER 2003 THE AVALANCHE REVIEW PAGE 5
printers 3.4 x 2.2 inches 1024 x 760 72 photo, for instance, include some 10 med-high 370 kb 66 seconds trees, rocks or a person examining the PowerPoint presentations 1 x 1.6 fracture line profile in the foreground. inches 504 x 360 72 6 medium 50 kb 9 This way, the camera sees other colors seconds E-mail or web site than the blue snow and the automatic The above table of JPEG images white balance on the camera will shows that if you want to e-mail the know to make the snow white instead photo or post it on the web, you need of blue, in which case there’s no need to save it as a small file, that is, no to do a manual white balance. m o re than 600 x 800 pixels at a resolution of 72 and compress the Organization on the Computer photo quite a bit. (Most e-mail In order to transfer photos onto servers don’t allow file attachments the computer, most cameras plug into over 1 megabyte) In other words, the computer with a USB cable and you should save it with the settings you use the software that came with like the one at the bottom of the table. the camera. Instead, I like using an On the other hand, if you’re going to external memory card reader, which send the photo for publication in a you can buy in the store for about magazine or print it, then you should $25. Simply take your memory card save it as the largest size possible and out of the camera and plug it into the either save it as the highest quality card reader and the computer treats it JPEG file (12) or save it as a TIFF file. photos). You can get away with With digital cameras, technology just like another drive on your But remember, these files will be too u n d e rexposing a photo but never comes to the rescue. You can computer. And the coolest feature of large to e-mail or post on the web. o v e rexposing. Read up on the manually adjust what is called the card readers is that you can use them Digital Tricks for Taking Photos of camera’s histogram feature, if it has “white balance.” You will probably like a floppy disk or zip disk, to Snow one, and try to keep the graph have to read up on this feature in the transfer large files between Modern digital cameras do a looking like a nice bell-shaped curve, manual. Usually you have to go into computers. I’m always carrying g reat job of making even idiot the camera menu and set the camera a round a bunch of files on my to do a manual white balance. Then memory card that I’m transferring point the camera at the snow you between the various computers I want to look white and push the work on. I just carry the little card white balance button. Then, the reader with me wherever I go and following photos will make the snow plug it into the USB port on the white instead of blue. Remember to computer. It’s the modern version of reset the white balance when you go the floppy disk, but vastly larger. back into the sun (usually turning the Bruce Tremper is the Director of the camera off then on again resets the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center and white balance). If you forgot to white made a living as a photographer before he caught the avalanche bug 25 years ago. He balance or you have lots of old, blue spends his summers as a photographer and photos you need to correct, I have writer. Bruce recently won the prestigious some techniques in the second N a t u re ’s Best Magazine photography installment of this article on how to competition for the People in Nature category. fix blue snow on the computer with His image is on display in the Smithsonian image editing programs. Museum of Natural History in Washington Here’s another trick. Instead of D.C. His photographs appear frequently The filling the entire frame with snow, try Avalanche Review, including this issue’s to include some other colors in the cover story. ❊
The tricks of the trade applied: this thick layer of faceted snow provided a very active layer for both natural and human triggered avalanches throughout the 2002-03 winter. Bruce Tremper photo (U.S. Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center).
photographers look like pros. But, without it bunching up against one unfortunately, photography on snow side of the graph. always has been and probably always Problem 2 – the dreaded blue snow will be one of the most diff i c u l t Blue snow is a big problem with situations to photograph whether both film and digital cameras and is y o u ’ re using film or digital. probably the most vexing problem for Fortunately, it’s a little easier with people who shoot on snow. Why? digital. On a clear, sunny day any snow in the shadow will reflect the color of the Problem 1 – too much light s k y. Now, comes the tricky part. First, on a very bright, sunny day, Your brain compensates for this and there’s so much light that sometimes even though the snow looks perfectly your digital images will look washed white to you, the snow really IS blue out and overexposed. Many cameras and that’s exactly what the camera have a setting for snow or a white records. It’s maddening. With film, beach, which simply lowers the ISO the only solution is to use a warming setting on the camera to 50 from the filter in combination with a film with usual 100. If it doesn’t have a snow a warm colorcast. Blue snow is also a setting, and it lets you adjust the ISO problem when you scan slides using setting manually, set it to 50 or less. an automated setting. The slide looks The first rule of digital photography great, but the scan turns the snow is to never overexpose (washed-out blue. PAGE 6 THE AVALANCHE REVIEW VOL. 22, NO. 1, OCTOBER 2003 CROWN PROFILES
A Brief Look at Avalanche Activities in France, or Our Own Private Snow Science Workshop By Mark Mueller and Sandra Kobrock
ast spring we had a gre a t materials. Their catalog can be found data collection system. p re s s u re while marketing opportunity to visit the French at their website, www.anena.org. On several field trips departments and tourist bure a u s L Alps and meet some colleagues Francois arranged for us to (Grenoble is centrally situated within extol the wonders of their off-piste there. Our visit was organized by meet avalanche practitioners and two hours of most mountain terrain. The issue is far from settled. Francois Sivardiere, the Director of researchers involved in a variety of locations) we visited Tignes ski area The meeting was hosted by Robert ANENA (Association Nationale pour snow and avalanche activities. At and a highway avalanche contro l Bolognesi of Meteorisk, a private l’Etude de la Neige et des each opportunity these people project at Bonneval sur Arc. We also consulting firm. Avalanches), the French national g reeted us with enthusiasm and found our own way to the We are always impressed by association for the study of snow and friendship. All were anxious to show CEMAGREF’s avalanche field the Alps: their massive summits, avalanches. Francois spent December us the work that they have been laboratory above the Col du Lauteret widespread avalanche works, and the of 2002 visiting Colorado and taking doing, from private and government in some of the avalanche scene here. researchers, to ski resort and highway During his visit we mentioned we safety managers. Their work were planning a vacation to France in included snowpack modeling, May after our avalanche season avalanche sensing by means of radar, ended. He enthusiastically invited us measurement of blowing snow (an to spend some time with him and elusive but important component of o ff e red to connect us with some avalanche forecasting models), and F rench avalanche workers and measurement of blowing snow in a researchers. Our trip to the Alps was lab wind tunnel and in the field. We planned more as a vacation than w e re shown impressive data work, and Francois made sure we collection and management tools, had ample opportunities to ski some avalanche mapping tools, and classic descents in the western Alps avalanche flow models. Much of this as well as indulge and enjoy the local work has been described during the wine, cheese, and other re g i o n a l last several International Snow specialties. Science Workshops. Our personal A N E N A was founded in tour was like our own private ISSW. This Avalex gas exploder is part of the CEMAGREF snow study area above the Col du 1971 after an avalanche the previous We often felt obliged to apologize for Lauteret. Photo by Mark Muller. winter struck lodges in the resort of our lack of academic backgrounds, Val d’Isere leaving 39 young people but our hosts felt this unnecessary (the Tour de France bike race numerous monuments to individuals dead. A N E N A was created to and were more than happy to not regularly passes right by this site). and villages struck by avalanches. coordinate the disparate activities of only speak English, but to make sure Here Gazex and Avalhex are used to Combined with the beautiful Alpine private and governmental gro u p s we understood their work. We also trigger avalanches, with instrument villages, the endless ski descents, and and individuals involved in had the opportunity to answer their masts for measuring avalanche the friendly people, a keen avalanche avalanche safety and research. That questions about avalanche work and characteristics, and an instru m e n t enthusiast feels right at home. mission has evolved over the years research in the United States. shelter built into the side of the road. We would especially like to with ANENA now taking its own The two research facilities we During our visit, the field thank our host Francois Sivardiere, as place, primarily providing avalanche visited were located on the sprawling laboratory was the site of a half-day well as Robert Bolognesi, Eric Van safety information and training. g rounds of the University of roundtable on a topical issue where L a n c k e r, Vincent Chritin, A l a i n Duclos (TRANSMONTAGNE), Eric A N E N A has over 1000 members. Grenoble. At CEMAGREF, the snow we could offer a US perspective: Martin (CEN), Yves Durand (CEN), Unlike AAA, there is only one avalanche engineering and torre n t should backcountry or off - p i s t e Jean-Louis Tuaillon (Director Securite membership category, and all control research unit, the research we skiing and boarding be more de Pistes Tignes), and Mohamed members are eligible to vote for the saw was concentrated on blowing restricted? We chose not to attend Naaim Florence Naaim, Michel Gay, B o a rd of Directors. A N E N A snow and avalanche dynamics. In because it was in French and we and Vincent Bain (all at CEMAGREF). maintains a permanent office in addition, a were, after all, on We will never forget your warmth Grenoble with a staff of 7. Of the 7, n a t i o n - w i d e v a c a t i o n . and hospitality.
Catex and revegetation work at Alpe d’ Huez. Photo by Mark Muller. The CEMAGREF study site at Lauteret. Slides are triggered by Gazex or Av a l e x . I n s t rumentation can be attached to only Francois and one other are a v a l a n c h e An avalanche alarm on French masts which run down the slope for several hundred meters. The instrument shelter is right on the roadway, chiseled into the bank. avalanche professionals. Other staff mapping project is National Highway 91 between Photo by Mark Muller include a receptionist, web mistress, an ongoing project Alpe d’Huezand La Grave. A steep librarian, accountant, secretary, and at CEMAGREF. canyon with amazing waterfalls. Francois later Photo by Mark Muller Mark Mueller works for the Colorado the designer for ANENA’s journal, At Meteo France, gave us a Avalanche Information Center as a DOT “Neige et Avalanches,” which the Fre n c h summary: many Highway Avalanche Forecaster at Wolf Creek ANENApublishes quarterly. Last fall weather service that also has mistakenly believed that all U.S. ski Pass in southwest Colorado and is a marked its 100t h issue. A v e r y responsibility for regional avalanche a rea boundaries were closed (of Professional Member and Executive Director important function that A N E N A forecasting, we visited CEN (Centre course until recently this was by and of the American Avalanche Association. provides is the comprehensive and d’ Etudes de la Neige), the Snow large true). Some people approved of Sandy Kobrock patrolled for many years at specific training and certification for Study Center, part of the Meteo this practice and perhaps hoped to Squaw Valley, CA, and most recently was the French avalanche workers in the use France’s National Center for implement it to some degree at their Patrol Director at Wolf Creek Ski Area in of explosives. They also pro v i d e Meteorological Research. The work areas. With the enormous scale of the C o l o r a d o . She now operates Wolf Cre e k certification for avalanche rescue dog we saw there centered on snowpack Alpine “backcountry” and the Backcountry, offering yurt based backcountry handlers. ANENA has also made modeling for avalanche forecasting. i n c reasing popularity of the more skiing and is an avalanche safety instructor. available an extensive array of We also were impressed by their extreme practices, professional safety She is an AAA Professional Member and an w e a t h e r, snowpack, and avalanche rescue personnel are feeling increased avalanche literature and training AAACertified Avalanche Instructor. ❊ VOL. 22, NO. 1, OCTOBER 2003 THE AVALANCHE REVIEW PAGE 7
Montroc, on the Road to Perdition On the 9th of February 1999 the village of Montroc near Chamonix in France was hit by a massive avalanche killing 12 people in their homes. Was this a freak event in an unusu - By David B. George al winter or something the authorities could have seen coming?
turned off the autoroute at one: on the 7th of February a deep hamlet below. Nothing could of confidence in software means Martigny and under grey skies depression crossed France. Over resist these massive forces of that local knowledge is still the nature. Travelling at 60 mph with I began the climb over the road three days it dumped more than 2 basic tool of avalanche prediction. pass to Chamonix. It was just a two meters of snow on a pressure of 5 tonnes per m , Statistical modelling of the chalets were pulverised and the week after the massive avalanche Chamonix. In the high winds, avalanche site by the Fre n c h debris carried over 100 meters. that had hit Montroc. The low snow accumulated to worrying When the slide came to rest, 14 Avalanche Research Centre cloud, turning to mist, obscured depths above the town. T h e buildings had been totally (ANENA) showed that the the valley. Then, rounding a avalanche risk was at its destroyed and 6 badly damaged. Montroc avalanche was between a bend, I was greeted by a scene of maximum. In the town hall the The remains, and any people 150 and 300 year event. Return such utter devastation it was experts of the Av a l a n c h e inside, were buried under 100,000 periods of more than 100 years are breathtaking. Forest, buildings, Consultative Committee met to tonnes of snow to a depth of 5 not normally used when pylons — all smashed and broken discuss the growing crisis. meters. It was as if a bomb had evaluating planning risks (Plan de almost beyond human E v a c u a t e ? But where ? T h e re been dropped on the whole area. Prévention des Risques Naturels - recognition. were over 100 known avalanche PPR) by the French authorities. A few days later, the journalist paths in the valley. Years of Switzerland, with a longer Jacqueline Meillon, in an article development under pressure from tradition of avalanche risk published in Le Parisien, raised the tourist industry meant that assessment, uses 300 year events. doubts over the planning nearly every community had North America, with a much p ro c e d u res followed in the some chalets at risk. g reater reliance on statistical Chamonix valley. It appeared Far above the hamlet of le analysis, often uses even longer that in an effort to balance Poses snow had been piling up in return periods. It should be development pre s s u res in the a bowl. The valley culminated at remembered that a 150 year event densely populated French A l p s 2450 metres at a point called la does not mean that an avalanche Montagne de Péclerey. At around against the risks some dangers 2:40pm on the 9th of February, of that magnitude will occur only had been overlooked. This article once every 150 years but that while the committee discussed the Figure 1: Clearing the Debris pieces together the chain of events situation, a slab of snow some 1.5 there is a 1/150 chance that such that lead to the Montroc disaster. meters deep and over an area of an event will occur in any year. The winter had started well 30 hectares broke away. This mass For longer periods the following with enough snowfall for many of snow started to accelerate Four years later and that formula can be used: down the 35 degree slope. At 1950 bombshell is still re v e r b e r a t i n g . ski resorts to open early. A period Probability % = 1 – (1/T)L of cold dry weather followed. meters the slope levelled out; Michel Charlet, the Mayor of most winters this was enough to Where T is the return period and L Ideal conditions for the formation Chamonix, has been found guilty stop a slide in its tracks. But this of second-degree murder for not is the number of years. So for a of hoar crystals and a fragile base avalanche was bigger, bigger than thirty year period there is an 18% for future snowfall. After a dry having evacuated the chalets in M o n t roc had seen for over 40 the 48 hours prior to the chance of seeing a 150 year spell the snow finally arrived on years. The slide shot past the avalanche. the 26th of January. Well over a plateau and picked up the snow avalanche. Charlet received a 3 meter fell at la Tour, but nothing accumulated on the other side. months suspended sentence too alarming. The weather turned 300,000 cubic meters of snow were despite a call on the opening day cold and dry again. Then the big now channelled directly onto the of the trial by the state prosecutor for the charges to be dropped on the grounds that the avalanche zoning plans were incorrect. The court stated that the Mayor is the only person responsible for evacuating houses at serious risk. Figure 2: Slope Profile A re p resentative for the families of the non-Chamonix victims said the verdict would The avalanche path at remind Mayors “that they have Montroc consists of two convex priorities other than org a n i s i n g slopes. The table below gives the festivals, flowers and majore t t e s . points where the slope angle falls Things have to change so that our to 10°, the so-called beta points. children didn’t die in vain…” The Péclerey avalanche normally B e f o re the trial M r. Charlet occurs as two separate slides; one made these comments on the starting at 2450 meters and charges, “Avalanche maps existed, stopping somewhere beyond ?1, they were wrong, since the avalanche the second beta point can be happened at a place supposedly ignored for runout calculations. It without risk, and I was supposed to is possible for a second avalanche interpret that even if there was no risk to start at 1700 meters. an avalanche could still happen?” At the end of the run the slope Mr. Charlet has decided not to curves slightly upwards from the appeal to permit families of the bed of the Arve river towards the victims to receive compensation, road and the point where the but it also means that the chalets were located. Although judgement will become part of this upslope would appear to French case law. offer some protection, it must be One of the jobs of avalanche re m e m b e red that during the re s e a rchers is to predict where winter such relief would be and how often avalanches will smoothed by snowfall, especially o c c u r. Despite sophisticated during the exceptional conditions computer models and much of February 1999. More investigation the actual mechanics s u r p r i s i n g l y, the average angle of snow within a moving from the road to the starting zone avalanche is still not that well (the alpha angle) is over 25 u n d e r s t o o d . It is there f o re degrees. In British Columbia this important to correlate the would restrict the site to lower p redictions that computers risk highway use rather than provide with actual statistics from permanent construction. the area being studied. This lack Continues on next page PAGE 8 THE AVALANCHE REVIEW VOL. 22, NO. 1, OCTOBER 2003
Crossing the Rubicon stopped a long way from the road the river Arve and hit four chalets If we want to look for a single and the Péclerey avalanche was at Le Tour, killing five people. A cause for the Montroc tragedy, a shown starting lower down at court heard that although the area smoking gun, we have to return to 1700 and not 2450 meters. This was zoned for construction, a 1970. Chamonix was growing fast C L PA would be the basis for similar avalanche had occurred in under pre s s u re from ‘White subsequent zoning documents. 1966 and that the builder and Gold’, the money from winter In light of the new CLPA , town planners should have been Table 1: Angles to Starting Point sports tourism as the locals called Maurice Herzog decided to revise aware of the risks. i t . Maurice Herzog, then the the PUD. From February 1973 a In Europe, with its long deputy mayor, was put in charge series of meetings worked on a In 1991 Cemagref revised the history of habitation in the of drawing up an urban new document. Finally the public CLPA. This time the track taken mountains, local knowledge is development plan (P l a n was invited to comment. Armand by the Péclerey was marked as particularly reliable. In the first d’Urbanism or PUD). Herzog was Charlet, a teacher at the French crossing the Le Tour road, as it century AD, the Roman poet a mountaineer of some Ski School (ENSA) and a had in the 1945 plan. The area Silius Italicus tells us that reputation; he and Louis Lachenal respected guide, was stro n g l y covered on the map was almost Hannibal’s army were caught by a had been the first men to stand on critical of the plan and noted that identical to that of the 1999 snowstorm, perhaps high on the the summit of an 8000-metre no account had been taken of “the accident. But neither the POS or Col du Mont Genèvre near peak. On his return to France he avalanches of Grand Lanchy even the Risk Evaluation Plan Briançon. On the steep descent had exploited this success for ( P é c l e rey) and opposite that of (PER) adopted the following year the troops were hit by c o m m e rcial and political d’Amont Vargnoz which covered the were revised. avalanches. In total Hannibal lost purposes, something that did not area as far as the Le Tour road on the Eleven of the chalets 18,000 men and 2,000 horses sit easily with some members of 12th February 1945”, he regretted d e s t royed in the avalanche at c rossing the A l p s . Av a l a n c h e the mountaineering fraternity. that he had not been invited to the M o n t roc were built in a white deaths became more frequent as M o n t roc was one of the sites earlier meetings. “F o r t u n a t e l y zone, a sector classed as having people started to build villages zoned for development. The ’71 n o t !” an unknown author zero risk of avalanche, but was in higher in the mountains. T h e PUD noted the two avalanches commented in the margin, “o r fact known to be threatened by Rodi avalanche in Switzerland in known by the locals. there wouldn’t be a single plot of land two avalanches. Amongst the 1618 killed over 2,000 people. The That same year a huge worthy of construction”. On the victims were four children and a 1720 Galen avalanche claimed 88 avalanche hit Val d’Isère killing 39 13th of June 1973 the To w n family of five from the Jura. But l i v e s . Although the causes of people. Val d’Isère along with Council voted to adopt the new was building in the path of two avalanches were not well other resorts in France had been plan, the “importance of which avalanches conspiracy or cock- understood, in 1723 the Swiss g rowing at an almost cannot be exaggerated” commented up? writer Johann Scheuchzer uncontrolled rate as part of the Herzog, somewhat prophetically. A key actor in the drama was attributed them to dragons; locals F rench state’s plan to develop The guide’s warnings had been the agent, now dead, who were still able to observe where winter tourism. Buildings were ignored. prepared the 1971 avalanche plan avalanches happened and avoid c o n s t ructed without re c e i v i n g This document, along with the (CLPA). Working alone, little is building in those spots. planning permission and, it was Avalanche Zoning Plan (Plan de known about how he went about Avalanches were named alleged, without proper studies of Zonage d’Exposition aux this task, whether he consulted according to the slope or valley the known risks. The Val d’Isère Avalanche - PZEA) prepared by the locals or looked at the 1945 where they occurred. Over the accident was followed by deaths the State Authorities formed the plan. He had aerial photographs centuries the safe terrain was at Tignes and then finally at the basis for the area development of the site, but these were unlikely gradually exploited and other end of the season a hospital near plan (Plan d’Occupation des Sols - to show traces of such a rare areas left for agricultural use. Chamonix was hit by a mud and P O S ) . The POS was finally e v e n t . The subsequent town snow slide claiming 72 victims, of approved in 1979 and specified planning documents, agreed to by The locals at Montroc knew which 56 were children. three zones: the council, took full advantage of that the part of the valley called The bad publicity generated white: no risk of avalanche his revisions. However, even the The Poses was prone to by these deaths made it nearly blue: the risk exists and for new ‘71 CLPA notes the possibility of avalanches. Five times over the impossible for promoters to sell buildings there are certain an avalanche starting from Mont p revious century an avalanche apartments in the ski stations. The regulations involving materials Péclerey and covering the area to had torn down from Mount development of the new resort of and design the ro a d . The mayor of Péclerey. In 1843 and then in 1945 Val Thorens had to be put on red: high risk, no new Chamonix, Michel Charlet, states it had covered an area as far as the hold. To calm public anxiety the construction allowed that unlike the incidents of 1970 road to the village of Le Tour. The government launched a vast The Poses lay largely in a there was no irregularity in any fact that it didn’t come often made project to localise the areas at risk. white zone, so the land formerly planning permission granted and it no less feared. During periods These maps were called Cartes de reserved for agricultural use that all the available documents of high avalanche risk locals localisation probable des Avalanches could now be sold for (CLPA, POS, PZEA, PPR etc) were would warn visitors not to go past or CLPA. Naturally Chamonix development at a much more validated at a number of levels. Le Tomka, a chalet on the road to was chosen as a pilot pro j e c t . interesting price, of course. He goes on to warn against Le Tour. However the CLPA for Montroc A year earlier, on the 2nd of viewing certain documents with didn’t record either the 1843 and F e b ruary 1978 in what was the benefit of hindsight and notes 1945 avalanches. The Poses was practically a rehearsal for the that Armand Charlet’s comments only marked as a possible events at Montroc, an avalanche were recorded by the CLPA but avalanche zone. The zone in the Couloir de Nantet crossed they were never communicated to subsequent Mayors. It is possible that the councillors who approved the town plan and the locals who condoned it truly believed that big avalanches could be channelled and controlled and Figure 3: The Avalanche Path were a thing of the past, although the tragic events of 1970 and 1978 should have been a warning As the cradle of alpinism, against hubris. The wall of silence Chamonix has been a pioneer in that reigns in the valley means F rench efforts avalanche that it is difficult to shed more prediction. In 1945, the town had light on this point. D a n i e l l e an avalanche map, the first of its Arnaud’s book, La Neige kind in France. It describes the E m p o i s o n n é e (Poisoned Snow) two avalanches at le Poses that talks of the strong local pressure meet on the Le Tour ro a d , put on officials mapping c o r responding to the local avalanches and the sudden knowledge at that time. f o rgetfulness of elderly land owners who would strike pay dirt Figure 4: The 1991 CLPA showing the Péclerey(1) avalanche VOL. 22, NO. 1, OCTOBER 2003 THE AVALANCHE REVIEW PAGE 9
factor. In 1999 the Mont Blanc and all too close. But where in the Glossary massif was at the epicentre of valley isn’t? The avalanche map PZEA, Plan de Zonage d’Exposition aux events but the winter was not is covered in red ink. Ava l a n c h e s : Avalanche Zoning Plan unique. Four other winters in the The winter of 1970 saw over a CL P A, Cartes de localisation probable des Avalanches: Maps of li k e l y previous 30 years had seen similar hundred deaths; we had to wait avalanche sites levels of avalanche activity. thirty years for another major POS, Plan d’Occupation des Sols:Are a Villecrois identifies a sequence of t r a g e d y. Over that time, development plan events, a fragile early season base development in the Alps has been PER, Plan Evaluation des Risks: Ri s k which meant that any avalanche c o n s i d e r a b l e . The measure s Evaluation Plan would break over the full depth adopted by the authorities after PUD, Plan d’Urbanisme: Town Plan and area of the snow pack. The 1970 can be viewed as larg e l y heavy snowfall down to the valley successful but not without errors. floor meant that features that Will there ever be another David George is an enthusiastic could slow the avalanche were Montroc? Probably. As long as backcountry skier as well as a member buried. The very cold weather led man continues to venture into and of the French Avalanche Association Figure 5: The Memorial Cross to the formation of a powder live in dangerous are a s : (ANENA). He has a keen amateur a v a l a n c h e . This could start mountains, flood plains, in interest in the mountain environment if their land was zoned for spontaneously, and not due to the earthquake zones, there will be and avalanches in particular. c o n s t ruction. A young town passage of a skier that many had accidents. Despite our technology ❊ planner who worked on the POS assumed at the time and which and knowledge we re m a i n in the Montroc sector recalls a led to the State Governor (Préfet) insignificant when confronted by very strong financial pressure for imposing a ban, albeit temporary, the forces of nature. development in the valley. There on off piste skiing. A powder were indeed some doubts about avalanche would have the mass References the PZEA but it wasn’t within and speed to overcome the false Jacqueline Meillon, Le Parisien, Feb. 1999 Montagnes Magazine, October 2002 their brief to revise the document. plateau situated at 1900 meters ANENA: Neige et avalanche, The journalist Bernard and often follow paths different f rom norm. Slides from the L’avalanche de Péclerey , December 2000 Frédérick, writing in the left wing AV Communications, Montroc , summit of Péclerey generally took newspaper l’Humanité, refers us to L’avalanche était connue, 2002 the oral tradition used by the a route 20 to 30 degrees to the Analysis of the Montroc Ava l a n c h e , mountain folk when selecting north in the direction of Le Tour. Fr ench Environment Ministry Rpt., 2000 building plots. The post war In the light of this information, Danielle Arnaud, la Neige Empoisonnée, urbanism and agricultural it seems that the Av a l a n c h e 1975 displacement broke the chain of Consultative Committee did the Jacques Vil l e c r ois, Les Avalanches de local knowledge passed through best job it could in an almost janvier et février 1999 ..., Be r n a r d Frédérick, L’H u m a n i t é the generations. Frédérick also impossible situation. Who would take the decision to evacuate Peter Wei r , Snow Ava l a n c h e sees the change in the mountain Management in Forested Terrain, 2002, people in a white zone when there e n v i ronment as playing a ro l e . ht t p : / / w w w. f o r. g o v. b c . c a / h f d / p u b s / D o were a good many houses in high Felling of ancient forests to build cs / L m h / L m h 5 5 . h t m ski pistes, lifts and pylons, the risk areas? The avalanche itself Mo n t r oc, on the road to perdition developments in agriculture, can was extremely rare, almost to the
Avalanche Hazard Mapping in Kazakhstan By Viktor Blagovechshenskiy
Introduction this territory is possible with administrations for land use maps are drawn up for the ski Hazardous avalanche terrain p reventive measures (avalanche planning. resort “Shimbulak”, winter tourist in Kazakhstan occupies about control). The very high avalanche re c reation areas and mountain 2 h a z a rd level is marked on the Large scale maps roads near Almaty. These maps 134,000 km . Avalanches occur in are used by local administration, territories where V is more than Large scale engineering maps the mountain ranges of: A l t a i , ski resort and re c reation are a are compiled in scales of 1:24 000 Saur, Tarbagatai, Dzungar Alatau, 100,000 m3 and R is more than authorities, and to pro t e c t Zailiyskiy Alatau, and the Tien 0.75. Engineering pro t e c t i v e and more. Individual avalanche structure designers. Shan Mountains. The most c o n s t ructions (fences, dams, paths are divided into starting damage from avalanches takes galleries) are needed to protect zone, track, and runout zone (Fig. Viktor Blagovechshenskiy is head of place in Altai and Zailiyskiy these territories. 3). Borders of avalanche runout the Laboratory of Mountain Ecology of Alatau where mines, ski resorts Small scale maps are used by zones with diff e rent re t u r n the Institute of Geography of Kazakhstan. and roads are situated in the state and re g i o n a l periods are marked. Topographic He is a Doctor of Geography Sciences. He has studied avalanches for about 30 years avalanche prone zones. administration for elaboration of maps, air photos, historical re c o rds, field investigation, in Tien Shan, Altai, Pamir, Caucasus, Avalanche hazard mapping is territory development strategy. and Khibiny Mountains. He is the author an inexpensive and eff e c t i v e These maps had been compiled statistical and mathematical modeling are used to develop of more than 80 scientific papers and 4 m e a s u re of avalanche damage for all mountain regions of monographs concerning problems of p revention. In Kazakhstan, the Kazakhstan. these maps. Statistical models used for avalanche hazard mapping and avalanche Institute of Geography of runout distance determination are parameter calculation. He worked at similar to the Norwegian Montana State University during alpha/beta model. But, significant February – May 2003 and applied his d i ff e rences are that ru n o u t experience to create the Avalanche Sites distance depends not only on ?, Atlas for the Bridger Range, MT. To but also on avalanche volume (V), contact him: Institute of Geography, Pushkin St., 99, 480100 Almaty, Kazakhstan, [email protected].
E d i t o r’s note: In the US, identification of avalanche areas is made from maps using a scale of 1:24,000. These maps are commonly available for all mountain re g i o n s except Alaska. Risk determination is generally derived from maps in the range of 1:2000 to 1:10,000, such as the “Shimbulak” ski area shown in this article. ❊ Fi g u r e 1. Small scale avalanche hazard map. Fi g u r e 2. Middle scale avalanche hazard map. Fi g u r e 3. Large scale avalanche hazard map.
Academy of Science carries out Middle scale maps avalanche path shape, and such mapping using methods The middle scale, re g i o n a l avalanche vertical drop height based on analysis of terrain and maps use a of scale from 1:100,000 (H). climate conditions, historical data to 1:500,000. On these maps and field investigation. Avalanche possible avalanche volumes For channeled avalanche paths: averaged across avalanche areas t a n ( ? ) = t a n ( ? ) + ( 0 . 2 5 - 0 . 0 1 2 hazard maps of small, middle and ?)lnV+0.2H2 , large scales are compiled. ( g roup of avalanche sites) are shown (Fig. 2). Territories with For unconfined avalanche paths: Small scale maps avalanches occurring each year and territories with avalanches in t a n ( ? ) = t a n ( ? ) + ( 0 . 0 0 7 - 0 . 0 0 5 Small scale overview maps of ?)lnV+0.1H2 avalanche hazard are drawn up in high snow years only scale less than or equal to (approximately one in ten years), and forested territories with Moskalev’s model similar to 1:500,000. They contain Voellmy’s model is used for quantitative characteristics of potential avalanche hazards are also marked on these maps. mathematical modeling of an avalanche hazard level: low, avalanche runout distance: moderate, high and very high Avalanche volumes are calculated by use of the formula: (Fig. 1). These characteristics are dv2/2ds=g(sin?- ?cos?)-bv2. estimated using data on valley’s 3 depth and shape and on the V = KWF m , Empirical dependencies of the annual maximum of snow water friction coefficient ? and the equivalent. Where: W – annual maximum turbulent coefficient b o n A low level of avalanche snow water equivalent in an avalanche type, avalanche h a z a rd means that land use is avalanche starting zone, mm; F – a volume V, and on avalanche possible without any pro t e c t i v e mean area of an avalanche velocity v are obtained using field data. m e a s u res. In this territory starting zone, km3. K – empirical avalanche volumes (V) are less coefficient depending on W. The For dry avalanches: 3 than one thousand m and the snow water equivalent is ? = 0 . 1 + 0 . 4 e - 0 . 0 4 8 v ; ratio of area hit by avalanches (R) estimated using data fro m b=0.13V-0.35. is less than 0.1. A moderate level of m e t e o rological stations and avalanche hazard characterizes regional variations of W For wet avalanches: - the territories with V 1,000 – dependent on altitude and slope ? = 0 . 3 6 - 0 . 1 3 l n V + ( 0 . 6 5 - 0 . 2 3 l n V ) e 0.12v; b=0.006+0.15V-0.3. 10,000 m3, and R less than 0.50. aspects. A mean area of avalanche starting zones is determined by On these territories prophylactic Runout distance frequency is measures (avalanche forecast and using the variations of F estimated according to frequency area closure) are needed. The high dependent on the mean slope of an avalanche volume value level of avalanche hazard height and slope morphology. used for simulation. An avalanche characterizes the territories with Middle scale avalanche volume frequency is determined 3 hazard maps have been compiled using the probability distribution V up to 100,000 m and R more for more developed mountain of avalanche volume. than 0.50. The human activity on regions. They are used by regional Large scale avalanche hazard VOL. 22, NO. 1, OCTOBER 2003 THE AVALANCHE REVIEW PAGE 11 Avalanche Hazard in Kazakhstan By Viktor Blagovechshenskiy
azakhstan is a new independent republic in K Central Asia, located between Russia, China, K y rgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Its area is 2,670,806 km2 with a population of 15.8 million people. Mountain regions with avalanche hazard are concentrated at eastern part of Kazakhstan. There are the Altai, S a u r, Tarbagatai, Dzungar and Alatau mountain ranges, and the Northern and Western Tien Shan Mountains. The total area of h a z a rdous avalanche terrain is 134,000 km2. Most mountain ranges are oriented in an east- west direction. Plains that s u r round the mountains have altitudes of 300 – 600 m above sea level. Altitudes of the mountains from north to south are: Altai – 3000 m, Dzungar Alatau – 4000 m, Tien Shan – 5000 m. The highest summit peak is Khan Tengry with an altitude of 6997 m. A common altitudinal landscape structure from lowest to highest is deciduous fore s t , c o n i f e rous forest, alpine Figure 2. Yearly variations of the annual maximum snow height and the total avalanche volumes in Zailiyskiy Alatau range at altitudes 2500 – 3200 m. (data from the Chymbulak Avalanche Observation Station). meadows, high mountain tundra; and stones, snow fields and glaciers. The treeline rises from mm precipitation in a year. In the occurs during spring, April – May In the Western Dzungar Alatau 2000 m in Altai in the south, to mountains annual pre c i p i t a t i o n (Figure 1). A second smaller peak snow depth increases to 200 cm, 2400 m in Dzungar Alatau, and to increases to 600 – 800 mm, and to of precipitation happens and in the Western Altai reaches 2800 m at The Northern Ti e n m o re than 1000 mm in glacier November – December. Summer 300 cm. Shan. zone. Spatial pre c i p i t a t i o n and winter are very dry. Summer After the autumn, snowfalls The climate is stro n g l y distribution depends on the slope is hot, and winter is cold. form a 50 – 60 cm snow cover on continental in Kazakhstan. orientation of the range. The The mountains are snow the ground. The lengthy Moisture travels from the North western edges of the mountain covered from November to April, midwinter dry and cold period Atlantic Ocean. The world’s ranges receive maximum and year round in the glacier zone starts, forming a weak snow layer highest mountain barrier: moisture – up to 2000 mm in the Snow depth depends on altitude with large (3 – 5 mm) depth hoar Hindukhush – Karokoram – Western Altai and Dzungar and slope aspect. On northern crystals at the lower part of the Himalayas isolates the Alatau. On eastern sides of the slopes in the coniferous forest and snowpack. Spring snowstorms Kazakhstan mountains from the mountain ranges annual alpine meadow zones in the most c reate 40 – 50 cm snow slabs Indian Ocean. Plains with steppes precipitation decreases to 200 – mountainous regions annual above this weak layer and trigger and deserts receive only 100 – 300 400 mm. Maximum precipitation maximum snow depth is 100 – 120 avalanches. Increasing density and decreasing strength in the d i rection from snow surface to ground is the typical feature of snow cover structure. There are about 30 days with snowfall during winter period. Most snowfalls are small, less then 10 cm of new snow. Snowfalls of 30 – 40 cm usually occur one time in winter. Heavy snowfalls greater than 70 cm new snow occur one time in 50 years. The duration of most snowfalls is usually 6 – 12 hours. Snowfall intensities are about 1 cm/hr in winter and 2 cm/hr in spring. New snow density is 50 – 80 kg/m3 in winter and 100 – 150 kg/m3 in spring. About 30 – 40 days with avalanches account for 10 - 15 avalanche cycles during the winter period. Causes are usually snowfall events in winter and thaws and snowmelt in spring. Most of the avalanche cycles last 2 – 3 days, but in late spring avalanches may descend each day during two weeks.
Figure 1. Monthly distribution of precipitation in Zailiyskiy Alatau range. Continues on next page PAGE 12 THE AVALANCHE REVIEW VOL. 22, NO. 1, OCTOBER 2003
About 80 % of the avalanches meadow zone since valley The Avalanche Information March. There are few engineered occur during or just after snowfall bottoms are wide; the amount of Center of the State Meteorological p rotective stru c t u res in the or rain on snow. There are two area hit by avalanche decreases to O ffice in Almaty pro d u c e s Kazakhstan mountains. Snow peaks of avalanche activity during 30 – 50 %. regional avalanche forecasts for support fences had been winter: 1) at the end of December The mountain regions of all the mountainous regions of c o n s t ructed in the 1970’s to – the beginning of January with Kazakhstan are sparsely Kazakhstan. The data fro m protect the skate ring “Medeu” dry loose snow avalanches, 2) at populated and little developed; avalanche observation stations, near Almaty and a mine site in mountain weather stations and Dzungar Alatau. There are no estimated amount of new snow recent defense stru c t u res and and air temperature from the none are planned. region are used in cre a t i n g avalanche forecasts. The Institute of Geography Viktor Blagovechshenskiy is head studies the spatial distribution of of the Laboratory of Mountain avalanches, develops methods of Ecology of the Institute of Geography avalanche hazard estimation and of Kazakhstan. He is a Doctor of mapping, and draws up Geography Sciences. He has studied avalanche hazard maps. avalanches for about 30 years in Tien Specialists of the Institute have Shan, Altai, Pamirs, Caucasus, and developed methods for Khibiny. He is the author of more compiling small scale overview, than 80 scientific papers and 4 middle scale regional, and large monographs concerning problems of the end of March – April with wet t h e re f o re, damage fro m scale engineering avalanche avalanche hazard mapping and slab snow avalanches. Dry avalanches is low. There are some hazard maps. avalanche parameter calculation. He avalanches prevail in number, but mines and miner settlements hit The Emergency Commit-tee worked at Montana State University wet avalanches are the biggest by avalanches in Altai, Dzungar with the Defense Department and f rom February to May 2003 and and most destructive. Avalanche Alatau, and Karatau. A railroad the Rescue Service prevents and applied his experience to create the vertical drop height reaches 1000 and some roads in the Altai are mitigates damage fro m Avalanche Sites Atlas for the Bridger m and travel distance re a c h e s t h reatened by avalanches. The avalanches. Avalanche warnings, Range, MT. 3500 m. The maximum recorded main avalanche problems exist in mountain area access limitation avalanche volume is 350,000 m3, Zailiyskiy Alatau range. The and closure, and avalanche Contact information: Institute of and average volumes are 10,000 – biggest state city, Almaty, with 1.5 artificial release are used. About G e o g r a p h y, Pushkin St., 99, million people is located on the ten avalanche paths that hit ski 480100 A l m a t y, Kazakhstan, 15,000 m3. Wet avalanches move northern foothill of this range. runs, roads, and tourist trails are [email protected]. with velocity 10 – 15 m/sec. Dry Many people visit these c o n t rolled. Only hand placed avalanches have velocities 30 – 50 mountains for skiing, climbing explosive charges are used for m/s. Flow height of wet and hiking in winter. The only avalanche control. A r t i f i c i a l avalanches is usually 3 – 6 m. Kazakhstan ski are a releases are produced usually ❊ Flow height of dry avalanches “Chymbulak”, is nearby. There is twice during winter: at the end of may reach 20 – 30 m. In the also the famous high mountain December and at the beginning of snowiest regions of the Western skating ring “Medeu”, and Dzungar Alatau and the Western several re c reation areas in the Altai avalanche volumes can Zailiyskiy Alatau. During the last 3 reach one million m , and 25 years avalanches killed 50 avalanche flow heights reach 150 people (tourists, climbers and – 200 m. The biggest avalanches skiers). The annual death toll has run up opposite valley slopes to a reached as many as 12 people. As height of 200 m. the number of winter visitors Avalanche activity varies increases; the avalanche problem strongly year to year (Fig. 2). The is expected to become more number of days with avalanches, significant. the avalanche number, and the Avalanche investigations in total avalanche volumes increase Kazakhstan began in the 1950s in in general with the snow amount the Institute of Geography of (annual maximum snow height). Kazakh Academy of Science. In Winters with high avalanche the 1960s the Meteoro l o g i c a l activity return each 10 years. Service established five avalanche Sometimes a year with high observation stations (one in Altai, avalanche activity corre s p o n d s two in Dzungar Alatau, and two with snow amount less than in Zailiyskiy Alatau). Now only normal and vice versa depending two stations in Zailiyskiy Alatau on specific snow cover operate. They are “Shymbulak” development. During the last 30 and “Big Alamty Lake” located years slight positive trends are respectively at 2200 and 2500 m. estimated for both the snow The mission of the station’s staffs height and the avalanche volume includes weather observation, sum. m e a s u rement of snow cover Avalanche hazard p roperties, re c o rding avalanche characteristics differ gre a t l y events, and local avalanche a c ross altitudinal zones (Ta b l e ) . f o recasting. Daily shear and Avalanche volumes and the share tension frame measurements are of area hit by avalanche have recorded at the study plots near maximum values in the upper the stations. Empirical part of the conifer zone and in the dependencies of avalanche alpine meadow zone. A d e n s e formation probability on snow forest impedes avalanching in the cover properties and the new lower part of the coniferous zone snow height or air temperatures although snow height is sufficient are used for forecasts. Since 2000, here for avalanching at the open the Swiss nearest neighbors slopes. In high mountain tundra computer program NXD has and glacier zones avalanche helped forecasters in decision- activity is high but avalanche making procedures. hazard is less than in the alpine VOL. 22, NO. 1, OCTOBER 2003 THE AVALANCHE REVIEW PAGE 13 Some Practical Experience and Comments About Snow Strength Tests and Slope Strength Variability By Craig Wilbour and Rob Gibson
e read with interest Jurg with more caution. S c h w e i z e r’s article in the In another example: this past W August 2002 issue of The spring, opening of Chinook Pass Avalanche Review on the rutschblock p roved very interesting. Chinook test. It is prompting an interesting Pass (SR 410) is a highway that goes discussion of slope stre n g t h a c ross the Cascades around the variability. We also read Christoph northeast side of Mt. Rainier. The Dietzfelbinger’s October 2002 letter winter was mild, and the spring to the editor and Jurg’s response in snowpack was predominantly partly the same issue. Howard Conway frozen (partly ice bonded) MF grains. sent us a copy of his letter on the Light daily snowfall occurred every variability issue that will be day during the workweek for the first published along with these six weeks of the pass opening project. comments. Our work includes avalanche control Snow strength variability is an to protect the maintenance workers, interesting and potentially personally to reduce the hazard, and to reduce serious issue for all of us involved in the duration of the hazard after the avalanche forecasting and contro l , highway is opened; we also mark the and for all winter mountain travelers. road location with a backpack We will use a few of our own few mounted GPS. We had cre a t e d sea stories (or if you pre f e r, war (forced) some large slab avalanches Part of a natural slab avalanche that was triggered by a sluff above SR 410, Chinook Pass, stories) that support our belief that in with buried 13 and 26-pound shots. WA. April 2003. The slab released above and below the roadway, shortly after putting in some situations there can be quite a Often we bury a line of this size shots the GPS line (see the sticks). Photo by John Stimberis. bit of variability in snow strength, across the upper part of a starting and that a caution must be used in zone. This has proven effective for us extrapolating snowpack test results. in a spring snowpack. We had avalanche control at the top of this all the time. If most of the time About 10 years ago we had been p roduced a number of wet loose peak yielded many large avalanches; happens often enough, we can start to tracking a persistent buried weak avalanches with skis that further some removed 8-10 feet of snow. think that it is all the time. Then a layer composed of faceted crystals for down the slope became large but did Typically each shot was a line of rare, but not so subtle reminder such some time. We wanted to get some not pull out slabs. There had also buried charges as described above. In as the above occurrences — with poor idea what the worst-case snow been natural loose snow avalanches. one case, two large avalanches ran correlation to tests — tells us to be strength might be. So we went to two One day Rob and another member of over a slab that stayed in place. This careful. locations where we expected the best the crew were marking the ro a d slab was later released by loading it We are interested in the indication of weakness. During the location with GPS. They stopped at a directly. In the general area near the experiences of others involved in pervious week, a substantial amount protected point to watch a shot that road where the slab was released by avalanche control. A re other of new snow load had accumulated. the other two of us had set up on top the sluff, large control pro d u c e d avalanche control workers are The Alpental backcountry had not of an adjacent peak. Just in front of avalanches from above released some occasionally seeing poor correlation been open or skied for that week. them they observed a very small additional slabs of similar depth to between rutschblock scores or other Rob Gibson and I did two natural sluff that descended almost the slab released by the sluff. The snowpack tests and natural rutschblock tests. In one test on a 1000 vertical feet without gaining same thing occurred on an adjacent avalanching (or for that matter north-northeast slope, we got a score size. Then just above the road it peak, with large avalanches pulling avalanche control)? Do these poor of 5, with failure at the persistent pulled out a 3-foot deep slab. About out additional slabs further down the c o r relations occur more often in weak layer. In the other, on a north two acres of the slab was above the path. The area between the peaks did specific snowpack types? aspect slope, we got a score of 7+ road and half an acre released below not produce the same magnitude of (both of us jumped on it at the same the road. A number of subsequent avalanches. A few lines of buried Respectfully, time). The faceted layer was still only snow pack tests, in a number of areas, charges failed to produce avalanches. Craig Wilbour and Rob Gibson fist hard, however, and temperatures failed to even show the layer that These were adjacent to slopes that did Washington State Dept. of around the layer had equalized at 30 released. avalanche with the same Transportation, Avalanche Control degrees F. On examination, the facets These tests also failed to identify mistreatment. We spent the spring showed that considerable rounding the layers that avalanche contro l being very conservative and careful. had occurred. The slab above the released. On a slope not far from We also used a lot of explosives to weak layer was quite stiff. Both of where the slab pulled out (as close to protect our ascent routes. This spring these rutschblock tests were done on it as we felt comfortable), we got a we experienced by far the worst slopes where avalanches are rutschblock score of 28. What’s that c o r relation between slabs re l e a s e d common. Or said differently, if we — the scale only goes to 7? For some and snowpack tests that we can are looking for trouble, these are two years now we have found it useful recall. of the places we would go expecting (particularly in a partly frozen MF Explosives are a form of snow to find it. snowpack) when getting a score of 7 pack test that puts a measure d Alpental conducted their own to then 1/4 the size of the already amount of force into the snowpack. stability evaluations, and ski and used sample and jump on it again. Sometimes the results of avalanche explosives tests and control. They This may locate and quantify shear c o n t rol with explosives are quite opened the backcountry and people planes that the full rutschblock test variable. We believe that most rather thoroughly skied it without does not. Ok, go ahead and quibble avalanche control workers have incident. So there were three forms of with the math, but the point is that occasionally experienced the same tests. The skiing by the public was we put a lot of force on a small area of variability in control results. So why the most thorough test, though of the snowpack. This quarter shouldn’t we see some variability in course it was not opened to be a test; rutschblock test needs more our snowpack tests? r a t h e r, all forms of test re s u l t s refinement and description of the indicated that it should be open. That results because, for example at the 28 We like the rutschblock test for all the night a substantial natural slab s c o re, sometimes our feet blow reasons that Jurg described, avalanche released on a north aspect through the sample without creating particularly because it uses a skier or slope very close to where the a shear and other times they do not. boarder as the test force. If we had rutschblock score of 5 was obtained. A separate shovel shear test about 100 rutschblock scores from all of the The slope that avalanched goes over a feet from this rutschblock site failed places where we have thrown shots, c l i ff that is occasionally used by to locate the slab failure plane also. prior to the shot, we would all huckers. More importantly, it ran out The same results occurred with a certainly have a better understanding and deposited deeply into a gully shovel shear at the described and feel for snow stability. However, that is a fairly popular run. There had rutschblock site. we think that there is good evidence not been a substantial change in that there is more variability than conditions. The two rutschblock tests We realize that rutschblock tests are Jurg describes. We also think that and the natural avalanche were all not supposed to perform as reliably m o re caution should be used in within a quarter mile of each other, in this type of snowpack, but we are extrapolating snowpack test results. on north through north-northeast convinced that we were looking at a aspects, and all at almost identical wide range of snow stre n g t h We feel that most of the time tests, elevations. Fortunately, the huckers variability between the site of the particularly the rutschblock, give a chose other cliffs that day. Both of us slab, the rutschblock site and our good indication of the general have viewed test results since this other test sites. Subsequent stability. But most of the time is not PAGE 14 THE AVALANCHE REVIEW VOL. 22, NO. 1, OCTOBER 2003
Continued from cover artillery for avalanche control users the Internet and via phone-in hotline. Glude, assisted by avalanche special- have eliminated the 106 RR from their The avalanche awareness classes ist Peter Carter and our student ing in grant writing and dealing with programs and the NAC is working were held on Thursday nights at the intern Kent Scheler. We trained a the media, two things that are becom- with the individual ski areas, ranger district office. In addition, the number of awareness instructors to ing essential for running a successful districts and the Army to assure that Chugach Forest interpretive staff help cover Southeast Alaska, includ- avalanche center. those programs will have re p l a c e- b rought the message of avalanche ing Karl Bausler, Scott Burton, Sarah In addition to supporting the ment systems for this coming winter. safety and awareness to over 500 stu- Carter, and Brooke Munro in Juneau, Forest Service avalanche centers, we This past winter, the Office of dents at local schools. Ryn Schneider in Petersburg, and continue to work with other Homeland Security through the The Center’s advisories focus pri- Coleen Harrier and Tamar Young in avalanche programs. This season Office of Inspector General audited marily on the Turnagain Arm area, Haines. Glacier National Park hired two fore- the Forest Service explosives pro- and Turnagain Pass in particular. The Course attendance was down casters and established an avalanche gram. The audit included FS permit- eight-mile section of the Seward due to lack of snow, but we still forecasting program for their plow- ted ski areas and helicopter ski guide Highway that winds thro u g h reached over 750 people, mostly in ing program on the Going to the Sun concessions’ use of hand charges for Turnagain Pass can see as many as awareness courses. The weather sta- Road. The NAC provided some tech- avalanche control and the FS man- 300 vehicles on a weekend day. This tion at our Fish Creek Knob snow nical expertise and advice for some of aged military artillery for avalanche amounts to approximately 750 motor- study and research site, which we the unique problems they face, like control program. The NAC coordi- ized and non-motorized backcountry operate in conjunction with the numerous wet snow avalanches, and nated the military artillery portion of travelers per day. University of Alaska Southeast, is f requent cycles of large wet slab the audit and the NAC and ski areas We have seen a great show of now fully operational. It is the only slides. with military artillery are currently support for the CNFAIC from the higher elevation site in our region In terms of technology transfer, working to comply with all the audit Forest and the community. The num- with radiation and acoustic snow the NAC continues to cooperate on a height sensors. Solar panels and number of different studies as well as telemetry are going in this summer, to provide the best possible informa- and the site should be on the Internet tion on scientific advances and new next winter. Our experiments this tools to the U.S. avalanche centers. winter included creep columns and We are currently working with eight layer tracking with strings on an d i ff e rent graduate students fro m avalanche slope, gradient monitoring Montana State University and with a temperature probe, dye perco- Colorado State University and, in lation studies, and test block evalua- addition to working with researchers tion. Of particular note was two from both of those schools, we con- weeks of detailed test block evalua- tinue to collaborate closely with sci- tion in Valdez, with support from entists from the Swiss Federal Valdez Heliski Guides. Institute for Snow and Av a l a n c h e Research. The wide variety of our Future funding is still an unknown. p rojects has led to many papers, We had to cut our operating season including eight poster and paper pre- short as several key grants fell sentations that we authored or co- t h rough, and despite much hard a u t h o red at the 2002 International work at the state, federal, and local Snow Science Workshop in Penticton level this year, we have no assurances (see http://www. f s a v a l a n c h e . o rg at this time. /NAC/techPages/techPap.html for a — Bill Glude list of all our papers and several links to papers and student theses). Our Bruce Tremper, Director of the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center, measures California: Shasta-Trinity National primary focus for the coming winter the slope steepness on a skier triggered avalanche on Cardiff Peak, Wasatch Forest Avalanche Center involves continuing studies of spatial Range, Utah. Drew Hardesty photo (U.S. Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center). Our 2002-03 winter started off variability using stability tests and with a re c o rd setting stormy the Swiss SnowMicroPen, an instru- findings. ber of phone calls to the hotline and December that brought almost half of ment we continue to use and evalu- The NAC worked in conjunction the visits to the web page increased the season’s snow and water. Wind ate. For more information on our pro- with Bob Comey and the Jackson greatly throughout the season. The events in excess of 70 mph and two- jects, and on the NAC’s Tech Transfer Hole Snow Safety Group and the backcountry community recently ral- three inches of snow per hour during p rogram, visit our website at B r i d g e r- Teton Avalanche Center to lied to show support by forming a the month brought us our larg e s t h t t p : / / w w w. f s a v a l a n c h e . o rg / N A C / provide training at the Forest Service “Friends of the CNFAIC.” They host- avalanche cycle of the season. We saw techPages/index.html. Snow Rangers and Winter Sports ed the first annual telemark festival one large class 4.5 avalanche run in We continue to collaborate close- Administrators Annual Meeting. The and have great plans for the future. Avalanche Gulch on the SW side of ly with the Swiss Federal Institute for training included in-area explosives The Center has support from the the mountain. The starting zone was Snow and Avalanche Research (SFIS- use and route safety and out-of-area Alaska Railroad, Alaska Department around 12,500’ and it ran all the way AR) on a number of different levels. snow pack and terrain assessment, of Transportation, Alyeska Resort, down to 7300’. The debris is expected Doug visited Davos last Spring, and decision-making and search and res- and volunteer observations. to linger into autumn. January and shared information with their scien- cue. The next Snow Ranger Meeting — Carl Skustad February were fairly warm and dry tists and forecasters about the use of will be in February in Aspen. with a wind event in February that different devices for avalanche miti- And speaking of meetings, the Alaska: Southeast Alaska produced NW winds up to 90 mph. gation work. He also laid the ground- next Backcountry Avalanche Center Avalanche Center March brought a few storms before work for a possible fore c a s t e r meeting will be October 1-2 at Southeast Alaska had the closest April dumped over 120” of snow and exchange program between SFISAR S n o w b i rd, Utah. It will include a thing to a non-winter that any of us 11.9” of H20, making for a gre a t and the U.S. avalanche centers that business meeting and a technical have ever seen. Eaglecrest ski area snowpack for spring skiing. A p r i l we are still working on. Karl attended seminar. Anyone interested in further and the snowmachine trails opened gave us an impressive natural an International Glaciological Society information should contact either for a week at Christmastime, then lost avalanche cycle with multiple class 3 meeting in Davos in June, and further Doug @ [email protected] or Karl their snow when a series of tropical slides. One in particular on the North solidified the connections between @ [email protected]. storms tracked straight at us, bring- side of Grey Butte had a ? mile crown the NAC and many of the SFISAR So, here’s to another safe and pro- ing warm air to the North. Daffodils and ran in 95% of the potential path. research scientists. ductive year in the snow that grew tall outside the Center office in This large event slid on a weak layer In December, Mammoth includes more than a few good turns! early February, but late snow and a of surface hoar resting on top of a Mountain experienced two massive — Karl Birkeland cool spring finally allowed the ski weakening crust. 106 Recoilless Rifle in-bore explo- a rea and snowmachine trails to We saw several snowmobile-trig- sions. Luckily, the Mammoth crew Alaska: Chugach National Forest reopen in late February. g e red avalanches with no known was shooting the 106 from behind a Avalanche Information Center With the lack of snow, avalanche injuries. There were a dozen skier protective barrier during both inci- The Chugach National Fore s t activity was minimal and confined triggered slides and three snowboard dents and no one was injured. Had Avalanche Information Center for most of the season to the northern triggered slides, again with no known the crew not been behind the barriers, (CNFAIC) kicked off its rookie season panhandle and higher mountains. In injuries. Overall, we had a fairly safe it seems inconceivable that there this past December. The Center is April, we finally had some cycles in year in the Northern California would not have been injuries of the based on the Glacier Ranger District, the Juneau area, and large avalanches mountains. most serious magnitude. The NAC in Girdwood, AK. The CNFAIC mis- in the higher mountains. As of press worked closely with the Army, Nat sion is to increase avalanche aware- time, there have been four avalanche Month Snow Water Heit from Mammoth Mountain, Mike ness in the Turnagain Arm A re a deaths in Alaska this year: one snow- December 210” 17” S c h l a ffmann from the Mammoth t h rough avalanche education and boarder and one skier in South-cen- January 40” 7” Ranger District and Bob Moore the FS advisories. We strived to accomplish tral; and two climbers missing and February 39” 4” Region 5 Artillery Coordinator fol- this goal this year by posting 93 advi- presumed killed by an avalanche in March 68” 6.8” lowing the incidents to assure that all sories and teaching six avalanche late April on Devil’s Thumb, near April 120” 11.9” users were notified immediately and classes to 121 participants. The advi- Petersburg in Southeast Alaska. May 8” .8” that all use of 106 rounds was tem- sories were available to the public Our staff this year was director ______porarily suspended. All military Wednesday thru Sunday by 8 AM on and senior avalanche specialist Bill 6 Months 485” 47.5” VOL. 22, NO. 1, OCTOBER 2003 THE AVALANCHE REVIEW PAGE 15
Our center issues avalanche advi- days, which put the Forest Service a new format for the Web. We are people and injured 3. sories November through mid May, Servers down. We lost the ability to looking at a more user- f r i e n d l y December brought below-normal and we issue climbing advisories up-date our web page or post advi- approach and plan to achieve greater snows that averaged 43-93% of nor- year-round. We saw over 65,440 hits sories in a timely fashion. As a fore- ease for preparing the daily snow mal throughout the mountains, this past season on our web page and caster I was very concerned about the conditions report - stay tuned on this though a few lucky sites were slight- received 3,526 calls on the advisory backcountry stability and our daily next season. ly above normal. Avalanche incidents hotline. snow advisories reflected that. The As I prepare this summary in were minimal: 4 incidents caught 6 Avalanche classes were very suc- storms finally eased off, leading to a m i d - M a y, we are still re c e i v i n g people. cessful, with high attendance num- strange winter weather pattern. reports of avalanche activity. We post- January did no favors for skiers, bers and eager students. Educational same as last year. Snowfall was classes encompassed half our time, poor—54-93% in the northern moun- reaching out to over 1,000 partici- tains, 29-45% in the central moun- pants. We were on the road 1 to 2 tains, and 16-49% in the southern days a week traveling anywhere from mountains. The backcountry snow- the Bay Area to Medford, Oregon and pack was rapidly turning to sugar. points in between. Programs primari- T h e re were 14 reported avalanche ly consisted of transceiver clinics and incidents that caught 20 people and awareness programs. In addition to injured 3. general re c reationist classes, we February was the first big month taught specific classes for schools and for avalanches, all triggered by heav- colleges, snowmachiners, and Search ier-than-normal snowfall on top of a and Rescue. fragile, faceted snowpack. Snowfall The Future: was 117-176% in the northern moun- In the future we would like to tains, 109-184% in the central moun- expand our program in education, tains, and 95-142% in the southern weather information, and the forecast mountains. There were 13 avalanche area. We look forward to the addition incidents that caught 17 people, of another avalanche specialist. We injured 3, and killed 2. The first death continue to receive more education occurred on the 17th when a climber and experience pertaining to the Mike Rheam approaches the summit of Grouse Mountain in the Bridger-Teton National near Loveland Pass was buried and unique weather phenomena that Forest. This automated remote weather station provides ridgetop wind data every 15 min- killed, and the second was on the occurs on Mt. Shasta. Expanding our utes from a very popular high marking area known as Dry Lake Creek drainage near the 22nd when a ski mountaineer died on snowmobiler educational pro g r a m Continental Divide Snowmobile Trail south of Togwotee Pass. Photo by Bob Comey / BTN- Mt. Belford (a fourteener in the will be very important this next year. FAC. Sawatch Range). There was an Big Thanks: extended Avalanche Warning period We feel very fortunate to have We went into what everyone ed our end of the year message on from February 23 to March 1. The our new family addition, the Friends thought was going to be another May 10, a good 6-month season for us house of cards was stressed to the of the Mt. Shasta Avalanche Center. It d rought year until April, which even though we put off starting until breaking point. is a non-profit organization that was turned out to be our major storm as late as possible. March was an exciting month, formed by some very supportive month. April brought 10-12 feet of — Bob Moore with heavy snowfall in the northern locals. They threw a great fundraiser snow; however we did not issue half of the mountains and much called the “Snowball” that produced many advisories due to the relatively Colorado: Colorado Avalanche lower snow further south. It also over $5,000 to be used for more benign way the snow came. Information Center brought the largest storm since the weather telemetry. Many businesses, At the end of April, a snowmobil- After two years of low snow and Avalanche Center came into exis- local and out of the area, donated er was killed in the Blue Lakes area poor summer rains, Colorado was tence! A precursor storm on March 4- prizes, beverages and food. We are off of Highway 88. He was high- s u ffering a drought that was 10 put down a thick layer of slab in all also very thankful to the great out- marking when a class 2 avalanche approaching crisis level for stream mountain areas, and this produced a door companies that donated prizes released, trapping him. There were flows, reservoir holdings, wildfire , rash of avalanches, with 277 being for the raffle and the silent auction: witnesses and his body was recov- and for the water capacity to sustain recorded. Two of these were fatal: a Black Diamond, Marmot, Patagonia, ered several hours later. He had no cities, people, and wild animals. We th K2, Shasta Mountain Guides, Sierra safety equipment, nor had he attend- needed a good winter in the worst snowmobiler was killed on the 5 on Wilderness Seminars, Fifth Season, Hancock Pass (in the Sawatch Range Ortovox, Backcountry Access and north of Monarch Pass), and another Life Link. snowmobiler was killed on the 9th on The U.S. Forest Service manage- Cottonwood Pass, also in the ment has continued to support the Sawatch. On the 8t h the CAIC program, and we appreciate that very received this note from Mike much. Thanks to the National Friedman of Helitrax in Te l l u r i d e : Avalanche Center for their support “This may be one of the most persis- and guidance. All the observers tently tender snowpacks seen in the deserve a huge pat on the back for San Juans in my 20 plus years here. their invaluable information. Approaching 30 days in a row of Medford NWS did a good job of pro- Considerable to High avalanche dan- viding us weather information. ger in the backcountry.” Brenda Graham from the USFS Fire th Weather Forecast Center in Redding, The big storm hit on the 17 . By Ca gave us invaluable guidance and the morning of the 18th, this system meteorological education. Thanks to had set up as a closed low just SE of the Dept of Water Resources for the Colorado, and it sat there for the next excellent weather telemetry, Mike 3 days and pumped massive mois- Hupp, Dave Trevisan and Ken ture into the Front Range on an east- Showalter for their support and faith erly flow. Storm totals for the 17th- in the avalanche center. Dave, we 21st wereA Basin, 63”; Berthoud, 73”; couldn’t have done it without you! Chris McCollister, Dan Judd, Jim Farmer and Mike Rheam install the Mt. Coffin station, Winter Park, 78”; Bear Lake, 72”; Thanks also to Dr. Scott Schmidt from several miles north of Wyoming Peak in the Wyoming Range of the Bridger-Teton National Eldora, 66”; and Rollinsville, 87.5”. Snowdog Engineering and the Forest. At 10,800 feet this is the highest weather station in Wyoming. Photo by Bob Further west, storm totals tapered off Gallatin National Forest Av a l a n c h e Comey/ BTNFAC. rapidly: Breckenridge, 41”; Copper, C e n t e r. Last but not least, special 39”; and Monarch, 37”. appreciation goes to our patient and ed any type of avalanche awareness way. It started strong with several Avalanche warnings for an beautiful wives for putting up with class, although classes are routinely storms moving into Colorado in late extreme danger were posted on the early mornings and long hours. offered in the South Lake Tahoe area. October. Though we don’t have the t h n d — Matt Hill Thanks to some funding from the numbers, the month’s snowfall was 1 8 - 2 2 . 154 avalanches were State of California, we had the financ- above normal. reported, but this number does not California: Tahoe National Forest ing available to hire a forecaster to November continued the healthy come close to the actual number of Avalanche Center assist in the program. With this addi- snows, at least in the northern moun- slides that must have run nor does it The Central California Avalanche tional staff, we have branched out tains (110-190% of normal) and cen- convey the extent of the danger. Advisory program started in and have been able to pursue grants tral mountains (100-106%). The Several known avalanches were December 2002 with a bang. We and seek help in establishing a southern mountains suff e red with exceptional. Here are five examples: received large amounts of snow in a “Friends” type of organization. We only 50-88% of normal snows. During A natural hit I-70 in a path that had storm series that lasted nearly 3 are actively recruiting for someone to November, the CAIC received reports not run so big since 1948; a controlled weeks. Very high winds resulted in step forward and lead the Friends. of 148 avalanches, which was slightly slide near Silver Plume destroyed a power outages in the Truckee area. Our Tahoe NF web master has above average. There were 11 forest, buried I-70, and had not run so The Forest office lost power for 10 been working with us on developing avalanche incidents that caught 12 large since 1951; another natural near PAGE 16 THE AVALANCHE REVIEW VOL. 22, NO. 1, OCTOBER 2003
Silver Plume caused damage to midslope. The avalanche released on the end of March, snow totals ranged c o v e red everything from beacon power lines, a water treatment plant, the same layer of surface hoar that from 85% of average to a bleak 54%. basics to complex searches. The and the roadway; and slides buried resulted in the skier death earlier that Of note is a review of the avalanche Avalanche Center had enough money several cars at Eldora and isolated day. This layer of surface hoar per- p rogram by the Forest Leadership to hire an additional forecaster for the with stranded 250 people there for 2 sisted for several weeks and resulted Team, while the Resource Advisory season. We also were able to install a days. In Rocky Mountain National in very widespread avalanche activi- Committee and the Forest Supervisor new weather station in our southern Park, a slide demolished the Chasm ty. are considering additional funding. reporting area. Lake shelter, which was built in 1931. On the 8th of March, 6 snowmo- — Bob Kasun Low Points: We are consistently On the 20th, an out-of-area skier died bilers were riding the St. Regis Basin faced with the inability to get snow- in an avalanche near A Basin. east of the Lookout Pass Ski area near Idaho: Payette National Forest mobilers to attend field sessions and A final fatal avalanche occurred the Montana border. They were high- Avalanche Center get hands on experience with stabili- ty assessments and route finding. The on the 22nd when a snowmobiler marking a slope and had made sever- The 2002-03 season started out vast majority of accidents and inci- near Rico (in the San Juans) was al runs on it with no release. One with a complete burial and transceiv- dents in our area seem to be this user buried and killed. All told in March, m o re pass and the entire slope er rescue of a local backcountry skier. group, with leaders making inaccu- t h e re were 20 avalanche incidents released. The rider who was high- This incident, along with an rate stability assessments and poor which caught 24 people, injured 4, marking was able to get off the slab, avalanche fatality of a snowmobiler route selection. The weather stations and killed 4. Five cars were reported but the individuals at the bottom of in the mountains southeast of Boise have been a challenge to troubleshoot hit by avalanches on the Eldora the slope had to outrun the near Fairfield, produced incre a s e d and keep operational, although we access road. There was significant have been making some headway. property damage at Silver Plume, in — Jim Fitzgerald Rocky Mountain NP, and on Mt Goliath, with damage approximating Idaho: Sawtooth National Forest $75,000. Lastly, there was untold for- Avalanche Center est damage. With early season snow in the March snowfall was 113-280% of mountains, general information advi- normal in the northern mountains, sories began by the end of October. 6 9 - 115% in the central mountains, Daily advisories did not begin until and 68-89% in the southern moun- snowfall warranted them on tains. t h After that excitement, April was December 14 , and ran thro u g h u n remarkable. Snowfall was near March 22nd, with general informa- normal, and three avalanche inci- tion issued periodically into early dents caught 7 people. The CAIC April. Initially we offered six advi- closed on April 21 for full backcoun- sories a week, combining Monday & try forecasting but stayed open as Tuesday due to funding and staffing needed until May 14 to issue special limitations. In mid January, local sup- forecasts for highway operations and porters offered 2,000 dollars to pro- for the Friends of the CAIC. May vide Tuesday advisories until spring. brought three additional avalanche The daily advisories ended a week incidents that caught 4 people. earlier than usual. We then shifted to For the season, the CAIC received general information and were faced reports of 2,420 avalanches. There with ending these 2 weeks earlier were 68 incidents that caught 90 peo- than normal. This was again due to ple, injured 14, and killed 6. Seasonal funding limitations. We issued a total snowfall was 96-138% of normal in of 103 advisories, 22 fewer than last the northern mountains, 79-85% in season. the central mountains, and 70-96% in The backcountry offered consis- the southern mountains. tently great powder throughout most Finally, as part of our education of the winter. Conditions became mission, the CAIC staff taught at 73 supportive for snowmachiners in classes to more than 3,000 people. We m i d - J a n u a r y, and were excellent held a variety of programs at schools, thereafter. Some spurts of corn skiing on snow and for all members of the at lower elevations interspersed the public. dry spells. Stability-wise, several per- — Knox Williams sistent weak layers and crusts kept most backcountry recreationists off of Idaho: Idaho Panhandle National the steeper slopes and high alpine ter- Forest Avalanche Center rain during times of concern. We The season of 2002-03 produced issued 4 Avalanche Warnings with an exceptionally unstable snowpack, the National Weather Service. The and persistently unstable snowpack first two were near the end of for the Idaho panhandle region. The Glacier National Park Avalanche Specialists (from left) Chris Lundy, Blase Reardon and December when a multi-day storm increased number of incidents and Mark Dundas investigating the 5-foot crown from a natural wet slab avalanche, April, loaded a weak, depth hoar snowpack. fatalities give proof. On Febru a r y 2003, Glacier National Park. Karl Birkeland/ USFS National Avalanche Center photo. A young snowmobiler was killed in a 21st, a snowmobiler triggered a large l a rge, triggered slide southwest of avalanche. They were all buried yet requests for and increased attendance slab avalanche near Jeru Peak in the our forecast area during this time. His able to extract themselves from the at avalanche awareness classes. The Selkirk Mountains. Fortunately, the party had no beacons, shovels or debris with only a few injuries. snow pack was more or less normal snowmobiler was able to escape since probes with them and a group nearby We also received word of a snow- in terms of depth and water content. he was close to a flank of the slide. assisted with their own rescue gear. mobiler that triggered a larg e However, due to somewhat warmer There were no injuries or fatalities The second two warnings were relat- avalanche in the St. Joe Mountains mid winter temperatures, we experi- related to this event. On February ed to heavy rainfall on newer snow and had to outrun it for quite some enced several rain crusts within the and isothermal conditions. 22nd, two separate incidents resulted distance. It eventually caught up to pack. Thanks to two regional wind Overall, the Sawtooth National in two fatalities. One occurred about him and only partially buried him. events (one early and one late in the F o rest Avalanche Center, (SNFA C ) , 2 miles north of the Schweitzer Ski Undoubtedly, there were other inci- season), there were two distinct dirt had a very successful season. This area in the Selkirk Mountains and dents that we did not hear of. layers within the snowpack to muse was represented by no fatalities, no involved a group of 5 skiers who The advisory season did not over. Two natural avalanche cycles known injuries and only a few close were skiing out of a local area hut. begin until December 20th, and we occurred in March. The first one was calls, in spite of several extended The fatality occurred while they were issued 22 weekend advisories until caused by rapid loading from heavy spells of relatively unstable condi- skiing on a southeast slope and the snow and wind, and ran on density April 11th. Of these 22 advisories, we tions. This included two full burials victim triggered the avalanche on a changes within the new snow. The issued only 7 with a Moderate danger and live recoveries. One was a snow- buried layer of surface hoar. The next cycle occurred just 4-5 days later rating, 10 with Considerable mobiler, who was able to claw his other fatality also occurred in the and was caused by a rapid tempera- avalanche danger and 5 with High. way out of a shallow but complete Selkirk Mountains 10 miles to the ture increase with record high tem- Such elevated hazard was pre t t y burial in a very large slide. His part- north of the first accident, and within peratures. The slides in this second unusual for northern Idaho. A new 1- ners all had rescue gear, and they an hour and a half of the same time. cycle ran on a buried crust. 800 phone number allows out of state only had two people on the slope out This accident involved a group of High Points: Avalanche aware- users to more readily access the of a group of 10 because they were snowmobilers who were highmark- ness classes (two in McCall and two phone advisories. Forecasters Kevin concerned about stability. The other ing in an area known as Echo Bowl. in Boise) were very well attended. Davis, Ed Odegaard, Tom Sudul and burial was a backcountry snowboard- The accident occurred on a northeast Our local Friends organization fund- director Bob Kasun issued advisories er in a narrow gully whose partner slope when two riders highmarked ed a series of beacon clinics, once a on the hotline and internet, and performed a rapid beacon recovery. above two others that were stuck week for five weeks. These clinics taught 10 avalanche workshops. At Of note, both burials occurred during VOL. 22, NO. 1, OCTOBER 2003 THE AVALANCHE REVIEW PAGE 17
Considerable avalanche danger. Cooke City. This storm cycle contin- field sessions reaching 3,302 people, Northwest Avalanche Institute), This winter, there appeared to be ued into the early part of January, compared to 2,700 the previous year. along with numerous transceiver an exponential increase in the num- with the southern mountains getting Part of this increase is attributed to clinics and awareness classes. These ber of backcountry recreationists of snow continuously until the 6th. Six Chris Lundy, who contracted through w e re all well received. Their web all types. Once again we observed a days of clear weather formed a well- our Friends group to teach several page continues to experience dramatic increase in avalanche developed surface hoar layer in the one-hour awareness courses. We increased use as it provides access to awareness throughout the local com- southern mountains. talked to search and rescue groups, our advisories and a forum for back- munity. Unfortunately, due to fund- New snow, starting on January ski patrols, all the seventh graders in country observation reports. The ing and staffing, we offered fewer Bozeman, Montana State University Forest Service received another sub- 12th, brought another rash of human classes and were unable to travel to students, snow groomers, and vari- stantial Montana Department of Fish, triggered avalanches near Cooke City, neighboring forests. In spite of a short ous ski and snowmobile clubs. Of sig- Wildlife, & Parks trails grant for with 7 more full burials including the season on both ends, advisory use nificant note: our multi-day snowmo- avalanche education. Our plans for n d numbers doubled overall, thanks to first fatality on the 22 . This bile courses, offered in Bozeman and next season involve maintaining our the popularity of e-mail and avalanche cycle ran primarily on the West Yellowstone, increased in atten- current level of operation and serving surface hoar layer. increased web accesses. dance for the 3rd straight year, up our area users. The southern mountains received Two new forecasters came onto 40% from last season. Once again, — Tony Willits rd the scene this year; Greg Johnson, for- 8.5 inches of water from January 23 Polaris and a local snowmobile shop merly of the Logan, Utah-Bear River to February 4t h, resulting in the donated two sleds for our use this Montana: West Central Montana Avalanche Center, and Jay Gress, our longest period of continuous winter, making this educational out- Forest Service Avalanche Center local field assistant and web designer. avalanche warnings in the center’s reach possible. Comparing precipitation data They brought great skills, dedication h i s t o r y, and many avalanches that — Scott Schmidt from the past two winters produces and expertise to the Center. ran to the ground. Record snow fell in similar season end totals. On March Forecasters Pat Deal and Anne Marie the northern mountains in early Montana: Glacier Country 29th, 2002, we had 34.7 inches at the Devereaux moved on to other careers February, and fatalities in the Crazy Avalanche Center Stuart Mountain SNOTEL site. This and the opportunity to spend more Mountains, (just outside our advisory For Northwestern Montana, the year, on the same date, we had 31.6 time with their families. We miss a rea), as well as a fatality near winter of 2002-03 began with a cold inches. Also similar, we had a late them and wish them the best of luck. Helena, were reminders of the contin- snap at the end of October. This start with a weak and shallow snow- Steve Conger, contracting with Idaho ued instability that was prevalent in appeared to predict a return of cold pack. At different times during the Transportation Department added a our snowpack. Record snowfall con- winters, something we hadn’t experi- season, surface conditions produced level of professional snowpack obser- weak, buried layers. Not surprisingly, vations and analysis that had not undisturbed surface hoar buried by been available for Banner Summit significant new snowfall was our and Highway 21. most common instability scenario. An exciting, and long awaited, Substantial snowfalls, heading into or i m p rovement this season was the during the weekend, resulted in at new Lower Titus weather station. It least 3 periods of increased instability. provides, via our internet pages, real Snowmobilers and skiers reported a time temperatures and snow depths number of avalanche accidents dur- for 9,100 feet in the Galena are a . ing these times. Two separate acci- Other improvements were the use of dents occurred involving multiple PowerPoint for class presentations. snowmobilers riding on the same For next season we completed the slope at the same time. These two development of a digital picture accidents involved a total of six riders interface for inserting recent photos being caught and/or buried. A num- in advisories. We also printed snow- ber of skier and snowmobiler trig- machine avalanche aware n e s s gered slides that did not involve any b ro c h u res in conjunction with the burials or injuries were re p o r t e d Gallatin Forest Avalanche Center. throughout the winter. Funding remains an ongoing Educational efforts were well challenge. Disappointingly, we did received this past season. The not receive several grants that we Avalanche Center responded to a applied for, but in the future we hope variety of requests for avalanche to partner with the BLM and Idaho Reggie “The Powder Dog” on his first control mission for CAIC/CDOT on Red Mountain awareness and education programs. State Parks and Recreation. Very gen- Pass. On left is Mark Regin, a forecaster from Chile. Proud parent Jerry Roberts of the T h rough cooperative efforts fro m CAIC to right. Photo by Bill Glude, Southeast Alaska Avalanche Center. e rous grants from The Sawtooth non-profit and government agencies Society, The Little Sprout Foundation, — the University of Montana The Idaho Community Foundation- tinued into March and unfortunately enced for several years. The change Outdoor Program, the West Central The Deer Creek Fund, and resulted in the fourth, and final, was short-lived as mild temperatures Montana Avalanche Foundation, The Backcountry Access, assisted our pro- Montana avalanche fatality. This and mostly dry conditions quickly West Central Montana FS Avalanche grams throughout the season. th redeveloped. November thro u g h C e n t e r, and Kim Sayler of the — Janet Kellam occurred on March 9 near Cooke City. January saw well below normal pre- Missoula Snowgoers Snowmobile Despite the record low snowpack cipitation and when moisture did Club — 1,392 backcountry users were Montana: Gallatin National Forest early in the season, southwest invade, it often produced rain and able to learn about snow & avalanch- Avalanche Center Montana ended the winter with wet snow. It was February and the es. The total includes young students, The winter of 2002-03 was one of above average water in most weakening of El Nino in the Pacific adults, skiers, snowmobilers, snow- the more interesting avalanche sea- drainage basins. before our weather pattern began to boarders and snowshoers. Due to a sons since the start of the Avalanche In all, we had 40 reported human smooth out and become more typical. decrease in funding from Montana Center in 1989. The lean amount of triggered avalanches in our area that Much of the season’s snow pack actu- Department of Fish, Wildlife and snow that fell in our advisory area resulted in 19 burials, 3 fatalities, and ally developed in March and April. Parks we presented fewer programs during the month of October was 1 serious injury.A total of 4 avalanche A shallow snow cover coupled to school groups. However, on a pos- subject to a prolonged period of very fatalities occurred in Montana this with the erratic nature of the early itive note, we entered into a partner- cold temperatures at the end of the season. Given the large number of and mid season storms lured many ship with the City of Missoula Parks month. This resulted in 8 to 12 inches burials, we feel very fortunate for the recreational users into areas seeking & Recreation Department and were of well-developed facets throughout relatively low number of fatalities; the “steeper and deeper.” Here sev- able to tap into backcountry users our entire region. It continued to be especially given the persistently eral backcountry parties got mixed- that we had not previously been dry through November, and tempera- weak snowpack we experienced this up in avalanches. Fortunately none of reaching. The City Parks & Rec pro- tures remained just cold enough to winter. the incidents involved fatalities or moted various winter recreation pro- preserve these facets at higher eleva- A slow start to the winter also serious injury. March 12-13 saw a sig- grams and included several of our tions. The month ended with unusu- meant a slow start to our forecasting nificant avalanche cycle along the avalanche awareness sessions and ally warm temperatures, capping the season. Regular advisories did not southern edge of Glacier National field days. facets with a “Thanksgiving” ice start until December 23rd, with 112 Park. For two days, traffic on U.S. We posted fifteen weekend advi- crust. advisories issued by the close of busi- Highway 2 and the adjacent sories which encompassed over 600 This set the stage for the rest of th Burlington Northern- Santa Fe hotline calls, more than 11,600 web ness on April 13 . The popularity of Railway west of Marias Pass was sus- site hits and 315 faxes. our season. A layer of faceted crystals our product continues to incre a s e , developed on top of the pended. — Gene Thompson and even with the reduced number of The avalanche center continued Thanksgiving crust early in advisories, the average daily access December, and a subsequent storm this year its normal program of twice New Hampshire: Mount increased 22% over last season. This weekly avalanche advisories and its Washington Avalanche Center cycle, (depositing 3 inches of water in year we had a combined email, web the southern mountains over a 3-day normal program of education classes. The 2002-03 season started early and phone access averaging 1,577 The non-profit side of the program with our first general information period which started on the 28th), people per day. hosted their second year of level II t h was accompanied by 3 full, and 2 par- advisory posted on October 28 . Educational efforts also increased classes, (assisted this year by tial burials in the mountains north of this season, with 59 talks/seminars or With consistent snowfall, we moved PAGE 18 THE AVALANCHE REVIEW VOL. 22, NO. 1, OCTOBER 2003
to daily forecasting on November the team and brings a lot of local avalanches occurred in the backcoun- February, only one report of natural 28th, issuing a total of 199 advisories avalanche knowledge, technical res- try during this period, with 22 people avalanche activity in the Bear River in the seven-month season. After a cue, and rock and ice climbing experi- caught. This averages three and a half Range was submitted the Fore s t g reat start to the snowpack in ence to the program. incidents per day, and it continued Service Utah Avalanche Center in November, the storm tracks changed, The “Friends of Tu c k e r m a n nearly unabated for 20 days. SLC. taking most of the precipitation to Ravine” held their third annual “Son- Remarkably enough, no one died. A Once the word got out that the southern New England. It was of-Inferno” pentathlon (ru n - k a y a k - number of people—primarily skiers Center was operational, observations depressing for us to see all the big bike-hike-ski) in April to raise funds in the Salt Lake Area Mountains—got started flowing into the office. It also snowfalls going south. By the time for the Avalanche Center. Once again a good education in the persistent started snowing. Starting Febru a r y January and February rolled around, they had a remarkable day for the instabilities of faceted snow. The 15th and continuing until April 12th, we had an average snowpack, but the race. steady stream of very close calls I posted avalanche advisories for the notable weather factor was the tem- Though we had a sad start to the included several deep burials fol- Logan area backcountry at least every peratures. We were in a cold snap winter, the rest of the season was lowed by miraculous rescues using other day and later shifted to a regu- with days at minus 20 degrees F uneventful with the exception of the beacons and one beacon-less rescue lar Monday, Wednesday and becoming the norm. This made the usual visitor mishaps and accidents. of a completely buried person. You F r i d a y / S a t u rday morning advisory ice climbing conditions very interest- The die-hard skiers and riders contin- can find photos, stories and lists of schedule. ing with persistent ice dams and very ued to come to the ravine through avalanches and avalanche incidents A windy storm following the 15th brittle ice. We also got to experience a June. We are looking forward to see- on the web site at caused a few natural avalanches to bit of a “western” snowpack with ing them again next winter. w w w. a v a l a n c h e . o rg; click on Salt occur in the region. The avalanches surface hoar development and — Marianne Leberman Lake. that fell during the February 21-23 faceting occurring. While this was The persistently unstable snow- period were failing on an upper level exciting for us, we were more than Utah: Forest Service Utah pack formed because of a severe weakness in the snowpack, just above happy to say goodbye to the cold Avalanche Center: snow drought in the first half of the a stout crust that formed aro u n d The 2002-03 season was unprece- season. November snowfall was 57 temperatures. We were almost long- February 1st. ing for the good old days of the dented in the modern history of Utah. percent of normal at Alta, December It wasn’t until March 1st that the “January thaw.” March was a fairly Although significantly less snow fell 86 percent of normal and January was first human triggered avalanche of dry month, with snowfall 27% below than normal, more people uninten- an incredible 27 percent of normal. By the season was reported to the normal. April and May bro u g h t Avalanche Center in Logan. There enough snow to get us back up to an were several more human triggered average snowpack by the end of the avalanches reported in the following season. week, when a good shot of snow over Unfortunately we started the sea- five days coupled strong westerly son with a somber reminder that winds. In the first week of March, avalanches are deadly. The first Beaver Mountain reported 38 inches avalanche accident occurred on of snow, and the SNOTELsite at Tony November 29th when seven climbers Grove Lake reported an increase of w e re caught. Four of them were slightly over 3 inches of water equiv- buried, with two of those killed. Two alence. The wind on Logan Peak dur- days later, four climbers were caught ing this time period registered many in another avalanche that resulted in hours with average wind speeds of two partial burials. One victim was over 50 mph, with much higher gusts. s e v e rely injured while the other On Saturday, March 8, in the Tony received minor injuries). The most Grove Area, a snowmobiler was com- disconcerting thing about this acci- pletely buried in an avalanche trig- dent is that these four climbers gered by his companion. His party, all helped with the rescue/recovery two of whom carried avalanche re s c u e days earlier yet still chose to venture transceivers, shovels and probes, res- into the ravine under Considerable cued him from a deep burial. Other avalanche danger and incre a s i n g l y snowmobilers in that area triggered worse conditions. In February, two Ted Steiner, Executive Director Of Glacier Country Avalanche Center Inc, talking to a local several larger avalanches on the same skiers narrowly missed becoming TV News crew during the March, 2003, avalanche cycle that closed US Highway 2 and the day. involved in a natural avalanche. Burlington Norther Santa Fe Railway for two days. Photo by Blase Reardon. Through the rest of March and In addition to the avalanche acci- into April, springtime seasonal dents, we had about a dozen skiing tionally triggered avalanches in the the end of January, we had the second warming caused many natural, wet, and climbing accidents in the ravines backcountry than in any pre v i o u s lowest snowpack since record keep- surface snow avalanches in the Logan this year. The Mount Wa s h i n g t o n year. 176 incidents occurred that we ing began at Alta in 1944. Also, it was area backcountry. These point release Volunteer Ski Patrol (MWVSP), know of, which smashed the old a very warm winter; the Salt Lake avalanches were most common dur- whose members are all Forest Service record of approximately 100. In those Airport came within 0.8 degrees F. ing the first significant warm-up after Volunteers, contributed 165 days triggered avalanches, 65 people were f rom breaking the re c o rd for the each storm. (1,650 hours) helping visitors by giv- caught, 16 were partially buried, six warmest January on record. Very lit- Eucational programs were limit- ing out current safety information, w e re totally buried, four were tle low and mid elevation snow exist- ed, due to my late hiring date. Several responding to search and re s c u e injured, and despite all this, there was ed through most of the season, and avalanche programs are scheduled events and caring for the injured. only one fatality. These numbers the mountain ranges looked as Utah for early this coming season, and I am Our snow rangers participated in include only the incidents we heard Avalanche Center forecaster Evelyn planning a more extensive outreach the field portion of most of the fifteen about, and we estimate that perhaps Lees described it in one of her advi- program. avalanche classes held in our area, an equal number of people triggered sories, “Like a birthday cake decorat- — John Pagnucco and some of the classroom portions avalanches that we did not hear ed by a child. They got frosting on top as well. Over 300 people attended about, especially among snowmobil- but forgot to frost the sides.” these courses. Cutler, our two-year ers riding in rural areas outside of our Although high elevation places Utah: Forest Service Utah old yellow Labrador, had good train- f o recast area. This list does not like Alta ended up at 79 percent of Avalanche Center Moab Office ing opportunities through the winter include explosive-triggere d normal, most mountain areas were The season summary for the and is coming along well. Our web- avalanches at ski resorts or on high- between 50 and 70 percent, while Salt Moab office was unavailable this sea- site —www. t u c k e r m a n . o rg — ways, nor does it include intentional- Lake City ended up with only 36 per- son. received over 175,000 visits (1.8 mil- ly triggered avalanches in the back- cent of normal snow for the winter. lion hits to date!), and Cutler became country, such as from ski cuts, kicking Maybe next year…. Washington and Oregon: Pacific a well-known celebrity. cornices or explosive stability testing — Bruce Tremper Northwest Avalanche Center When our season started, we by the helicopter or cat skiing compa- A slow start with a cool fast finish were still short one snow ranger, so nies. Skiers and snowboarders made Utah: Forest Service Utah The 2002-2003 season took sometime once again Brad Ray came back to up 94 percent of the incidents. Many Avalanche Center Logan Office to get started with October and help us out two days a week. He and fewer snowmobilers triggere d The 2002-2003-winter season was November proving to be some of the Tuckerman (his German shepherd ) avalanches this season than usual dry and warm in the Bear River driest on re c o rd for Seattle. worked with us from December because it was a very dry, warm win- Mountains. As a result of these P recipitation totals for these two t h rough March. He helped show ter, and very little snow existed at low weather conditions, there were not month at Sea-Tac airport were a mere Justin, the newest member of the elevations —the terrain most often too many avalanches reported to the 45% of normal. With higher than nor- team, the ropes before we finally told used by snowmobilers. Logan office of the Forest Service mal freezing levels, this meant an him he could once again retire (we The avalanche incidents peaked Utah Avalanche Forecast center. The even greater delay to any significant think!). Brad’s love of the mountain during the three weeks from mid Forest Service did not officially hire snowfall accumulations in the moun- still shines; he is now a patroller on December through the first week of John Pagnucco, their new tains. Hence the daily operational the MWVSP! Justin Preisendorfer January, when Utah experienced the d i re c t o r / f o recaster until well after forecasting duties at the NWAC did joined Chris, Brian and Marianne in most active and continuous period of the first of the year. As a result, the not begin until December 14th, some March to complete the snow ranger human triggered avalanches in our Logan Center did not fully operate three weeks later than average! crew. He has been a great addition to modern history. An incredible 68 until February 11t h. Before early Snow finally arrived in earnest unintentional human triggere d VOL. 22, NO. 1, OCTOBER 2003 THE AVALANCHE REVIEW PAGE 19
during the last two weeks of than average and steady snow. This Wyoming: Bridger-Teton National final fatality of the season occurred in D e c e m b e r, and most are a s cool snowy period continued March’s Forest Avalanche Center the Salt River Range on Febru a r y approached normal snow depths by t rend in edging snow depths up The Center received reports of a 24th. The victim, a snowmobiler, was the end of December. Unfortunately, t o w a rds normal, especially at mid total of 19 backcountry avalanche the only member of his party without this was the period when the only and higher elevations sites. events with significant human a transceiver. On March 13t h o n e avalanche-related fatality occurred in The cool showery weather con- involvement were reported to the snowmobiler was injured and anoth- Washington. A dry and clear period tinued through May as one upper Center this season. Six of the 24 peo- er uncovered from a depth of eight in mid December pro d u c e d level low pre s s u re center re p l a c e d ple caught died. One victim had a feet in an avalanche in the Salt River w i d e s p read surface hoar. A v e r y another over the Pacific Northwest. transceiver but was alone, three were Range. stormy period of heavy snowfall fol- This maintained low freezing levels buried without transceivers, one died It took all season and a very wet lowed, with recorded wind speeds in with periodic new snowfall. While of trauma on the snow surface, and M a rch to attain the near average many areas exceeding 100 MPH. This ski areas in the region had finished one was buried with a transceiver but snow depths observed in early April. led to very sensitive slabs with buried the season, the WSDOT avalanche damage to his partner’s transceiver There were 732 avalanches reported surface hoar acting as the weakness. crews remained quite busy inducing delayed his recovery. There were five to the center. Of these, 266 were in the The fatality occurred near Crystal very large avalanches above Chinook full burials of victims wearing b a c k c o u n t r y, and 466 were at the Mountain on December 29, when a Pass in the central Wa s h i n g t o n transceivers who were successfully Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. In the party of seven skied incre a s i n g l y Cascades before it opened for public re c o v e red, five partial burials and backcountry, there were 149 natural steeper terrain and more wind loaded n d five injuries. travel on May 22 . The warm avalanches, 105 human triggere d aspects. Investigations of this acci- During the past three seasons, 15 weather of spring finally arrived avalanches and 12 explosively trig- dent indicated buried surface hoar as fatalities have occurred in our fore- leading into the Memorial Day week- gered avalanches (highway and heli- the weal layer for this slide. The day cast area. Ten of these fatalities end with freezing levels near 13,000 copter operations). There were only 9 before the accident, the ski patrol at occurred in Teton County, Wyoming. feet and mountain temperature s natural avalanches in the resort after Crystal Mountain Ski Area experi- The average age of the Teton County climbing into the 60’s and even low avalanche hazard reduction eff o r t s enced sympathetic releases while victims was 31.3 years. Nine were 70’s. With the overall cool spring with had begun. Most of the slides trig- approaching slopes, with some slabs male. Four were alone. Seven were in periodic new snowfall, the snowpack gered in the resort were small and the propagating uphill into terrain with the southern Teton Range less that an was slower to stabilize and convert to backcountry events were generally slopes angles of about 20 degrees! hour from a trailhead. Cliffs, very more typical spring-like conditions. larger. January began with a good snow- long drops or terrain traps were a fac- Therefore, we issued a special state- We installed three new remote storm that changed to rain a few days tor in seven of these 10 incidents. ment prior to the weekend to cover weather stations in October. The later as freezing levels climbed. While Most victims died during consider- the potential of some larger wet snow equipment for these stations was pur- this produced widespread avalanch- able hazard. These statistics don’t avalanches accompanying the first chased and installed as Phase II of a es, no fatalities occurred. One close take into account the thousands who very warm period of the spring. grant obtained in partnership with call occurred on New Years Day went and returned safely yet are Office, Instrumentation and Other News: the Wyoming Trails Program. Five above the Paradise visitor center on indicative of the risks people seem to The web is still going stro n g , automated stations were installed last Mt Rainier. Two snowshoers on a trail be willing to take. thanks to Al’s keen foresight. The season. Seven manual stations to be triggered and were caught by a 2 to 4 The season began on November NWAC is on pace for 2 million web installed this summer will complete foot slab. The slide totally buried one th, accesses of our forecasts and station 10 when snowfall buried faceted the final phase of this project. and buried the other with exception data, up another 20% over last year, snow that had formed on October A re s e a rch project with Inter- of one hand. Witnesses helped to which was itself up 45 % from the c rusts. In separate incidents, two Mountain Laboratories (IML) of uncover the one partially exposed year before. This increase may in part backcountry skiers were buried Sheridan, Wyoming was very suc- person using snowshoes as shovels, be due to recent changes that have except for a short portion of their skis. cessful. This effort has determined and they were then able to find and made for a more efficient and reliable Companions quickly rescued the vic- that avalanches make a distinct infra- uncover the buried party member i n s t rumentation network. As the tims during stormy conditions. sonic sound that can be re m o t e l y with no injuries sustained. For this NWAC moves towards breaking up Another layer of faceted snow on detected. IML has obtained two new couple there turned out to be much to stations formerly served by only one c rust plagued backcountry users grants for next season. A National celebrate on New Years Day 2003! micrologger into numerous sub sta- from mid December to late January.A Science Foundation grant will A return to a blocking ridge of tions with separate loggers, we have warm, wet storm cycle finally research the ability of an array of sen- high pre s s u re induced mostly dry p roduced a more reliable system. bridged over this active bed surface. sors to detect the location and magni- and mild conditions for nearly the Why didn’t we think of this before? For several weeks conditions were tude of avalanches in real time. A rest of January. Freezing levels aver- Years of long and troublesome land extremely fragile. Numerous danger- Wyoming Department of aged about 8000 feet for January and line problems probably kept us from ous slides were triggered on Transportation grant will research the climbed to 12,000 feet twice. For those thinking properly about a more long- approach. Users escaped injury par- feasibility of using infrasonic sensors from the Rockies, think of these ele- term solution. In addition, we have tially because slopes would fail in a highway setting on Teton Pass. vations as being equivalent to 20,000 left our convoluted and undocument- before they could get onto them. Jim Springer spent the season on foot freezing levels in the middle of ed DOS based system of data Conditions changed on the after- exchange for the resort in Tiennes, winter! Needless to say, strong sur- retrieval and have turned to a more noon of January 3rd, when strong France. We look forward to his return face crusts developed on the snow- reliable and understandable winds increased the density of the and our chance to go on exchange. pack. The last week of January saw Campbell Scientific solution. We are rd, Jim Farmer, Mike Rheam and Chris heavy rain at high freezing levels as snow surface. After the 3 soft slabs, still slowly working towards and McCollister stepped up to the plate the ridge was replaced by a strong, which had been easily triggered from looking forward to a shift away from while Jim was in France. Mike spear- wet southwest flow. This wet weath- a distance, were now able to bear the text-based display to a modernized headed education efforts including er produced initial avalanches but weight of humans. A rash of acci- graphical display of our data in the an awesome snowmobile field day at drain channels developed rapidly to dents occurred. On January 4t h a future. . .baby steps. the Crooked Creek Guest Ranch. disperse the three to five inches of snow boarder died from trauma after The Friends of the Northwest Chris McCollister and Kendall rain that fell over most west slope he triggered a big slab on his second Avalanche Center (FOAC) held sev- Comey completed programming that areas of the Cascades and Olympics. run near Ski Lake. On the same day a eral strongly supported events collects and summarizes the data February saw a return to dry and snowmobiler broke a femur in a slide throughout the year, beginning in the f rom our weather stations and mild conditions with average freez- in Darby Canyon. The next day a 16 fall with the annual SnowBash 2003 uploads it into our daily web advi- ing levels of about 8000 feet for the y e a r-old snowmobiler died in an that raised the roof and a fair bit of sories and historical re c o rd. Chris first half of February. These condi- avalanche in the Salt River Range. He cash to help with the center’s contin- also helped developed a digital tions again produced a strong surface was the third rider to cross the slope. ual budget woes. Additional events avalanche atlas with links to our his- crust in the Pacific Northwest snow- Two snowboarders were partially included film festivals, the Te t o n torical database. pack. March followed as the snowiest th Gravity Research annual show and a buried on the 7 near Grand Targhee — Bob Comey month of the year, with nearly two visiting program from the Telluride Resort and a snowmobiler caught in a times the normal water for the month Mountain Film Festival…both very large slide on the 8th in the Snake falling. Our climate snow depth aver- successful. At this writing, we are ages rebounded to near normal levels River Range deployed an inflation preparing for another annual cooper- system and escaped. The final inci- for most stations. Warming and rain ator meeting in hopes the majority of did return at the end of March and dent on this bed surface occurred on our current cooperators wish to th this produced our first spring slide remain so. We are exiting the 2002-03 January 25 when a snowmobiler cycle. Another close call occurred on season faced with our biggest project- ignored the warnings of his guide March 29th when a lone skier on ed budget deficit to date, about and died in the Kettle Cre e k Granite Mountain near Snoqualmie $54,000 short or nearly 20% of our drainage. Pass either triggered or was caught overall budget. Not to worry, sum- A lone snowboarder died in a by a wet snow avalanche. He was mer is here regardless, and we’ll find slide in Avalanche Bowl in late seriously injured and found by a plenty of ways to enjoy it before com- January. On February 9th a backcoun- Backcountry skier Susi Hauser examines the hiker who initiated the rescue opera- ing back to meet next seasons chal- try skier was completely buried in a bed surface of an avalanche her party trig- tion with the victim subsequently lenges. Wishing you all a great “off” terrain trap and was quickly recov- gered from a completely flat part of the ridge being air-lifted to Harborview season. ered by companions. On the 10th an about 50 feet away. Another New Year’s Day Medical in Seattle. — Kenny Kramer alpine skier died in an avalanche in a human triggered avalanche, this time in West Monitor Bowl, Wasatch Range, Utah. Bruce April seemed relatively normal permanently closed area of the Tremper photo (U.S. Forest Service Utah in the Northwest, meaning cooler Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. The Avalanche Center) PAGE 20 THE AVALANCHE REVIEW VOL. 22, NO. 1, OCTOBER 2003
TH E
RE V I E W OCTOBER 2003 • VOLUME 22 • NUMBER 1
The Avalanche Review No n - P ro f i t P.O. Box 2831 Org a n i z a t i o n U.S. Postage Pagosa Springs, CO 81147 P A I D Livingston, MT Pe r mit #93
PUT LABEL OVER THIS TEXT AND ABOVE THE LINE BELOW
Layout and pre-press by Kevin Hackett, Moabyte Designs, PO BOX 1377, BISBEE AZ, 85603 • 520-249-1368