VOLUME 28, NO. 4 • APRIL 2010 In This Issue From the Executive Director . 2 From the Editor . 2 Metamorphism . 3 Mailbag . 6 What’s New . 7 This avalanche was in the Whistler Education backcountry in January of ‘09, just after Canada Ramps Up Sledder Outreach . 11 Snowmobile Specific Avalanche Curriculum . 12 a cycle whose scale had not been seen Snow Science Resetting the Snowpack . 23 in several years. We were on a ski patrol The Backcountry Tiltboard. 25 GIS History . 26 exchange and took advantage of the Crown Profiles opportunity to fly in the helicopter one Saddle Peak Avalanche . 14 Photo Centerfold . 16 afternoon to view the avalanche activity in Mt Hood Avalanche . 18 Rogers Pass Avalanche . 20 the surrounding area. British Columbia Surface Hoar . 29 Helitrax Avalanche . 30 Photo by Jason Thompson, Bozeman, Montana, mountaineering guide The focus essential to man- and lifestyle photographer, www.jThompsonPhotography.com aging risk in a continental snow climate is not to be The Avalanche Review P.O. Box 2831 taken lightly. It demands, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147 as an old mountaineer said, “sensible self-denial” and a little bit of luck. —Mike Friedman, Managing Risk, p31 u PAGE 2 THE AVALANCHE REVIEW VOL. 28, NO. 4, APRIL 2010 THE from the executive director REVIEW Join AAA Governing Board, Help Make Important Calls As I write this, another strong storm is moving into southern APRIL 2010 • VOL. 28 • NUMBER 4 Colorado. It’s hard to imagine right now that we won’t see The Avalanche Review is published each fall through spring by this in print until early April. Spring seems so far away. the American Avalanche Association, Inc., a non-profit corpora- We are seeking interested governing board candidates for tion. The Avalanche Review welcomes the submission of articles, photographs and illustrations. this fall’s election. Your Association continues to improve and expand. The new avalanche.org is an example of our Please send submissions to: improvement, and our membership continues to grow with Lynne Wolfe –– Editor PO Box 1135 over 50 new membership applicants for review and ratification Driggs, Idaho 83422 this spring. Both of these examples are due to the hard work tel: (208) 709-4073 and dedication of AAA’s governing board. [email protected] We are strong financially and the board is dedicated to Advertising: Production: providing quality benefits to our members. Several of the Jazz Russell Fall Line Design governing board members who have served for many years 370 N 110 E 76 N Main, Suite 208 Driggs, ID 83422 Driggs, ID 83422 wish to step down. Governing board elections are held Mark Muller is busy on the phone even in Europe. Photo tel: (208) 354-2524 tel/fax: (208) 354-6500 in even numbered years for executive board and section taken by Craig Sterbenz at the Jakobshorn during ISSW 09 in Davos last fall. Photo by Craig Sterbenz fax: (208) 354-6500 [email protected] representative positions. Some of these positions will be [email protected] open. Members will receive ballots this summer for this Business and Subscription Office: bi-annual election. The governing board seeks willing individuals who are interested in serving the avalanche Mark Mueller –– AAA Executive Director community and advancing our profession. PO Box 2831 Earlier I wrote that we are strong financially. How do we want to use this money? Our primary product is and will Pagosa Springs, CO 81147 tel: (970) 946-0822 / fax: (970) 731-2486 continue to be The Avalanche Review. We provide practitioner and academic research grants and have begun to co- [email protected] sponsor regional continuing education seminars – to name several other efforts. As a nonprofit organization, we are required to explain in detail our activities to the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS doesn’t really care about the size of our bank account; they want to know what we do with those funds. We are in a financial position to expand our reach to benefit the membership and the avalanche community in general. What we do and how we do it will be a responsibility of the new board. Our new board members will be a big part of the effort. Has your winter been quiet? We’ve seen tragedy once again visit our colleagues. Many areas in the West have fragile snowpacks that have yet to be seriously loaded. We have many weeks to go. I hope that avalanches stay out of the news and that we all arrive together at season’s end: healthy, happy, and fulfilled. Executive Director .....................Mark Mueller ISSW 2010 is coming to Squaw Valley in the Sierra, October 17-22. Our annual membership meeting will take place AAA Officers there, and our new governing board members will be introduced. I look forward to seeing many of you there. *President ................................Janet Kellam R *Vice President .........................Doug Richmond —Mark Mueller, AAA executive director *Secretary ................................Mike Bartholow *Treasurer ................................Bill Glude Committee Chairs from the editor Awards ......................................Halsted Morris Data .........................................Vacant Everybody loves a good story, especially one that is told well, Education .................................Sarah Carpenter, Kirk Bachman comes with great photos, and helps a bit of science to get translated Ethics .......................................Lel Tone into practice. This issue has all that and more, of course. Our Membership ..............................Stuart Thompson Research ..................................H.P. Marshall theory comes in with a discussion of resetting the snowpack from Search & Rescue ......................Dale Atkins practitioners who work in maritime, intermountain, and continental Ski Area ....................................Bill Williamson snowpacks; Lisa Portune of the Chugach then takes theory into *Publications ...........................Blase Reardon practice describing one big storm’s weather and images. Publications Committee Editor ........................................Lynne Wolfe More case studies give us insight into circumstances and decision- Editor Emeritus .........................Steve Conger making processes leading up to accidents on Rogers Pass and in Editor Emeritus .........................Sue Ferguson the San Juans; the participants’ hindsight and analysis give us tools Editor Emeritus .........................Blase Reardon Editor Emeritus .........................Bruce Tremper for the future. A huge avalanche on Saddle Peak, just outside the Bridger Bowl boundary, leaves me appreciating the role of luck. As Section Representatives Lynne Wolfe enjoys a spot of tea on her birthday – a bitterly cold Alaska…............................. .....Carl Skustad day in Columbia Bowl, Teton Pass. Photo by Erika Eschholtz Doug Chabot states, we usually only get one free lesson and this Eastern Section ........................Kyle Tyler was it. It also raises several difficult questions: How do we educate European Section ......................Peter Höller Intermountain North .................Scott Savage sidecountry enthusiasts, and on a larger scale, is it possible to change human behavior when a resource is scarce? Intermountain South .................Jamie Yount At Mt Hood, the role of luck is once again paramount, as another record-breaking avalanche gouges the ski area Northwest .................................Patty Morrison top to bottom after closing. In British Columbia, Wren McElroy documents the formation and burial of several layers Rockies .....................................John Brennan Sierra ........................................Gary Murphy of surface hoar, then shows that as these surface hoar layers are buried deeper, they are more difficult to trigger but Member Representative ............Rick Grubin deliver dramatic results. Forecasting with these conditions is challenging; recreating in these circumstances even Certified Instructor Rep ............Brad Sawtell more challenging. At press time, two snowmobiler-triggered avalanches and one heli-ski avalanche have had fatal Executive Committee denoted by * consequences. Is it even possible to have a “reset” in these circumstances, or do we simply wait for spring? Patience The mission of the AAA is: is a difficult human virtue; does it always come with age and experience? A. To provide information about snow and avalanches; Finally, we have a second installment of photos from TAR correspondents across the map. Thank you for sending us B. To represent the professional interests of the United States avalanche these views of your worlds. We really appreciate it and encourage you to keep us informed, sharing your problems and community; solutions; the larger TAR audience can learn from both your steps and missteps – and offer insight if appropriate. C. To contribute toward high standards of professional competence and ethics for persons engaged in avalanche activities; This April issue marks the conclusion of volume 28, the 28th year of The Avalanche Review. We’ll pick up again D. To exchange technical information and maintain communications among late summer, preparing for the ISSW issue, TAR 29/1; deadline for submissions August 1. We hope to see you persons engaged in avalanche activities; in Squaw Valley; don’t forget to take advantage of early registration prices before the end of April (see specifics E. To promote and act as a resource base for public awareness programs on page 5). I for one will be glad to see the