® 6"1 ÊÎÓ]Ê "°Ê£ÊUÊ" /" ,Ê2013 Season Roundup 2012/13 In This Issue ÀÊ/} iÊ-ÌÞ>vv\ From the Executive Director .....................................2 iÀi½ÃÊ>Êà ÌÊvÊ>ÊÃ`iÊÊ>ÀV Ê From the Editor ........................................................................3 £]ÊÓä£Î]ÊÊ7 ÌiÊ,ÛiÀÊ >Þ°Ê Metamorphism ......................................................................... 4 / ÃÊ«>Ì ÊÃÊ>VÌÕ>ÞÊ>VÀÃÃÊ7 ÌiÊ Education AVPro Course Review ................................................................ 6 ,ÛiÀÊ >ÞÊvÀÊÌ iÊÌÊ`Ê From the AAA ............................................................................7 i>`ÜÃÊ«iÀÌÊ>Ài>Ê>`Ê Mailbag ............................................................................................. 8 ÜÌ Ê>ÊVÕ«iÊ Õ`Ài`ÊÞ>À`ÃÊ What’s New . 9 vÊ/LiÀiÊ`}iÊÃÊ>Ài>°Ê Snow Science / >ÌÊV>ÞÊ >ÃÊÃ>ÀÊ>ëiVÌÊ Going Metric.................................................................................11 >`ÊiiÛ>ÌÊÌÊÃiÊvÊÕÀÊ ÌÊ`Ê«iÀÌÊ>Ài>]Ê>`ÊÜiÊ 2012/13 Season Roundup vÌiÊÕÃiÊÌÊ>ÃÊ>Ê`V>ÌÀÊëiÊ AGENCY AVALANCHE CENTERS National Avalanche Center ..........................................................12 vÊÃÀÌðÊ/ iÊ`>ÞÊÜiÊÜiÌÊÊ Doug Abromeit: A Life Well Lived..........................................13 Ì iÀiÊÌÊ}À>LÊÃiÊvÀ>Ì]Ê Last Turns with Abro .................................................................14 Ì iÊÃÕÀv>ViÊV`ÌÃÊÜiÀiÊ>Ê Bridger-Teton National Forest Avalanche Center ................15 Sawtooth National Forest Avalanche Center ......................... 17 vÀiiâ}ÊÀ>Ê>ÞiÀÊÛiÀÊÀÕiÃÊ Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center..........................................17 ÊÌ iÊÀ}]ÊÃÊÜiÊ >`ÊÌÊ Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center.............................18 Ü>ÌÊÕÌÊÌÊÃvÌii`ÊÕ«ÊÊÌ iÊ Utah Avalanche Center - Wasatch ............................................20 Craig Patterson .......................................................................... 21 >vÌiÀ°Ê/ iÊÛiÀ >}}Ê Flathead Avalanche Center..........................................................22 VÀViÊÃiVÌÊLivÀiÊÌ iÊ Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center . 22 vÀ>VÌÕÀiÊiÊÜ>ÃÊ`À««}Ê«ÀiÌÌÞÊ Mount Washington Avalanche Center.......................................23 >}}ÀiÃÃÛiÞÊÊÕÀÊÜ>ÞÊ°ÊÊ >ÛiÊ Cordova Avalanche Center ..........................................................24 Sierra Avalanche Center...............................................................24 ÃiiÊÕV Ê>À}iÀÊÃ>LÃÊÌ >ÌÊ >ÛiÊ Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center ..............................................24 ÀÕÊ>LÕÌÊÌÜÊiÃÊvÀÊÌ >ÌÊ Colorado Avalanche Information Center.................................25 Ã>iÊ«>Ì ]ÊÞiÌÊÌ ÃÊiÊÜ>ÃÊÃÌÊ Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center ............................ 26 ÌiÀiÃÌ}°Ê/ ÃÊ«>ÀÌVÕ>ÀÊÃ>LÊ Mt Shasta Avalanche Center ....................................................... 27 West Central Montana Avalanche Center ...............................28 >`Ê>ÊÌÊvÊÌ>«iÀÊ>`ÊiÃÃÊÛÕiÊ Utah Avalanche Center - Moab...................................................28 Ì >ÊÃ>ÀÊiÛiÌÃÊvÀÊÌ iÊ«>ÃÌ°ÊÊ NON-AGENCY AVALANCHE CENTERS Crested Butte Avalanche Center .................................................29 For more about last winter Valdez Avalanche Center ...............................................................30 in the Pacific Northwest, Wallowa Avalanche Center............................................................31 Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center ............................................... 31 see the NWAC summary beginning on page 18 ¦ We started warning skiers and riders of potentially large “facet The Avalanche Review sluffs” entraining the entire P.O. Box 248 season’s snowpack, a type of Victor, ID 83455 avalanche that doesn’t quite fit into our current list of avalanche problems. I propose new SWAG code, such as LSP (Loose-Shit-Pile) or DBS (Don’t-Bother-Skiing). —Zach Guy, CBAC Summary, pg 29 X PAGE 2 / Ê6 Ê, 6 7 6"°ÊÎÓ]Ê "°Ê£]Ê" /" ,ÊÓä£Î THE from the executive director REVIEW 7iViÊ>iÊÕÃVt Welcome Jaime Musnicki. After a months-long process that began in " /" ,ÊÓä£ÎÊUÊ6"°ÊÎÓÊUÊ 1 ,Ê£ the spring, Jaime Musnicki has been chosen as the American Avalanche The Avalanche Review is published each fall through spring by Association’s new executive director. the American Avalanche Association, Inc., a nonprofit corporation. Nearly 40 persons responded to our request for interested applicants. The Avalanche Review welcomes the submission of articles, photographs and illustrations. This list was whittled down to a dozen qualified applicants, and from there to a final five persons before interviews began. The AAA Executive Please send submissions to: Board spent countless hours evaluating the candidates before coming to Lynne Wolfe –– Editor a decision in early August. PO Box 1135 Driggs, Idaho 83422 Jaime brings great enthusiasm and strong communication skills to the tel: (208) 709-4073 ED position. Most recently, she was a winter program supervisor for the [email protected] National Outdoor Leadership School as well as a backcountry ski guide and avalanche educator. Jaime has also contributed to TAR: see December Advertising: Production: Paul Nordquist Fall Line Design 2010 and April 2012. 1101 Lenore Drive 270 N Main I look forward to working with Jaime over the next few months during Tacoma, WA 98406 Driggs, ID 83422 tel: (253) 830-4444 tel/fax: (208) 354-6500 the transition to her new position at AAA. The AAA office will now move [email protected] [email protected] to Jaime’s home in Victor, Idaho. Helmet, sunglasses, and that smile: you will —Mark Mueller, outgoing AAA executive director R recognize her anywhere. Business and Subscription Office: Jaime Musnicki –– AAA Executive Director PO Box 248 Victor, ID 83455 Your editor and your new executive director check out layers on a cold day in the Tetons. Photo by Kate Koons tel: (307) 699-2049 [email protected] [email protected] NOLS over the past 10+ years in a broad range of roles and capacities – from field instructor (predominantly backcountry skiing, glacier mountaineering, rock climbing) to avalanche educator to winter program supervisor to facilitating customized leadership and risk management trainings with private clients. One of my main goals as I move into this new position Executive Director .....................Jaime Musnicki with the AAA (in addition to further honing my office AAA Officers savviness!) is to learn more about the different varieties of *President ................................Dale Atkins *Vice President .........................John Stimberis avalanche professionals we aim to support and represent *Secretary.................................Scott Savage at the AAA: Who are you? What do you do? What topics *Treasurer.................................Mike Ferrari Hello AAA members, subscribers, and issues are important to you as avalanche professionals? Committee Chairs What are we currently doing that supports you? Are Awards ......................................Halsted Morris and friends, Data..........................................Ned Bair there new or different things we can do to support you Education .................................Sarah Carpenter, Kirk Bachman I’d like to take a few minutes to introduce myself even more effectively? I don’t want to limit myself in this Ethics .......................................Lel Tone as I begin to transition into my new role as executive position to only my direct personal experience (largely IT/Web .......................................vacant Membership ..............................Stuart Thompson director of the American Avalanche Association. First from the guiding and avalanche education realms); I Research...................................Jordy Hendrikx and foremost, I feel honored and excited to be taking seek to broadly listen to you, our members, and gather Search & Rescue ......................Rich Browne on this new responsibility with the AAA. I very much information that will enable me to make decisions and Ski Area ....................................Bill Williamson *Publications............................Blase Reardon look forward to learning the ropes of my new role; work to better support all avalanche professionals. With Publications Committee getting to know the AAA community more closely; that said, please feel free to be in touch with me at any Editor ........................................Lynne Wolfe and beginning to better understand how I can best point to ask questions and/or share your perspectives, Editor Emeritus .........................Steve Conger help, support, and guide our organization to most opinions, experiences, ideas, or feedback. Editor Emeritus .........................Sue Ferguson Editor Emeritus .........................Blase Reardon effectively serve our membership of inspiring, talented, Mark and I have been working together on this transition Editor Emeritus .........................Bruce Tremper and diverse avalanche professionals. for a few weeks now and will continue into the fall. Mailing Section Representatives I have called the Tetons home for the past 11 years, address and phone number for the AAA has officially Alaska…............................. .....Andy Dietrick residing in Teton Valley for over eight years now. I did shifted to me in Victor, Idaho (see masthead, at left). I plan Eastern Section ........................Kyle Tyler begin my official education in snowy climes and activities to communicate these changes via email, TAR, and the European Section ......................Krister Kristensen Intermountain