Avalanche
The ninth annual Snow and Avalanche Workshop at Montana State University, featuring a panel discussion and graduate research and avalanche awareness presentations, will be held November 8.
The free, public event will take place on campus in the Strand Union Buildingโs Ballroom A and be streamed live online.
Before the public event begins, industry professionals can attend a special presentation focused on the psychological impacts of dealing with avalanches and subsequent rescues. Registration is required for the presentation, titled โStress Injury Awareness,โ which is free and will also be live-streamed. Participants will receive a link to the stream after registering.
Outdoor goods vendors and sales representatives will be present to display their latest gear and raffle off prizes.
The Snow and Avalanche Workshop is just one event in MSUโs ongoing avalanche education program. MSUโs Outdoor Recreation Program offers level 1 and 2 avalanche courses along with avalanche rescue clinics, and they partner with the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center to give avalanche awareness talks at residence halls. They also rent out safety gear, like beacons, shovels and probes, and maintain a beacon training park.
โThe MSU Snow and Avalanche Workshop is part of how we build a culture of safety around recreation in the winter backcountry. We want students to have all the tools to make informed choices while taking advantage of the amazing recreational opportunities that Bozeman offers.โ
– Dan Sandberg, senior coordinator of MSUโs Outdoor Recreation Program
The full schedule for the Snow and Avalanche Workshop is listed below.
- 2-4 p.m. โ Stress Injury Awareness for Avalanche Professionals Training.
- 4- 5 p.m. โ Vendor Hour โ Meet and greet representatives from local businesses, community partners and gear representatives.
- 5-6 p.m. โ Awareness Presentations.
- โIntro to the Workshop and Avalanche Education Resources for Studentsโ byโฏDan Sandberg, senior coordinator of MSUโs Outdoor Recreation program.
- โAmerican Avalanche Association (A3) Updatesโ by GabrielleโฏAntonioli, A3 Resilience Project manager.
- โThe Landscape of Avalanche Education in Bozeman,โ by Shannon Regan, education coordinator for the Friends of Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center.
- โHow your Avalanche Center Works for Youโ byโฏAlex Marienthal,โฏGallatin National Forest Avalanche Center forecaster.
- 5-7 p.m. โ Graduate Research Presentations by MSU students.
- โWet-Snow Avalanchesโ by Josh Lipkowitz.
- โImpact of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Data on Avalanche Forecastsโ byโฏAlex Haddad.
- โImpact-Initiated Avalanchesโ by Sam Verplanck.
- 7 p.m. โ Panel discussion on mental health resiliency and responding to loss in the mountains.
More information is available at www.montana.edu/outdoorrecreation/saw/index.html.
To register for the training focused on psychological stress and tools to support industry professionals, visit: www.eventbrite.com/e/msu-saw-stress-injury-awareness-for-avalanche-professionals-tickets-728501807517?aff=oddtdtcreator.
