Explained: Avalanche Terrain Traps Words by the Norwegian Avalanche Center 4/28/20 Consequence thinking is important! Avoid terrain traps! What happens if? A question that should be asked continuously when making your track choices ski touring. What are the consequences if we release and are caught in an avalanche? Or if an avalanche releases above us? Terrain traps are terrain formations that make the consequences of […] Backcountry Guest Author | May 2, 2020 1 Comment
Utah Avalanche Center: Uncertainty, Risk, & Decision Making: Before, During, and After COVID-19 The following blog post is by guest author, UAC observer, and Wasatch Backcountry Alliance vice president Tom Diegel. This post is not intended to represent the official opinions of the UAC. Instead, it is to offer a starting point for constructive discussions and thoughts about how to recreate during the current health care crisis. The State of Utah has information […] Backcountry Guest Author | April 11, 2020 1 Comment
Can Earthquakes Cause Avalanches? Yes, they can. A 6.5 magnitude earthquake was reported yesterday, March 31, in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho near the town of Stanley. The earthquake hit right at the tail end of a storm that dropped 2-3 feet of snow (HIGH avalanche danger), making it a very rare event. The Sawtooth Avalanche Center is saying that observers in Stanley heard […] Avalanche AvyBrains | April 1, 2020 0 Comments
Utah Avalanche Center Director Speaks on Backcountry Use During the COVID-19 Crisis [arve url="https://youtu.be/3Ii3mj_QtUA"] Martin Kuprianowicz | April 1, 2020 Likes Tweets 0 Comments
42 Human-Triggered Avalanches in Utah in Past 5-Days!! The string of human triggered avalanches continues in the backcountry. In the past five days, we’ve had 42 human triggered avalanches with 14 people being caught and carried. Yesterday was no exception with another seven human-triggered slides and three people going for rides. – Utah Avalanche Center, 3/30/20 Utah just saw 42 human-triggered avalanches in the backcountry in the past […] Avalanche AvyBrains | March 30, 2020 0 Comments
COVID-19 Pandemic Forces Avalanche Canada to Stop Forecasting Early Avalanche Canada will issue its final avalanche forecast for the season this week — a month earlier than usual. The organization has said that their decision is due to lack of reliable data and concerns for the healthcare system which is currently being stressed by the COVID-19 pandemic. They outlined in a press release: “Avalanche Canada will issue its final […] Industry News AvyBrains | March 26, 2020 0 Comments
VIDEO: Sierra Avalanche Center Shows Current Instability in the Snowpack, Reveals Persistent Weak Layer This observation was taken on Hidden Peak yesterday, March 17, 2020. Listen for persistent weak layer failure. Full Observation can be found on the Sierra Avalanche Center website. Avalanche AvyBrains | March 18, 2020 0 Comments
6 Killed in 2 Separate Avalanches in the Austrian Alps Yesterday Six people have been killed in two separate avalanches in the Austrian Alps, Austrian authorities said yesterday. A slide in the Dachstein area, a group of mountains located on the border of Upper Austria and Styria, killed five Czech mountaineers on Sunday, police said. The group of snowshoers were swept away by an avalanche around 9.30 am on Sunday. Related: […] Avalanche AvyBrains | March 9, 2020 0 Comments
VIDEO: A Day in the Life of the Alta Ski Patrol [arve url="https://vimeo.com/392487362"] SnowBrains | February 20, 2020 Likes Tweets 0 Comments
52-Hour Interlodge at Alta Ski Area, UT Original article by Adam Fehr on Alta.com/stories 02.12.20. STELLAR DENDRITE—THE DOUBLE-EDGED SNOWFLAKE The Alta snowflake logo, known worldwide in the ski community, did not come about by happenstance. The Alta Flake is based on the stellar dendrite, a snow crystal with hexagonal tree-like structure and branches. They are razor-thin, symmetrical in shape, and create the fluffy snow that made Alta […] Avalanche AvyBrains | February 15, 2020 1 Comment
Second Avalanche Kills Dozens of Rescuers in Turkey: Death Toll Rises to 38 Rescuers arrived at the scene of a recent avalanche in Eastern Turkey when a secondary avalanche was triggered, killing 33 people. The death toll at the horrific scene has now risen to 38, and 53 have been injured, Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Authority (AFAD) reports. An avalanche struck late on Tuesday, Feb. 4, killing five people near the Turkish mountain […] Avalanche Martin Kuprianowicz | February 5, 2020 0 Comments
3 Killed in Separate Avalanche Incidents in Hokkaido, Japan Last Week A British backcountry skier in Japan who died in an avalanche on Saturday at Pinneshiri in the Kabato Mountains near Nakatonbetsu-Cho in north Hokkaido was the third avalanche victim in a week in Japan. 34-year-old Barnaby Levy was skiing with two friends when he was caught in the avalanche. He was dug out and airlifted to hospital but later pronounced dead. His […] Avalanche AvyBrains | February 3, 2020 0 Comments
Teton Pass, WY Closed Due to 2 Large Avalanches Wyoming State Highway 22, or Teton Pass as it is commonly referred to as, was closed today by the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) due to 2 large avalanches that broke on Mt. Glory near the top of the pass, the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center reports. The slides broke around 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m today. The triggers remain unknown. Related: […] Avalanche AvyBrains | January 10, 2020 0 Comments
Canada Installs the World’s Largest Avalanche Detection System The largest and most extensive avalanche detection network in the world has been installed in Glacier National Park. The $3-million structure was installed over the past year in Rogers Pass, a high mountain pass in Glacier. Designed by the Swiss, it uses two technologies to detect avalanches. One system involves 13 infrasound panels that sense low-frequency sound while the other uses […] Avalanche Emily Crofton | December 6, 2019 0 Comments
Colorado Avalanche Information Center Begins Daily Reports The Colorado Avalanche Information Center announced on its social media channels Tuesday that the state-supported nonprofit is now conducting its 2019-20 season daily weather and avalanche forecasts. Related: The Colorado Avalanche Information Center & The Friends of CAIC The CAIC will issue daily regional backcountry avalanche forecasts for the northern, central and southern Rocky Mountains throughout the state by 3 […] Industry News SnowBrains | November 10, 2019 0 Comments
There Were 11 Avalanches in 2 Days Last Week in Colorado Historical October snowfall totals across Colorado might have pleased skiers and riders by enabling many resorts to open early, but all that heavy, wet snow has also significantly increased the risk of avalanches. Related: Why Early Season Snow is Dangerous in Colorado | News Release: CAIC On the 30th and 31st of October, there were 11 avalanches reported on the […] Avalanche AvyBrains | November 5, 2019 1 Comment
A Number of Skier Triggered Avalanches at Bridger Bowl, MT this Week Avalanche experts say conditions are dicey with all the new snow at Bridger Bowl, MT. The Friends of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center say they received several reports of small skier-triggered avalanches at Bridger Bowl. Related: It’s Not Too Early for Avalanches | This Skier Triggered Slide Was Sunday on Idaho Peak, BC “Strong winds and plenty of new snow […] Avalanche AvyBrains | October 30, 2019 0 Comments
Risk of Avalanches Still High in Sierra Nevada | Maybe Give PCT a Miss this Year Experts Warn Heavy winter snowfall that continued through spring and into May, followed by relatively cool then rising temperatures in June, has led to an ongoing risk of summer avalanches in the Sierra Nevada, posing a threat to hikers on the famed Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), experts are warning. Related: North Lake Tahoe Snowpack Almost 5,000% ABOVE NORMAL | Current California Snowpack […] Avalanche AvyBrains | July 1, 2019 0 Comments
Glacier National Park, MT Officials Want Cyclists To Watch For Bears and Avalanches Warm breezes and “chamber of commerce” blue skies make spring an ideal time to get out into the national parks, but in those parks, with snow still in the mountains, visitors have to watch for both hungry bears coming out of hibernation and the potential for avalanches. Related: Free Shuttle Bus to Operate on Going-to-the-Sun Road, MT Until It’s Clear […] Avalanche AvyBrains | May 31, 2019 0 Comments
Significant Avalanche Danger in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO as Multiple Avalanches Bury People Multiple large avalanches were reported in the Rocky Mountain National Park, CO over the last weekend, involving a total of seven people and burying two. Nobody suffered serious injuries. It’s been reported that four people were caught in a size 2 avalanche in Dead Elk Couloir, a steep couloir near Emerald Lake and popular hiking and snowshoeing destination, prompting warnings […] Avalanche AvyBrains | May 17, 2019 0 Comments