- Justin Wood
Top 10 takeaways from Avalanche Alliance Awareness seminar
Throughout this fall season, Avalanche Alliance will be visiting dealerships around the US to help build avalanche awareness. The first of seven free open houses kicked off Sat., Oct. 29, at Action Motorsports in Idaho Falls where KLIM Backcountry Team athletes, Dan Adams from Next Level Clinics and Matt Entz from Mountain Skillz along with KLIM’s Snow Athlete Manager, Dustin Pancheri, presented on the dangers of avalanches with never-before-seen avalanche footage to help audiences understand the need for proper on-snow avalanche training.
Visit avalanche-alliance.org/events for dates coming soon to Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Here’s the top 10 things you can learn from attending a seminar:
The number one biggest sign of an avalanche is recent avalanche activity.
Five red flags of avalanche danger:
wind, temperature changes, new snow, whumping or drum-like sounds, persistent slabs
Avalanche terrain is 30 to 45 degrees. It’s shallower than you think, and what’s surprising is how often we’re on those 30-degree slopes.
One little piece of gear can make a difference. Never ride without proper protection, including a probe, shovel, radio, beacon and avalanche backpack.
Having the gear is one thing and the other thing is to take on-snow training. You don’t know what you don't know before you take a training course.
We’re only as good as our training. Avalanches can happen to any of us. It can happen even on a trail ride in the mountains.
The best thing about the courses is it’s a no-lose-chance to do it wrong and get all the wrongs out of you. It’s a good place to make mistakes without any real consequences.
Practice using your avalanche tools with everyone in your riding group because they’re the ones who are going to save you.
Practice when you’re out on the snow. Practice with your gear at the end of the day after you’ve been riding when you’re tired.
When it comes to riding in this terrain it’s not if it happens, it’s when. If I’m on the snow, it doesn’t matter how much I know. It’s up to the group we’re with. Mother Nature doesn’t play favorites.
Remaining 2022 dates:
Sunday, Nov. 13, Monticello, Minn.
Monday, Nov. 14, Stillwater, Minn.
Tuesday, Nov. 15, Fargo, S.D.
Wednesday, Nov. 16, Finley, N.D.
Thursday, Nov. 17, Mandan, N.D.
Friday, Nov. 18, Deadwood, S.D.
