Avalanche Awareness

Marcel, Jan and Earl attended the avalanche awareness at 100 mile search and rescue this morning.   We watched a video, and then went over terrain, snow conditions, risk factors etc. which was really good.   We went over the Avalanche Canada website, learned some more about how to use it to our advantage, and how information is gathered and how to add information which we can learn when we are in an area.
Then we all went outside and did some exercises using our beacons, probes and shovels, which was just excellent.  It was a chance to check out several different brands of beacons, and what they can do.   We discussed how to ensure everyone's beacons are working properly prior to heading out on to the trail, doesn't take long to do, and is a very good idea especially when you are heading into mountainous terrain.
We three formed a team, Jan located with the beacon, Earl used the probe and then Marcel did the digging and we successfully located our "victim" which was buried under about a meter of snow.
If the club is interested in Shane and Val coming out, they will go through the program with us all, I found it extremely helpful, and they offered lots of details on how to approach a situation in which someone has been caught in an avalanche.
We now have an idea of how to ensure the area is safe to search, how to search efficiently and how effective our beacons are.  Time is always if the essence in these situations and the more proficient we become, the better our chances of a successful outcome.
We went over emergency gear to carry with us, and Jan got to pull the cord on the inflatable back pack which is intended to keep you on top of snow in the case of an avalanche.
The back country is a marvelous place to be, but as we know weather conditions can rapidly change and the risk of avalanche is out there.  The better educated and prepared we are, the safer we can we be.