Articles

Published in December issue of CARVE

I never thought I’d be concerned about my electronics while cruising around the backcountry, but I am. Carrying a cell phone, satellite phone, GPS, avalanche beacon, SPOT Messenger, and a VHF radio means my electronic signature rivals a high tension power line. I hope I don’t have to start lugging around a car battery to keep everything powered. Most people in the backcountry are not as wired as me, but a smartphone and beacon are staples for most backcountry travelers. The beacon is a literal lifeline, the most important piece of electronic safety equipment we carry. Its function is crucial to survival. As I slowly added to my electronic arsenal over the years I began to wonder, “Do all these other devices interfere with the function of my avalanche beacon?”

The GNFAC is looking for an intern for the 2023-'24 winter season. Application deadline is April 30, 2023.

Chris Lundy, owner of Sawtooth Mountain Guides, wrote a great article in Backcountry Magazine about digging pits. He opens the story with a personal account of triggering an avalanche. I was with him that day. We triggered the slide up Fisher Creek outside Cooke City on March 10, 2002. 

On September 16^th winter arrived with a foot of snow in the mountains. On the 17^th a skier triggered the first avalanche of the season. On the 19^th, after continued snowfall, Alex issued the first avalanche information bulletin, the earliest in 28 years of operation. This winter was the biggest snow year since 1996/97 in southwest Montana with snowpack depth averaging 120-160% of normal.

Five Easy Steps to Safe Backcountry Riding

By: Eric Knoff

Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center

             There are no stoplights in the backcountry. The decision to ride into uncontrolled-avalanche terrain is a personal one with risks and rewards. Done correctly, pinning the throttle through a field of untracked powder or climbing a steep mountain face can produce unmatched excitement, but riding in avalanche terrain can produce severe and sometimes deadly consequences.

                We have a deep slab avalanche problem throughout the advisory area. Adjacent mountain ranges likely have this problem as well. It exists because the entire winter’s snowpack rests on a layer of facets near the ground. It produced avalanches in late December and early January and again following heavy snowfall in February and early March. This weak layer of facets, formed in early December during extreme cold weather will be a concern for the rest of the season.

Published in the January 2014 issue of CARVE.

The third week of December provided some valuable avalanche lessons when three people in two separate incidents triggered and were caught in avalanches near the Bridger Bowl boundary.  In both cases the parties exited the ski area into the backcountry.  The first incident involved two highly experienced skiers on Saddle Peak.  Like they have done for years, they rode the Slaschman’s lift and hiked

YES. Portable electronics like phones, radios, GPS, cameras, etc. will interfere with an avalanche beacon (aka avalanche transceiver).  Is it a problem? The interference is significant and may prevent you from finding a buried partner. These electronic devices typically need to be turned on to cause interference. Snowmobiles with running motors and electrical circuits will also cause interference.

Every year throughout the Rocky Mountains we warn that early season snow is not good for stability. Some years are worse than others. In my experience, this year is one of the worst.