MOUNTAIN LIFE
A SAFE BACKYARD Funding beacon checkers for those accessing the backcountry BY EMILY SHOFF
T
he Telluride backcountry just got a little Club and PI Fund, adding that backcountry use safer thanks to a new initiative from the has been steadily increasing over the last several Telluride Mountain Club that will see beacon years, especially in our region. checkers installed at a handful of area locations. Lauterbach is particularly thrilled about the Funded collaboratively through the Peter Inglis Lizard Head Pass location as it is a place that sees Avalanche Education Fund (or more novice backcountry users, PI Fund), which is a subsidiary of including students of avalanche the Telluride Mountain Club, and education classes. “The checker is THE INITIATIVE local retailer Jagged Edge, the new a perfect reminder to stop, check IS JUST ONE checkers will do exactly what their beacons and talk with your partners OF SEVERAL name suggests: check the beacons about your plan for the day.” PROGRAMS. of potential backcountry users. A Backcountry users often wear green light means you’re on and beacons, but, unfortunately, either battery-charged, while a red ‘x’ means it’s time to the battery is dead or the beacon isn’t switched on. do some beacon adjustment before you head out “Our hope is to create a culture where group beathe gate. con checks become the norm,” Lauterbach says, Starting this winter, the automated checkers will reflecting on the myriad of reabe stationed at various locations on the Telluride sons why backcountry travelers Ski Resort, including pivotal backcountry access might fail to switch on or check points such as the top of Lift 12, Bald Mountain the batteries in their beacon. and the top of Gold Hill. With support from the “The beacon checkers provide an Telluride Tourism Board, there will also be one opportunity for people to slow off the resort, at Lizard Head Pass. In addition to down and have a conversation being able to assess a beacon’s signal, the signs will about their backcountry ski plan also contain information about potential avalanche while checking the integrity of red flags, such as snow instability, weather, terrain their equipment.” and crowds. “We’re excited to finally be able to The beacon checkers initiative provide this service to the community,” says Heidi is just one of several programs Lauterbach, the director of the Telluride Mountain that the PI Fund supports
in the name of avalanche safety. The fund was established in honor of Peter Inglis, a long-time Telluride ski patroller and avid backcountry skier, a founder of the Telluride Mountain Club and a San Miguel Search and Rescue volunteer. Inglis died in 2015 while guiding when a cornice collapsed in Alaska’s St. Elias Range and the Pi Fund provides avalanche education scholarships to students and hosts monthly avalanche education forums, Backcountry Chats. The PI Fund also teams up with Jagged Edge to help fund radio rentals to backcountry groups. “Radios are an essential tool for people to communicate within a group and from one group to another,” Lauterbach explains, noting that they have proven to be helpful in various close-call situations across the San Juan Mountains in recent years. All of the initiatives, she says, tie in with the PI Fund’s mission of creating increased “opportunities for avalanche education and backcountry user awareness.”
ARE YOU SEEING ANY OF THESE RED FLAGS RIGHT NOW?! New Snow? Recent Avalanches? 24-Hour Temperature Rise? Collapsing/Cracking? Snow Transport By Wind? Rain On Snow?
THE BACKCOUNTRY IS ALWAYS TELLING US A STORY: ARE YOU LISTENING?
IN THE BACKCOUNTRY you are exposing yourself to Avalanche Danger. SNOWPACK, WEATHER, and TERRAIN are all factors that contribute to the Avalanche Danger. As a group of HUMANS choosing to travel into this uncertain environment, ask yourselves these essential questions.
WHAT PROBLEM(S) IN THE SNOWPACK DID THE CAIC FORECAST TODAY?
WHAT WEATHER FACTORS COULD AFFECT AVALANCHE ACTIVITY?
WHAT TERRAIN ARE WE AVOIDING TODAY AND WHY?
PASS THIS CHECKPOINT ONE AT A TIME WITH 10-FOOT INTERVALS BETWEEN EACH OTHER.
FRIENDS of the
SAN JUANS
www.thesanjuans.org
SPONSORS
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
GREEN “O” = YOU ARE TRANSMITTING. RED “X” = YOU ARE NOT TRANSMITTING.
WHAT ARE OUR GROUP GOALS AND OBJECTIVES TODAY AND HOW MAY THEY BE AFFECTED BY OUR ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, CHOICES AND DECISIONS?
THIS BEACON CHECK POINT: DOES NOT test avalanche beacon battery life.
DOES NOT guarantee proper beacon function.
IS NOT a check-in/check-out device. This checks the transmission of your beacon at THIS MOMENT ONLY!
BACKCOUNTRY AWARENESS INFORMATION
Melissa Plantz
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telluride.com | 855.421.4360
telluride.com | 855.421.4360
37
