Safe Backyard

A SAFE BACKYARD

Funding beacon checkers for those accessing the backcountry

BY EMILY SHOFF

The Telluride backcountry just got a little safer thanks to a new initiative from the Telluride Mountain Club that will see beacon checkers installed at a handful of area locations. Funded collaboratively through the Peter Inglis Avalanche Education Fund (or PI Fund), which is a subsidiary of the Telluride Mountain Club, and local retailer Jagged Edge, the new checkers will do exactly what their name suggests: check the beacons of potential backcountry users. A green light means you’re on and battery-charged, while a red ‘x’ means it’s time to do some beacon adjustment before you head out the gate.

Starting this winter, the automated checkers will be stationed at various locations on the Telluride Ski Resort, including pivotal backcountry access points such as the top of Lift 12, Bald Mountain and the top of Gold Hill. With support from the Telluride Tourism Board, there will also be one off the resort, at Lizard Head Pass. In addition to being able to assess a beacon’s signal, the signs will also contain information about potential avalanche red flags, such as snow instability, weather, terrain and crowds. “We’re excited to finally be able to provide this service to the community,” says Heidi Lauterbach, the director of the Telluride Mountain Club and PI Fund, adding that backcountry use has been steadily increasing over the last several years, especially in our region.

Lauterbach is particularly thrilled about the Lizard Head Pass location as it is a place that sees more novice backcountry users, including students of avalanche education classes. “The checker is a perfect reminder to stop, check beacons and talk with your partners about your plan for the day.” Backcountry users often wear beacons, but, unfortunately, either the battery is dead or the beacon isn’t switched on. “Our hope is to create a culture where group beacon checks become the norm,” Lauterbach says, reflecting on the myriad of reasons why backcountry travelers might fail to switch on or check the batteries in their beacon. “The beacon checkers provide an opportunity for people to slow down and have a conversation about their backcountry ski plan while checking the integrity of their equipment.”

The beacon checkers initiative is just one of several programs 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.”

PASS THIS CHECKPOINT ONE AT A TIME WITH 10-FOOT INTERVALS BETWEEN EACH OTHER. GREEN “O” = YOU ARE TRANSMITTING. RED “X” = YOU ARE NOT TRANSMITTING.

WHAT PROBLEM(S) IN THE SNOWPACK DID THE CAIC FORECAST TODAY?

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!

WHAT ARE OUR GROUP GOALS AND OBJECTIVES TODAY AND HOW MAY

WHAT WEATHER THEY BE AFFECTED BY FACTORS COULD AFFECT OUR ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AVALANCHE ACTIVITY? CHOICES AND DECISIONS?

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?

WHAT TERRAIN ARE WE AVOIDING TODAY AND WHY?

BROUGHT TO YOU BY FRIENDS of the SAN JUANS www.thesanjuans.org BACKCOUNTRY AWARENESS INFORMATION

THE INITIATIVE IS JUST ONE OF SEVERAL PROGRAMS.

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. SPONSORS