Gear Up Both Mind and Backpack For Avalanche Safety
For the especially adventurous set of winter sports enthusiasts, the back country terrain may be where it’s at for the best skiing and snowmobiling.
But recreating off the beaten path means safety is a must.
“Really your best safety device is education,” said Dean Lords. Lords is the snow safety adviser for Kelly Canyon Ski Resort.
In a resort setting like Kelly Canyon, snow sporting folk have the benefit of ski patrol and dozens of eyes watching out in case something goes wrong.
But in the harsh Idaho and Wyoming back country, vigilance regarding safety is especially important.
“Back country skiing is definitely a growing party in our store,” said 3 Peaks Outdoor Sports owner Danny Kelly.
The Idaho Falls shop has been selling more and more gear to back country skiers and adventurers lately.
“It’s definitely a growing industry and people are spending a lot more money on it,” said Kelly. “People can climb up in the mountains with their skis and get fresh powder all the time.”
The call of fresh powder out of resort boundaries comes with a requirement for precautions both physical and mental.
“Generally speaking, the biggest concern is avalanches,” said Lords.
Lords said safety starts first and foremost with gearing up your mind. Then comes the bare minimum in essential gear.
“In a backpack, people should carry a probe, and an avalanche shovel, and then on their body they need to carry an avalanche transceiver,” he said.
Lords said avalanche airbag backpacks are becoming more and more common. They inflate like a big bubble to keep a person afloat if they get trapped. They’re becoming more popular at stores like 3 Peaks.
Lords also said more and more skiers are exploring what’s called side-country skiing — that is, taking the lifts up and finding an uncharted path outside resort bounds.
He said it’s just like back country skiing. The risk is elevated.
Lords said there is a local back country information website with trip reports and links to avalanche forecasts for the area. The link is below:
