Deep Powder And Avalanche Safety

So it seems that it's snowing everywhere. Fernie had a half meter during a 24 hour period this week and I think some places in the Alps have had as much as a meter.

There's still a while to go before I get there, but it's a good sign all the same. The thought of all that powder is really exciting...

And a little scary. Well, not scary, but thought provoking. I was reading an article from last month's WhiteLines around the same time that these snow reports hit me; the article was about being burried alive...

It was describing an avalanche safety course in which the participants underwent a practice burriel. Even the controlled environment came across as pretty damn hairy. It sure made me re-think about the dangers of riding off-piste.

But it's not like I've never given it any thought before. I'm trying to hook myself up with a transceiver, and I've done a small amount of homework with the book The ABCs of Avalanche Safety. It's more that I feel I should practice. Practice with the transceiver, practice a search pattern, practice looking at the snow. Just practice something.

I was talking to Ciara about the article and we both agreed that the whole situation would be so freaky. But that's the point. We're all hoping to ride as much powder as possible in Fernie, and in the unfortunate event that we're in the vacinity of an avalanche, I don't want to be stood around trying procedures for the first time...