Jeff Johnson uncovers the “victim” after participants dug it up.

CREEDE—The Snow County Explorers organized an Avalanche Awareness and Companion Rescue seminar for the people of Creede.

The class was developed for snowmobilers, but everyone was welcome to attend and learn about avalanche safety.

Randy Engle of Colorado State Parks presented a slide show to the participants and focused on teaching in a fun way.

He also took the group out to experience first-hand what they had just learned More than just club members showed up for the class, Jeff Johnson of the local search and rescue was there and assisted Engle with the outdoor portion of the class.

Snowshoers and cross country skiers were also there. Engle pointed out that the Colorado mountains were perfect for many different sports and this brings people here to play in the snow. He said Colorado has the highest population of the mountain states, as well as the most snow deaths by state.

Engle was also willing to test machines to see if they met the new emission standards that will go into effect on July 1.

The noise law effects all ATVs, not just snowmobiles, it is intended to make outdoor activities more pleasant for everyone. Engle suggests getting the test done early to avoid getting a ticket later.

Engle told the class that the people most likely to be caught in an avalanche are snowmobilers, then backcountry skiers. Snowmobile technology is allowing people to go where they were not able to go before, and putting them in more dangerous situations.

When the time is right to go and play in the snow, Engle reminded everyone “you need stuff if you’re going to play in the winter.” An avalanche snow shovel with a metal blade is needed for a possible rescue.

It would also be a useful tool in starting a small fire in case of an emergency. It is also important for each person to have a backpack to keep gear on their person rather than on the machine. It is very important for each person to have their beacon properly secured to their body. If a person is separated from their machine they will want to have the possibly life saving beacon on them.

Engle also gave the class information to try to remember if they were the person caught in an avalanche.

He said it is important to yell to teammates to alert them of the avalanche and possibly their location, but then to shut their mouth to try to keep snow out of their airway.

If at all possible, the victim should put a hand up toward the sky and, before the snow stops, they should try to clear an air space in front of their face. The victim should try to not panic and stay calm to preserve air.

The process to find a buried teammate is the opposite of what most people are taught. A rescuer must run, then walk, then crawl when using a beacon to find another person.

Engle suggests people “know before they go”, call local avalanche centers, check everyone’s gear, and talk to other people who have been out recently.

Engle said to “be the nerd,” and stay at the trailhead until everyone has had the talk.

More information can be found at the Colorado Avalanche Information Center: http://avalanche.co.us.

For the complete article see the 02-04-2010 issue.

Click here to purchase an electronic version of the 02-04-2010 paper.