Early forecasts show La Niña is on her way back to the Pacific Northwest, which could mean another winter of heavy snowfall and continued risk of avalanches.
With backcountry dangers in mind, local avalanche expert Ted Steiner has helped organize a group of experienced professionals from across the country for a one-day gathering in Whitefish to inform and prepare recreationists.
The Northern Rockies Avalanche Safety Workshop is being held Oct. 1 at Grouse Mountain Lodge. The workshop will feature five nationally recognized speakers who will touch on separate realms of backcountry usage in relation to avalanches, including sessions on terrain decision-making and understanding patterns and behaviors of different snow climates.
“The bottom line is we want to increase everyone’s knowledge base,” Steiner said. “That means not just realizing how to avoid avalanches but also making good decisions.”
As the number of recreationists in the backcountry continues to grow every year, the potential for avalanche danger increases substantially.
“It’s great, but some folks can get into trouble if they don’t have a good basis with their avalanche knowledge,” Steiner said.
Ninety percent of people in avalanches are caught in those triggered by themselves or the group they’re with, he said.
“That’s a pretty stark statistic,” Steiner said.
Forecasters from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently upgraded their prediction for this winter to a La Niña Advisory compared to a lower-level category watch. A La Niña winter typically leads to high snow levels and longer winters. Last year’s La Niña contributed to record snowfall around the region. NOAA will release their official winter outlook in mid-October.
More snow doesn’t necessarily equate to more avalanches, but it does mean more people will be in the backcountry, Steiner pointed out.
“If you’re not keyed into the snowpack and terrain, you can get in trouble,” Steiner said.
The safety workshop, which is being sponsored by several organizations, including the American Avalanche Association and Flathead Nordic Ski Patrol, is aimed at being an all-encompassing program for backcountry skiers/snowborders, snowshoers and snowmobilers. Free tickets are being passed out at local high schools in an effort to reach out to a younger demographic that is increasingly taking to the backcountry, Steiner said. Door prizes will be offered at the workshop.
“If you go into the backcountry and you choose to recreate, your knowledge base has to be at a level where you can go ahead and make good decisions both for yourself and for your group so you can be as safe as possible,” Steiner said.
The workshop costs $15 or $20 on Oct. 1 and is a not-for-profit program that will donate all proceeds to local avalanche education and winter backcountry patrol organizations. To register for the workshop, visit www.avalanchesafetyworkshop.com