Dave and I are privileged to work with a great group of high school kids - SPYteam the Willamette Pass Jr. Ski Patrol. After a full day and evening on Saturday, Sunday these guys took on the Herculean task of creating an "avalanche" on the ski area's out of bounds SDN (steep, deep and narrow) run. The avalanche was for a Ski Patrol final exam.
Pictures don't really show how steep this run is. Every inch of the 200' slope was dug and trampled to look like an avalanche had been there - which was not far off. We did create several slab slides during our work.
Then we dug deep holes to bury our "victims" - the avalanche beacons and squares of carpet.
Unfortunately the beacons had been left back in the patrol room so we waited...
and waited...
and waited. It was blowing 40 mph freezing, snow laden gusts up the slope at us during our 45 minute wait. Everyone had gotten sweaty while digging and slogging in snow. We were freezing.
The beacons were hurriedly buried and everyone was off to warm up with lunch and cocoa then hit the several inches of new powder.
Pictures don't really show how steep this run is. Every inch of the 200' slope was dug and trampled to look like an avalanche had been there - which was not far off. We did create several slab slides during our work.
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