Tragic headlines describing the death and injury to back country users during the avalanche season are becoming more common place. Skiers, snowmobilers, hunters and winter campers are finding that this year’s heavy snow pack has created a high avalanche risk in places that normally would not experience the threat. Most back country users are equipped with GPS tracking units, Avalanche locator beacons, probes, and shovels in an effort to minimize risk.

Even the best equipment will not substitute for the application of common sense. It goes without saying that if the land management agencies are forecasting avalanche conditions in an area that you are planning on entering then you should just plain not go. That being said most outdoor adventures do not like being told that they cannot utilize the resource. Careful planning and training can reduce the risks of a backcountry trip.

Most land management agencies will have maps available that will show where the greatest avalanche risks are located. Using handheld GPS units you can waypoint all of the highest risk locations that you need to avoid. Make sure that you and everyone in your party has a good working knowledge of your avalanche transceivers. Obviously you should never go into the backcountry in winter by yourself.

In addition every member should also carry a GPS locator unit similar to the SPOT. These units will allow you to call for assistance no matter where you are. However they only work when the sky is unobstructed. Obviously if you are buried by 6 feet of snow it probably will not be able to maintain satellite contact. Hopefully your entire party will not be caught in the avalanche so that the GPS tracking units can be initiated by a survivor.

Once the SPOT or other GPS emergency beacon is activated help should be on the way. You will then need to use your avalanche transceivers to located buried party members. Top of the line transceivers will not only tell you the exact location of the buried individual but also if they are alive and how deep they are buried. Organization is critical after an incident. One person should concentrate on locating all the buried members carefully marking each site. Other party members should begin to extricate buried members using your shovels. Never get caught in the winter back country without a shovel as it can be the difference in life or death.

In most cases you will have less than 20 minutes to locate and dig out each buried person. Rescue agencies will in most case arrive too late to assist in the location and recovery process. Occasionally some people do survive for much longer periods of time in low water content snow pack. You must work as fast and as efficiently as possible.

Obviously you can have the best winter backcountry gear available but unless you practice using it correctly it will be of little value in an emergency. Make sure your transceivers and GPS tracking units batteries are charged or fresh and always carry spare batteries in case you are trapped in bush for an extended period.

Again the use of common sense in conjunction with good planning and application will reduce the risk of death and injury while in the backcountry during avalanche season.

James Kesel, MS, is the publisher of the GPS Auto Tracker website that is located at http://www.gps-auto-trackers.com Providing information on the latest GPS Tracking and Navigation systems. Consider winter backcountry safety throughout the use of GPS tracking units.

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