Homer Alaska - Sports

On a bright sunny Sunday afternoon, 18 outdoor enthusiasts sat in the snow, dug in it, probed it and ran up and down in it, all in an effort to get a better understanding of avalanches: how they happen, and what to do when they do happen.

Whether skiing, sledding, or climbing, winter sports on Alaska's slopes come with an inherent risk of avalanche.

That's why Karen Northrop didn't hesitate to learn a thing or two at the lecture and sign up for the workshop the next day.

"I've lived in avalanche country all my life and have never taken a course, even though I've seen avalanches and lost friends in avalanches. I really wanted to improve on my technique and learn about what to do in avalanches and how to use the rescue equipment like beacons and probes," said Northrop.

For a place as mountainous and snowy as Alaska is, Northrop was surprised at the lack of training that many have in avalanche awareness.

"I was really glad that the grants were available for them to come around and do these courses. I think that has been a missing link, that education about the terrain for skiers and snowmachiners and it's something a lot of us really need," said Northrop.

Avalanche conditions are a result of the relationship shared by terrain, weather and snow pack set off by a trigger, said Joe Stock, an instructor with the Alaska Avalanche School.

Stock has been training in avalanche safety and rescue since he was young, and was glad to see that among the group of veteran Homer skiers and backcountry enthusiasts was an enclave of youngsters, interested in learning more.

"I started doing avalanche training when I was about 12, so I love seeing those kids out there getting this information and training early," said Stock.

On the Kenai Peninsula a lot of avalanche safety comes down to the same factors as anywhere else. The first one is terrain.

"The main thing to watch out for when looking for avalanche terrain are smooth slopes that are tilted up 30-40 degrees," said Stock. "The problem is that when you get recent snowfall or heavy precipitation and you have a slope tilted at 30-45 degrees, it's very good skiing, and you usually don't want to stay off of it, even if you know you should. It's best to let it settle a day."

The best thing that anyone venturing into avalanche country can do is to take a class like the Avalanche Awareness Lecture and the Avalanche Field Workshop held in Homer, and then to follow that primer up with more advanced courses yearly, like any of the Level 1 Avalanche classes that the Alaska Avalanche School offers throughout the season.

Northrop said that a seed had been planted with the instructors from Alaska Avalanche School about doing a Level 1 Avalanche course in Homer as early as next winter, if at least 20 people show interest in attending the course.

While heading out to a class and getting some hands on experience may be the best way to really get to understand avalanche safety, Stock also pointed out that there are several basic red flags everyone should be aware of when in the backcountry.

"The first one is unstable snow. If you see an avalanche within 24 hours you know the snow is unstable. The next one is heavy precipitation in the last 24 hours of about an inch an hour or 12 inches in 24 hours," said Stock.

Other red flags include: strong winds capable of moving snow and loading a steep slope with unstable snow, a "whoomping" sound when traveling over snow on ski or snowshoe, and rapid temperature rises in the area, particularly in the spring when thawing snow turns mushy and loses stability.

For more information about courses in avalanche safety, the Alaska Avalanche School can be contacted via phone at (907) 345-0878, or check out the Web at www.alaskaavalanche.com.