Avalanche Question? Please Help!!!!

[KidWalleye]

This is probably one of those stupid questions that everyone is going to make fun of but i dont really care as I would rather ask, Know and be made fun of then not no at all.....

I know that most avy's happen on wind loaded slopes. Now is the wind loaded slopes the the side of the mountain with the wind is packing the snow into it. Or is it the side that all the snow is blowwing over and settling out of the wind on????

Gary Cayko

 

[Bubba700]

It loads up on the down wind side of the ridge, IE if the ridge is running east and west and you have a wind blowing from the north it is going to load up on the south side of the ridge.

 

[KidWalleye]

Thank you

That is what i thought but then i started over thinking it and came up with my other idea. thank you very much

gary

 

[TNT]

The only dumb question is one that is not asked, especialy when it comes to safety

 

[MTdream]

That is what i thought but then i started over thinking it and came up with my other idea. thank you very much

gary

setting ego aside, lets you avoid the slide!!!

good show man!!!

 

[KidWalleye]

AVY Classes

Im planning on taking an avy course asap but there is not one i can get to before i go to west. I never really thought about it tell this weekend. Had a buddy get taken by an avy in cooke on friday it kinna puts stuff in perspective. Next chance i get i am going to take on though...

Gary

 

[RGM]

It doesn't have to be on the other side of the mountain. You can get cross loading from ribs or any feature that slows down the wind and lets the snow settle out. I have even seen loading up slope from large boulders or similar features.

 

[BigFish BC]

go here & read it all a few times it will help till you get time to take the avy coarse.
http://ocw.usu.edu/Forest__Range__and_Wildlife_Sciences/avalanche-and-snow-dynamics/Course_listing

 

[Bubba700]

It doesn't have to be on the other side of the mountain. You can get cross loading from ribs or any feature that slows down the wind and lets the snow settle out. I have even seen loading up slope from large boulders or similar features.

This is a great point. I was a little general in my post. You can get wind loading pretty much any where there is a natural wind break on the downwind side of the break. I have been paying attention to the way the drifts point lately, sounds dumb but the tails of drifts usually point to the areas that were loaded up during the last wind storm.

 

[tomx]

Keep in mind wind shifts rapidly and there are many factors that contribute to avalanches. Todays wind loaded slope is tomorrows wind scoured face. Learn to read the signs and study a slope whenever entering avalanche terrain. Wind scouring is pretty evident most of the time.

Good read:
http://nsidc.org/snow/avalanche/

 

[Ace Freely]

Gary, there are no stupid questions when it comes to safety. If you have time before going out west, pick up a copy of "Staying Alive In Avalanche Terrain" by Bruce Tremper. You can get a copy through Amazon, and is a great book to read. I have a copy on my nightstand from October through April. THE best info you can have, though, is the weather reports and avy reports of where you are going to ride. Start reading them a week before you go.


http://www.amazon.com/Staying-Alive...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200952942&sr=1-1



Ace

 

[CAT TRACKS]

Great thread man!!!!

 

[Bubba700]

I think utah state Univ has an online course also it was posted on the of the recent threads. I think Catwoman posted it, maybe she still has the link and can throw it on here for you. I went through a lot of the material before we took a class a few weeks ago and it was pretty good info.

 

[CatWoman]

I have a bunch of different links in the Avy Section, under Avy links. There are also links in my sig line.