Avalanche Tracking

[freakshow]

I posted this under another topic, but I thought I would start a new one in hopes of feedback.

I use google earth quite a bit, and it seems like avalanches occur a lot in the same areas. Avalanches can be found in a thousand different locations, and come from just as many causes. However, I thought if we could find a way to track them, perhaps we could be more aware of the inherent risks that are out there. Perhaps just being able to see them in a tool like Google Earth is just as educational for those who haven't been in one.

To do this we will need to be very accurate. Using Google Earth you can place a bookmark exactly where it happened. If you have avalanche details..like a news report or something... add that to the post. I'll gather them up and make a file we can use in google earth. Please report avalanches with fatalities or a specified area that has frequent large slides. I know you can't track all of them, but you guys know the ones. They are the ones that make you nervous as you see others riding on them because you know that hill always slides.


Here is a link with an example of an avalanche from last year. The link will take you to Gooble Earth's forums where I have posted the example. The linked post has the avalanche information and bookmark attachment you can open up in google earth to view the site. This particular slide happened in Indian Creek. This large bowl slides often and when it does it wraps all the way around the bowl.
http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1320896#Post1320896



I don't mean to be disrespectful, but I hope with this type of information we could avoid some of the risks as we head into the back country.

Any thoughts?

Edit:
Low and behold...how did I miss this! This already exists for my area. You can even change the dates to show events.
http://www.jhavalanche.org/eventmap/

Sorry for the long post and taking you all the way through this. If anything, I hope you now know where you can find this information.

 

[cowboysedge]

This is a great idea! I think it will take alot of time though! Not to mention that a % of the riders just don't care about or want to hear about Avy danger.

Not to hyjack your thread or anything but this weekend I was riding in an area that I ride all the time. I stopped in a bowl that had slid 3 times this year to warn a group of sledders about the danger since we had 1.5' of fresh. I told one quy that hill has slid 2 or 3 times this year. He looked at me and said no 4 times. I watched the 6 of them bang on the hill all at once for a second and then took off.

Then later that afternoon we rode by a place that slides almost after every storm. Someone had cut it loose. When I ran into the guys that cut it loose, they told me they figured they were playing with fire. But rode there until it slid anyway.

They just don't get it!

Sorry for the rant!

You have a great idea! I think it could save a few lives along with the proper avy training.

 

[freakshow]

That's exactly what I was thinking. Thanks