Now scheduling avalanche classes for next winter. 2010/2011

[snowww1]

Make a difference.

Now scheduling classes for next winter.​

Schedule is filling fast.
Host an Avalanche Class with Avalanche1 and Mike Duffy.
Classes taught in CO, WY, MT, MI, MN, ND, NE, IA, SD, WI

These classes make it easy to get snowmobile specific avalanche education. We bring the classes to your location.


3 Easy Steps:
1.Find a meeting room.-Here’s what you need:
-classroom type setting with seating for up to 30 people ( I have used motel meeting rooms, clubhouses, fire halls, dealership showrooms, community centers, etc.)
-projection screen.
-I can help you find a location.
2. Set a time and date.
-Midweek evenings from 6-10pm work best.
-Check to see when I’m in the area or schedule a separate date.
3. Promote the class and sign people up.
-Sign up sheets and flyers provided. Can also sign up through avalanche1.com.
-I will help promote the classes over the internet and provide a poster that can be downloaded.

Class information
Four Hour Avalanche Class
Specifically for snowmobilers

Classes are effective, proven to save lives and affordable.

Learn: How to avoid the most common mistakes, what equipment works best, how to rescue effectively, evaluate terrain, avoid terrain traps, analyze stability and increase your skills in the mountains.

Cost $49 per person. Colorado and Wyoming $40.

Four hour avalanche awareness, avoidance and rescue class. ​

Instructor: Mike Duffy. Level I & II Avalanche instructor Colorado Mountain College, rescue/avalanche team leader/avalanche mission coordinator Vail Mountain Rescue Group, instructor Walter Kirch Avalanche Seminars, graduate of National Avalanche School, National Academy of Winter Guiding, AVPRO certified. Mountain Snowmobiler for 20 years. 15 years instructing experience. 20 years mountain rescue. Member American Avalanche Association.
Avalanche articles published in Snowgoer and American Snowmobiler magazine.
To schedule a class or for more information:
Call Mike Duffy 970-390-9433 or email: duffyww1@aol.com
Course content:
-Introduction to avalanches, statistics, contributing factors.
-Avalanche reports.
-Signs of instability/stability analysis.
-Equipment.
-What to carry and what works best.
-Using an avalanche airbag pack.
-Avalanche beacons.
-Fast and effective single and multiple burial searches.
-Rescue
-Avalanche survival methods
-Effective hasty search techniques.
-Mistakes in rescue.
-Group Dynamics/heuristics.
-Slide show: Terrain Evaluation/terrain traps.
-Preparing for your trip.
-What to do if lost or injured.
-Stability tests.
-Scenarios.

Our goal is to reduce avalanche accidents among snowmobilers and to save lives. ​

More info available at www.avalanche1.com

 

[christopher]

Is there a follow on field portion after the classroom lecture ?

Also, the web site you listed, www.avalanche1.com is off line.

 

[snowww1]

I will have hands-on avalanche beacon and rescue classes in CO, WY and MN. Working on that schedule now. The classes this year sold out.

Step 1 is taking the classroom session.
Step 2 is taking the on the snow rescue class.

All equipment is supplied if you do not have it. Step 2 is essential to become a fast and effective rescuer. The techniques work! Mike

 

[christopher]

Here is my thought.
Would you be up for a SNOWEST sponsored event in the Idaho Falls area, where we brought in a good group of sledders for a Friday Night Class and a Saturday Field Day??

 

[backcountryislife]

That's a great idea. I'd like to do something similar around here.

 

[snowww1]

I would definitely be up for that! May have to do the field session on private land due to USFS regulations. I have some options on locations. Mike

 

[KSH]

Here is my thought.
Would you be up for a SNOWEST sponsored event in the Idaho Falls area, where we brought in a good group of sledders for a Friday Night Class and a Saturday Field Day??

That's a great idea. I'd like to do something similar around here.

Mike's class and field sessions are definitely worth the time and money.

Christopher, this is a area where the talked about "Webinar Broadcasts" would get some interest.

 

[christopher]

Mike's class and field sessions are definitely worth the time and money.

Christopher, this is a area where the talked about "Webinar Broadcasts" would get some interest.

You are Brilliant!

Yes, this is the sort of thing that a WEBINAR MIGHT do very well indeed.

 

[christopher]

I would definitely be up for that! May have to do the field session on private land due to USFS regulations. I have some options on locations. Mike

Perhaps we could combine forces with the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation and thus secure use of any lands that we need access to??

How many students are TOO MANY ??

 

[backcountryislife]

How many students are TOO MANY ??

Weeellll.... I found out the answer to that this fall!!!

I can't remember Mike's max, I tried to get a class together & asked mike his opinion... he laughed at me when I told him I had about 50 people that signed up.

 

[christopher]

I don't think 50 would be a challenge at all.

 

[Scott]

With the number of avalanche presentations I have been around....the field work is the part where the group can get too large VERY quickly.

In my opinion 15 can be a large number.

 

[christopher]

Can we run more than one group through the system per day?

 

[KSH]

Can we run more than one group through the system per day?

I believe he wants four hours per session on the snow.

 

[backcountryislife]

The class that I did was just a field beacon refresher. Even after a bunch of people canceled because of weather, the 1/2 that we had left was really hard to turn into one class smoothly. It ended up being about 5 groups of 5 working separately.

I really think that a friday/ saturday combo would be a great idea. get people thinking about all the ideas on friday & get them in that arena on sat so they can really take it all in.

 

[snowww1]

Classroom is prerequiste for field session. 10 people is maximum for one instructor in the field. That way everyone gets personal attention and feedback. People learn much faster in smaller groups. I like to do 4 hour sessions, but that could be shortened to 3 hours. I can run multiple sessions in a day or two days of field sessions.

I will be doing the classes next winter at Thunder Mountain Lodge in Colorado. Hopefully the Snowy Range in Wyoming. Ski Gull in Brainerd, MN and hopefully Elk River, MN. Also looking at WI.

The students are pulling off very quick rescues in the class. Advanced search techniques are taught, which people are grasping right away. 5 searchers were consistently finding four buried beacons in just over a minute.

Hope we can get this going in Idaho. Mike

 

[Scott]

Mike, what kind of traffic can you get through Montana?

 

[snowww1]

Lining up a class at Penco in Kalispell. Classroom followed by a field session. Planning on early January.