Anastasia Suen - Avalanches

Avalanches

Anastasia Suen

The snow on the mountainside is on the move. No, its not just snowflakes falling down from the clouds. This is more than mere precipitation. A giant slab of fallen snow has broken loose and it is coming down the mountain fast. Its an !

As the avalanche of snow comes rapidly down the steep mountainside, it covers everything in its way. It covers skiers and snowboarders. It covers snowmobiles and mountain cabins. Nothing can stop it.

Ninety percent of avalanche victims die in slides triggered by themselves or a member of their group.

Located in the Rocky Mountains of north-central Colorado, Loveland Pass is a high mountain pass that is both beautiful and deadly.

Snowboarding Disaster

On a Saturday afternoon in April 2013, six snowboarders went up the mountain to Loveland Pass in Colorado. But only one came home alive. The six were snowboarding at nearly 11,990 feet (3,655 meters) when they triggered an avalanche. The slide, almost 600 feet (183 meters) wide and 8 feet (2.43 meters) deep, buried the entire party. One snowboarder dug himself out of the snow and called for help.

Snow in the mountains is a way of life. At some elevations, there is snow on the peaks year-round. Farther down the mountainside, the snow is more than just beauty to appreciate. As the snow melts, it flows into the aquifers that we use for our water supply.

So how do mountain dwellers cope with avalanches? They look for the signs. If you know what to look for, you can actually predict an avalanche.

Did You Know?

Avalanches can change the ecosystem. Avalanches break trees in half or pull them out of the ground. This makes room for new trees to grow. An old forest will have new growth.

Before skiing, hiking, or snowmobiling in the backcountry, an area not maintained by a ski resort or the National Park Service, taking an avalanche safety course is a good idea.

Members of the American Avalanche Association teach classes. They are for people who want to go out into the backcountry. Before they go out in the snow, they need to know about avalanches. They need to look for these six red flags.

Red Flag No. 1: Recent Avalanches

If there are new avalanches in the area that means more avalanches could happen. The conditions that cause the snow to break apart and slide downhill dont just occur in one location. If one part of the mountainside is coming down, chances are another section may slide downhill, too.

When snow splits apart, it can make a loud, cracking sound.

Red Flag No. 2: Unstable Snow

As you travel on a mountain, look carefully at the condition of the snow. Natures warnings are often noisy! If the snow is making extra sounds, that is a sign that the snow is unstable. When snow is unstable it can break easily. If a big chunk breaks, it can start an avalanche.

Whoomph!

When snow collapses, it makes a loud whoomph sound. According to the National Avalanche Center, whoomph has been adopted as a technical term to describe collapsing snow. If you hear whoomphing, watch out! An avalanche can happen at any time.

Red Flag No. 3: Weak Layers

Unstable snow can be covered up when new snow arrives. The weak layer is buried in the . These weak layers can still cause avalanches. They can happen days or even weeks later. How can you find out where they are? Dig a snow pit to test the snowpack. Check the Avalanche Advisory before traveling out in the snow.

For accurate information, dig your pit on a slope with the same aspect and steepness that you plan to ski.