In October of 2005, Ed LaChappelle, the man viewed by many to be the grandfather of North American avalanche forecasting, published a paper in The Avalanche Review (24.1) under the title, The Ascending Spiral. Of the many important points made in this paper, one stands out: do nothing in haste.
Recess is Over
Avalanches are serious stuff. You can go out and play, but getting caught in slides is inexcusable behavior. What’s worse is when folks jump on social media sites and the local avalanche center pages to tell stories about how they “didn’t mean it but didn’t get hurt. What’s the big deal?”
A Certain Uncertainty
Covid-19, masks and politics, oh my! What a wake up call—finally, the rest of the world gets a taste of what it’s like to deal with avalanches. Here, I present you with a learning opportunity, so to speak. Perhaps experienced backcountry skiers and avalanche workers are better qualified than most to deal with the current […]
