Understanding an Avalanche
The dangers of falling snow shelves, ice and heavy blankets of snow are greater in areas with higher elevations, steep drop offs, cliffs or mountainous regions. Avalanche beacons are a small element of the overall safety equipment needed to maneuver through snow slides and to recover safely from a deadly avalanche. There are three main elements to an avalanche---the starting zone, the track and the run-out zone. The starting zone is where the disruption in the snow begins; this can be from a melt, a fallen timber or from a disruption of a person or animal. The track is how and where the snow travels down the mountain and can be a few feet wide or long up to several hundred feet. The run-out is where the avalanche stops and the debris falls and accumulates the most---this is where most people get buried. In the United States, avalanches are prevalent mainly in mountainous high altitude western states that remain snow covered throughout the year.
Surface avalanches are common in many snow covered mountainous slopes. A surface avalanche is generally not dangerous and consists of lighter unpacked snow traveling over solid packed snow or ice. This can commonly be seen behind many backcountry skiers as they make their way down fresh unchartered terrain.
Full-depth avalanches are when an entire pack of snow including several feet in depth, begin to loosen and lose their grip on the surface of a mountain or peak. This is a devastating condition and should warrant prompt attention. Both the track and run-out area of this type of avalanche can be deadly to skiers, hikers or anyone in its path. Many travel at white-out speeds of up to 80 miles per hour in less than five seconds according to foothillsacademy.org.
What is an Avalanche Beacon?
For those traveling through heavy and deep snow; there are certain safety precautions that should be enforced no matter what the weather conditions. An avalanche beacon will help rescuers locate the avalanche victim quickly and safely when used properly. The device is very small---often times only around 10 ounces. These beacons transmit information in a digital format---while some older versions remain in analog form. The rescuer will use the signals given off by the beacon to close in on the victim. At that time, an avalanche shovel and avalanche probe will be used to pinpoint the victim and raise them to safety. Time is of the essence as their is lack of oxygen and breathable air underneath snow.
Who uses an Avalanche Beacon?
An avalanche beacon should be used by anyone traveling out onto unmarked trails or ski slopes in which snow or ice is present. There is no set safety switch in which someone should or should not wear their avalanche beacon---because winter weather can be unpredictable. An avalanche beacon does not always have to be used during an avalanche---if an outdoorsman comes across a drop off, hole or cave full of snow and is buried, the beacon will assist with their recovery. Those who backcountry ski, snowmobile, hike, snowshoe or climb should all carry beacons in areas of snow and mountainous slopes.
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