Itching for Powder? Be Prepared Before Heading Into the Backcountry

01/04/12

Brundage Mountain Blog

We’ve enjoyed our first in-bounds turns of the season this week, and powderhounds “in the know” were able to sniff out some sweet powdery goodness. If that little taste of pow has you hungering for more, we certainly understand. But we also want everyone to be prepared before heading into the sidecountry or backcountry to look for more.

Here are a few early-season thoughts.

1. Just because we haven’t had a ton of dumpage, it doesn’t mean that avalanche danger doesn’t exist out of bounds. Temperature variations can change conditions as much as fresh snowfall. We highly recommend ALWAYS checking the avalanche advisories for our area. I suggest bookmarking: www.payetteavalanche.org/advisory/ and checking it daily.

2. The best way to survive an avalanche is TO AVOID ONE.

Here are some key aspects of AVALANCHE SAFETY:

Recognize Red Flags
Identify Avalanche Terrain
Travel Safely in the Backcountry
Perform a Rescue

You can learn more about these and other considerations on our Backcountry Safety page.

3. Proper equipment is key. Shovels, probes and avalanche beacons are must-haves. Brundage Mountain has some used beacons for sale right now (see bottom of this page for details).

4. A rescue scenario is not the time to figure out how to use your beacon. The Brundage Mountain Beacon Park is open and operational. It’s located on the West side of the main lodge, right near the parking lot. You can learn more about the benefits of beacon training on our Backcountry Safety page.

For Sale:

TRACKER DTS Avalanche Transceivers used by the catski program and in excellent condition!

Retail price: $289.00 + tax
Brundage price: $195 tax included

Tracker DTS is the easiest and best-selling beacon on the market because of it’s rapid processor and simple user interface. A real-time, digital display shows both direction and distance with bright red LED’s. The distance is shown in meters and indicator lights display the direction of transmitting beacons. As the world’s most widely used transceiver, the Tracker has established a strong reputation for durability and reliability. Contact Guest Services for more info or to purchase. 208-634-4151 ext. 124.